'I don't like myself:' Imagine Dragons release new Prague-shot video

Singer Dan Reynolds opens up about his mental health problems while filming in Prague's Old Town.

Thomas Smith

Written by Thomas Smith Published on 12.10.2022 13:00:00 (updated on 13.10.2022) Reading time: 2 minutes

Earlier this week, Imagine Dragons released a special music video with a song entitled "I Don't Like Myself". It was released to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which took place on Oct. 10th.

In the song, singer Dan Reynolds admits that he suffered from major depression and even mentions suicidal ideation throughout the piece.

"I wrote this song when I was really down. I fought with myself for several years. I suffered from major depression and tried to seek refuge in music. I have spent many years learning to love myself. Thanks to therapy, I'm alive today."

Dan Reynolds

The video was shot some time in June and features the Old Town area in central Prague. Czechia's capital is a popular spot for music artists: singer Rihanna, rock band Muse and rapper Kanye West have all filmed in Prague for their music videos.

The band's music video in Prague.

The city in general has, throughout history, been a source of inspiration for musicians, influencing the legendary composers Wolfgang Mozart, Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt.

People working in the music field are more prone to mental illness: a survey by the University of Westminster in London found that 68.5 percent of musicians "have experienced depression", and "71.1 percent said they had experienced severe anxiety or panic attacks."

The study notes that musicians are three times more likely to develop depression compared with non-musicians.

Artists such as Frank Turner and Liam Gallagher also came out in support of World Mental Health day on twitter. Turner posted a social media account: if you need to talk to someone, please do...more people will care and listen than you’re telling yourself right now." Gallagher similarly expressed that it is good to be open about emotions.

At present, almost a billion people worldwide suffer some form of mental health disorder, according to UN data. In Czechia, 1 in 5 people suffer from a mental health disorder. Efforts are continuing to destigmatize mental health issues in the country, which - in a 2021 report - was found to have a low level of literacy in the area.

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