Popular YouTube music critic Anthon Fantano explained why Dream’s new music single ‘Mask’ is “basic.” The reviewer revealed why he isn’t the biggest fan of the Minecraft star’s musical performance.
Originally launching his NeedleDrop moniker in 2007, Anthony Fantano has become one of the most prominent voices in the music industry over the last decade. The popular critic tackles the latest releases with his wildly popular YouTube reviews.
During his June 1 upload, the self-proclaimed “biggest music nerd on the internet” gave his take on Dream’s song, ‘Mask’. The 33-year-old broke down the single and explained why it doesn’t entirely hold up despite its emotional themes.
The popular music critic reviewed Dream’s new single Mask.
Anthony Fantano reviews Dream’s ‘Mask’
After listening to the single for the first time, Fantano was taken back by the song’s tone. “Well, jeez. That was more melodramatic than I anticipated it would be,” he said, before adding, “Look, instrumentally and aesthetically on this one, we kind of go further down that emo rabbit-hole. There is even a burst of a strong rock edge to it.”
The YouTube critic then told viewers that while his vocals on the song were “expressive”, they were also heavily edited. “It sounds like they really touched them up heavily to make sure they’re on pitch. So while the vocals are expressive, I don’t know how much I can really praise the performance here overall.”
TheNeedleDrop creator described the composition of the song as being basic. “The theme of the song, it’s about why he wears the mask. I find the lyrics of this track to be a bit basic, almost like you a reading a junior high-schooler’s diary. The word choice is very plain.”
He then addressed the song’s serious themes: “But the song is about why he wears the mask. There are weird strange people judging him when he’s sad. Nobody has to see that he’s sad. And he always looks like he has a smile on his face. Which in one breath warrants a heavy series of eye-rolls. It reads like something someone would say when they identify a bit too much with a comic book villain.”
Fantano followed up his criticisms by saying that he was also worried about Dream. “But simultaneously I do worry, and I think ‘Oh wow, that’s actually quite sad that you feel that way, and that you feel trapped by your persona. By your popularity.’ So while the feelings on this track are expressed in a very basic way, if there is any truth behind them though, it makes me worry about Dream’s mental health and wellbeing.”
Although the YouTuber wasn’t the biggest fan of the 21-year-old’s new single, he also stated that he hoped the song would help him. “Hopefully this song, whether it’s well-received or not, is a positive outlet for him to kind of make this statement.” The music critic ended his review by explaining to his viewers that celebrities who hide their identity can also have their own set of struggles.