"Are You Even Real" was written by Swims and Giveon, together with Abby Keen, Lawson, Sarah "Solly" Solovay, Sean Kennedy, TaeJaun Ellis, Julian Bunetta, and Peter Thomas, with the latter two also producing the song.
[7] The video employed a laid-back approach, with Swims and Giveon mostly singing their verses from a seat that backs the other person.
He further added that Swims' vocal delivery "shifts between whisper-soft confessions and more powerful moments of realization, each word carefully shaped to maximize emotional impact."
Finally, he praised the minimalist production of the track, saying that it "underscores the vocals, with gentle instrumentation that enhances the song’s ethereal quality.
"[9] Writing for Billboard magazine, Mitchell Peters described "Are You Even Real" as a song which "blends Swims' heartfelt vocals with Giveon's signature deep tones, creating a rich contrast accentuated by tight harmonies in the track's latter half.