On “Mask,” Dream reflects about his past fights with mental disorders like depression and ADHD while acknowledging how they affect him in his current life. The song’s title plays with the lyrics as a shield, hiding Dream’s insecurities while he fights these mental illnesses. He confirmed the title o...
[Intro]
(Secure the bag, know what I mean? Banrisk on the beat)
(Ayo, Perish, this is hot, boy)
[Verse 1]
I wear a mask with a smile for hours at a time
Stare at the ceiling while I hold back what's on my mind
And when they ask me how I'm doing, I say, "I'm just fine"
And when they ask me how I'm doing, I say, "I'm just fine"
But the fact is
I can never get off of my mattress
And all that they can ask is
"Why are you so sad, kid?" (Why are you so sad, kid?)
[Pre-Chorus]
That's what the mask is
That's what the point of the mask is
[Chorus]
So you can see I'm tryin', you won't see me cryin'
I'll just keep on smilin', I'm good (Yeah, I'm good)
And it just keeps on pilin', it's so terrifying
But I keep on smilin', I'm good (Yeah, I'm good)
I've been carin' too much for so long
Been comparin' myself for so long
Been wearin' a smile for so long, it's real
So long, it's rеal, so long, it's real
[Verse 2]
Always bein' judged by a bunch of strangе faces
Scared to go outside, haven't seen the light in ages
But I've been places
So I'm okay-ish, so I'm okay-ish
Yeah, I'm okay, bitch
But the fact is
I need help, I'm failin' all my classes
They think that I need glasses
I just really wish that I could pass this (Wish that I could pass this)
[Pre-Chorus]
That's what the mask is
That's what the point of the mask is
[Chorus]
So you can see I'm tryin', you won't see me cryin'
I'll just keep on smilin', I'm good (Yeah, I'm good)
And it just keeps on pilin', it's so terrifying
But I keep on smilin', I'm good (Yeah, I'm good)
I've been carin' too much for so long
Been comparin' myself for so long
Been wearin' a smile for so long, it's real
So long, it's real, so long, it's real
[Outro]
So long, it's real
So long, it's real
Mask was written by PmBata & Dream & Perish Beats & Banrisk.
Mask was produced by Banrisk & Perish Beats.
[The song is] much more personal I would say, the main reason I’ve been enjoying music is being able to tell stories and talk about things from my life and stuff in a catchy way
When Dream released a ten-second snippet of “Mask,” fans were unsure of the lyrics leading Dream to create a louder version of the snippet. This made more fans confused on what the lyrics actually were.
Producers Banrisk and Perish Beats noted that there would be lyric misinterpretations, with Peri...
Dream released a series of snippets that revealed a few lyrics.
Dream released part of the second verse on March 15 after he promised to release one if both producers, Banrisk and Perish Beats, reached 20,000 followers each on Twitter.
The second snippet was teased on March 18, where Dream revealed...
Dream cited creating “Mask” as a more dufficult process than “Roadtrip” due to his increased involvement in this song.
For instance, when a fan pointed out Dream’s vocal range after he released the song’s first snippet, Dream replied:
I have a way higher vocal range than I thought. I’ve never real...
Dream wrote all of the lyrics to “Mask” himself, as his storytelling abilities helped him with lyric ideas. However, Perish Beats would often assist him with fitting a melody for the lyrics. Dream would write the lyrics via notepad so he wouldn’t forget them.
During pre-production, he would also sh...