I can't believe I'm typing this but – I'm dropping a new single and video tonight with @ArianaGrande and @theestallion".

[5] He told Associated Press that the inspiration behind the song was messing around while he was recording at Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan in August, explaining: "I wanted to write something reflecting on how tough it was for everyone last year during the holidays and that it's gonna get better."

[7] In a press release, "It Was a... (Masked Christmas)" was described as having "bubbly, '80s-esque synths and a sharp, mix-filling beat evocative of early '00s pop", and that Fallon "delivers the track's lead vocal with far more aplomb than expected from a late-night talk show host, adding colour to Grande's ethereal singing with his bold, autotune-inflected flair".

[9] Lester Fabian Brathwaite of Entertainment Weekly commented that the song "brings all the retro ho-ho-holiday charm of a 'Last Christmas', very Wham!

It showcases Fallon, Grande and Stallion "in a series of Christmas-themed settings", like "drinking eggnog by an open fire, skiing down a mountain, dancing inside a snow globe and lining up for their vaccine booster shots".