Is It Real? Lyrics — JPEGMafia
Album: We Live In A Society
Is It Real? by JPEGMafia
[JPEGMAFIA]Now tell me, is it real? (Uh)
Tell me how it feels (Uh)
Now tell me, is it real? (Uh)
Tell me how it feels
Now tell me, is it real? (Uh, uh-uh)
Now tell me how it feels (U-uh, u-uh, uh)
[Ravyn Lenae]
I don't even wanna brag, but I play to win
I'ma make it out because that's just who I am
I don't stress about it now, I throw up my hands
I ain't worried 'bout it, no
But now I'm back and I'm out, yeah, yeah
I'm tryna blow a stack, make it back, yeah, yeah
I paid my dues, make it last, yeah, yeah
I'm feelin' way too bad to be sad, yeah, yeah
[JPEGMAFIA]
Now tell me, is it real? (U-uh, u-uh)
Tell me how it feels (U-uh, u-uh)
Now tell me, is it real? (Talk to mе, u-uh, u-uh)
Tell me how it feels (Talk to me, u-uh, u-uh)
[Ravyn Lenae]
Lifе is short, spend it all, we're makin' more
Empty my cup, we're about to go up
Doin' the most, I'm fitted down, head to toe
Ass on the floor, we goin' up, back 'em up
But now I'm back and I'm out, yeah, yeah (Life is short, spend it all, we makin' more)
I'm tryna blow a stack, make it back, yeah, yeah (Empty my cup, we about to go up)
I paid my dues, make it last, yeah, yeah (Doin' the most, I'm fitted down, head to toe)
I'm feelin' way too bad to be sad, yeah, yeah (Ass on the floor, we goin' up, back 'em up)
(Uh, u-uh)
[JPEGMAFIA]
Now tell me, is it real? (U-uh, u-uh)
Tell me how it feels (U-uh, u-uh)
Now tell me, is it real? (Talk to me, u-uh, u-uh)
Tell me how it feels (Talk to me, u-uh, u-uh)
Song Overview
Song Credits
- Featuring: Ravyn Lenae
- Producers: Flume, JPEGMAFIA, Eric J Dubowsky
- Writers: Flume, JPEGMAFIA, Ravyn Lenae, Tinashe
- Release Date: 2025-05-02
- Genre: EDM, Rap, Electronic, Future Bass
- Album: We Live In A Society
- Language: English
- Label: Independent
- Distributor: Flume
Song Meaning and Annotations
“Is It Real” is a digital daydream drenched in existential funk, where Flume's glitchy soundscapes twist around JPEGMAFIA's hypnotic refrains and Ravyn Lenae's velvety verses. The track is structured like a question looping through the mind of someone caught in a hyperreal life — maybe onstage, maybe online, maybe mid-burnout on a dance floor.
Philosophy on the Dancefloor
The hook —
"Now tell me, is it real? Tell me how it feel."— is both a chant and a dare. JPEGMAFIA repeats it with varying urgency, pushing listeners to question reality itself: is this love real? This success? The party? The music? It’s a refrain for the overstimulated, where vibes blur into identity and clarity vanishes in reverb.
Ravyn Lenae's Verses
Ravyn Lenae enters like a cool breeze over hot circuitry, her verses balancing flex and fatigue:
"I’m tryna blow a stack, make it back... I’m feelin' way too bad to be sad."That line alone is a Gen Z spiritual anthem — resigned, but undefeated. Her delivery floats, layering a cosmic femininity into this otherwise mechanical landscape.
Production Layering
Flume’s production is chaotic in the most curated way — synths gurgle, distortions glitch like VHS static, and low-end pulses pound like an anxious heartbeat. Eric J Dubowsky’s touch brings polish, but doesn’t sand down the song’s raw edges. This track isn’t meant to be pretty. It’s real.
Similar Songs
- “When the Party’s Over” – Billie Eilish
While sonically more minimal, both tracks explore emotional isolation under a magnifying glass. Billie whispers where JPEGMAFIA demands, but both ask: is this emotion authentic, or just part of the act? - “Numb” – Porter Robinson
Porter’s electronic palette and existential lyrics share DNA with Flume’s, especially in their mutual yearning to feel something in a synthetic world. “Numb” and “Is It Real” feel like cousins trapped in digital purgatory. - “SICKO MODE” – Travis Scott
While more chaotic and mainstream, “SICKO MODE” plays with fractured structure and surreal sequencing much like “Is It Real.” JPEGMAFIA and Travis both toy with reality like it’s Play-Doh.
Questions and Answers
- What does the phrase "Is it real?" refer to?
- It questions the authenticity of experiences, relationships, and emotions in a world oversaturated by technology, media, and performance.
- What role does Ravyn Lenae play in the song?
- Her verses contrast JPEGMAFIA's repetitive inquiry with confident self-assertion — grounding the track in material ambition and emotional cool.
- Is this song more EDM or hip-hop?
- It’s a hybrid — Flume brings future bass and electronic textures, while JPEGMAFIA injects experimental rap flows. It resists genre like it resists easy answers.
- Why is Tinashe listed as a writer?
- Tinashe likely contributed to the lyrical or melodic development behind the scenes — a common collaboration in modern genre-bending projects.
- Is this part of a concept album?
- Yes — it’s track 2 on “We Live In A Society,” which appears to explore postmodern themes of identity, simulation, and truth.
Fan and Media Reactions
“this a banger” – begfvag
“its so cool how tinashe wrote the whole song” – kingstonn
“ts so fire” – Cozzzmicc
“IT IS REAL I CAN CONFIRM” – ETERNALYT
“This is the meatiest meat in the butcher shop” – WhatsTheMothWithoutFlame
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