As 2026 comes to a close, Jade LeMac is stepping into a darker chapter with her latest single, “Prettier With Your Mask Off.”
The Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released the song on Friday, Nov. 6, and it’s been stuck in our heads ever since.
(Photo credit: Meredith Traux)
“Prettier With Your Mask Off” is the first release from Jade’s forthcoming EP, due in early 2027, offering a first look at a more shadowy side of her songwriting and storytelling.
The song centers on Stockholm syndrome and the complicated relationship between control, attraction and emotional attachment.
Jade tells the story from the perspective of someone living through it.
“Attraction can come instantly, but sometimes attraction grows over time, especially when a person stops hiding who they really are,” Jade explained in a press release. “With this song, I show that through the perspective of someone experiencing Stockholm syndrome.”
The song opens with uncertainty as its narrator is taken into the night, asking again and again where the car is headed.
From there, the story moves into the emotional territory at the heart of the track, where fear and desire become more and more difficult to separate.
The release arrive at the end of a massive year for the viral star.
Jade performed at Governors Ball earlier this year before recently wrapping a U.S. tour opening for Hilary Duff. Her festival slate has also included Osheaga, Lollapalooza and All Things Go.
On Oct. 26, Jade also received the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year award at the SOCAN Songwriting Awards in Toronto, placing her among past recipients including Tate McRae, Daniel Caesar and Alessia Cara.
Her year of songwriting and critical success was powered by “Pink Balloon,” “Running Home” and “Sweet Dreams,” along with placements in hit series including Netflix’s My Life With the Walter Boys and Coven Academy.
Also read about: Jade LeMac on Bringing 4 Songs to Season 3 of My Life With the Walter Boys and the Longevity of ‘Constellations’
Those songs come from Jade’s It’s Always At Night EP, which earned her a 2026 Juno Award nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
“Running Home” marked her debut on the Billboard Canada Hot 100, while the viral single “Pink Balloon” has amassed 15 million global streams and continues to grow.
Four tracks from the EP, “Running Home,” “Intertwined,” “Sleeping with the Lights On” and “Sweet Dreams,” were featured in season three of My Life With the Walter Boys.
Her breakout track, “Constellations,” also appeared in the Netflix series.
(Photo credit: Meredith Traux)
Much of that momentum began on TikTok, where Jade built a devoted fanbase by being true to herself as a Queer Vietnamese Canadian.
With new music on the way in 2027, “Prettier With Your Mask Off” signals that her next era is only getting started.
For more on Jade’s journey, check out Jade LeMac Revisits Her Hit Song ‘Constellations’ and Its Continued Success.
