''The Masquerade'' (stylized in

all lowercase Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing systems ...

) is the debut studio album by indie pop singer-songwriter

Mxmtoon Maia (born July 9, 2000), known professionally as mxmtoon ( ), is an American singer-songwriter and YouTuber. Her music is characterized by emotionally transparent, confessional lyrics and often employs the ukulele. She released her first EP, ...

, self-released on September 17, 2019. The album was primarily produced by

Cavetown Robin Daniel Skinner (born 15 December 1998), known professionally as Cavetown (sometimes stylised in all lowercase), is an English singer-songwriter, record producer, and YouTuber. His style blends elements of indie rock, indie pop and bedroom ...

and co-produced by Mxmtoon. "Prom Dress", "High & Dry", "Seasonal Depression", "Blame Game" and "Dream of You" were released as singles.

Background

Prior to the album's release,

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

announced the release of ''21 Days'', a music podcast which followed Mxmtoon and Cavetown as they worked on the album in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. When asked to describe the album with three words in an interview with

Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland, the United Arab Em ...

, Mxmtoon described the album as "sad", "evolved" and "universal". The album was recorded at Shifted Recording Studio in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

Critical reception

Joshua Bote of ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' described the ten-track album as "comforting twee-pop that wrings out genuine pathos from Mxmtoon's internet celebrity." Matt Yuyitung of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' wrote "

aia AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

brings her wry sense of humour and diary-entry lyricism to her debut record, recalling the lo-fi relatability of

Frankie Cosmos Greta Simone Kline (born March 21, 1994), also known by the stage name Frankie Cosmos, is an American musician and singer. She is known for her independent releases, inspired by Frank O'Hara's poetry, Do it yourself, DIY ethics of K Records and ...

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

All Songs Considered ''All Songs Considered'' is a weekly online podcast and radio program hosted by Robin Hilton. It was created in January 2000 by NPR's ''All Things Considered'' then-director Bob Boilen and produced by Robin Hilton beginning in 2001. At first, ...

wrote the album "straddles whimsy and earnest depth."

Track listing

Notes * All track titles are stylized in

Personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. *

– vocals (all tracks), additional producer, music publisher * Robin Skinner – producer (all tracks)

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masquerade 2019 debut albums Mxmtoon albums