Masque‘s last album, Midnight Invasion, confronted the emotions that break in at night. On his new single “New Robin Hoods,” out now, he turns the fight outward. Blending rock, dance, and alternative influences, the track is upbeat and energetic from the first line, and it reimagines England’s most famous outlaw as a whole crew of modern-day rebels.
The opening verse sets the tone: the “woes of the world” can’t hold back hope, because a “pack of bandits” is always close. These Robin Hoods walk the streets without fear and steal from the rich to build “a life for the poor.” Masque also gives them stealth. “You may try, but you won’t hear us comin’,” he warns, before the chorus erupts into a call-and-response where “Stop!” meets “Don’t stop!”
The second verse sharpens the target. The Sheriff “puts on a front,” but the band won’t fall for his “golden arrow,” the trap that once caught the original Robin. “We learn from the past and we’re better heroes,” Masque sings, and that line is the song’s thesis: the legend is a lesson, not just a story. He describes a world “pulled under by men who poisoned mankind,” and casts his crew as “the folklore for hungry masses.”
Then the song changes question. “Who’s gonna stop us?” becomes “Who’s gonna join us?” Defiance turns into invitation. “No kings, only queens” reshapes the merry men through Masque’s own identity as an openly LGBTQ+ artist, and the bridge makes it plain: “We all share the Robin name. We’re all equal, born this way,” a clear nod to Lady Gaga, one of his key influences. The closing lines picture the band dancing “’til the darkness ends,” cheering as the rulers fall.
Masque is a Hawaii-born artist who has been releasing music since 2021. His album Midnight Flames earned a Best Rock Album nomination at the 2025 Hoku Awards, and his August release “The Pain, The Pain (Remix)” reworked a Midnight Invasion standout. Inspired by Queen and Lady Gaga, he writes about mental health, identity, and lived experience.
