There’s a certain kind of love song that doesn’t feel staged or polished to perfection—it just sort of happens. That’s the lane Tyler McGinnis leans into with “Like Make Believe,” a 2026 release that trades grand gestures for something far more grounded. Based out of Tacoma, McGinnis has built his reputation on road-worn authenticity, and this track, written in a spontaneous burst while in Hawaii, is a natural extension of that ethos. It’s also a bit of a milestone: his first true love song, shaped by a relationship that nudged him toward rediscovery.
“Like Make Believe” opens with soft, unhurried acoustic strumming, the kind that feels like early morning light filtering through a window. McGinnis’ voice comes in low and steady. He lets the melody breathe, while subtle percussion pulses underneath like a heartbeat you almost don’t notice at first. The instrumentation stays intentionally sparse with acoustic guitar, a touch of harmonica, and gentle rhythm work.
Lyrically, it’s where things really land. He sings that it “takes a special kind of woman to offer up her guiding hands,” unpacking what it means to be seen, to be softened, to reconnect with parts of yourself you’d buried. There’s a childlike wonder threaded through the track, a sense of stepping back into something innocent without losing the weight of experience. It shows how connections, community, and human beings can help each other express parts of themselves that were being cancelled out by their own system in the pursuit of the hustle.
As the song rolls on, it settles, instead, into a quiet sense of peace. And honestly, that’s the charm. “Like Make Believe” feels more like a moment you happened to overhear, simple but sticking with you long after it fades.
STAY IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Review by: Naomi Joan