Masked Singer
[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the winner and runners-up revealed on Wednesday night’s (May 7) season 13 finale of The Masked Singer.]
In a season that has featured the unmasking of a mess of music stars — including Edwin McCain (Nessy), Method Man (Stud Muffin) and Flavor Flav (Space Ranger), plus actors Matthew Lawrence (Paparazzo), Candace Cameron Bure (Cherry Blossom) and James Van Der Beek (Griffin) and boxer Oscar De La Hoya (Fuzzy Peas), among others — when the confetti rained down on Wednesday night’s (May 7) Masked Singer finale, it was no surprise who came out on top.
Pearl shone the brightest on a night when she reigned supreme over the other three finalists — Boogie Woogie, Coral and Mad Scientist — after a season of dominating the competition with a perfectly executed mix of pop, R&B, rock, Latin and soul songs.
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If you were really paying attention to the clues this season, Pearl’s identity was plain to see. There was talk of a “tough exterior” you had to break through to find the treasure inside, making her own way by playing shows in discount stores and dive bars, Elvis, a bowl of cherries and Aphrodite, goddess of love. She also noted she grew up in a tiny town, split before finishing high school to work in a bar and said that when she started doing what she does, it launched a movement that opened the doors for many others.
The guesses were all over the place, with judge Robin Thicke thinking Melissa Etheridge, to Rita Orr tossing out rockers Pat Benatar and Joan Jett and always-wrong Ken Jeong wildly swinging with certainty that Madonna was under the mask (she wasn’t). Meanwhile, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg’s guesses over the season leaned country, including Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Kacey Musgraves — which turned out to be the right kind of lean.
There’s a very good reason Pearl came out on top, beginning with her gritty, emotional cover of Lesley Gore’s 1963 empowerment anthem “You Don’t Own Me,” which Thicke praised for being “sultry and swaggy,” with a touch of soul and grit. Proving her versatility, she also spread that grit on The Outfield’s 1986 rock anthem “Your Love,” then pivoted again with a hip-swiveling take on Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s 1985 classic “Conga.” Other highlights included a killer cover of Dolly Parton’s 1977 pop country No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Here You Come Again,” a rock pivot for Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and an impressive run through the Whitney Houston ballad “Saving All My Love For You.”
She secured the win with Wednesday night’s cover of KT Tunstall’s 2004 rocker “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” which sounded so much like it could have been one of her own songs that Jeong called her the “Meryl Streep of Masked Singer.” Her final song, The Pretenders’ epic ballad “I’ll Stand By You,” soared and, seemingly, locked in the season 13 crown for none other than country star Gretchen Wilson.
Her victory came over Boogie Woogie (Andy Grammer), Coral (Zombies‘ Meg Donnelly) and Mad Scientist (Florida Georgia Line country star and solo singer Brian Kelley).
The singer — whose breakthrough, Grammy-winning 2004 single “Redneck Woman” sat at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks — spoke to Billboard before her win about why now was the right time to do the show, how the flashy costume switched up her public persona and why she didn’t sing a song from her all-time favorite rock band.
This show had you doing more choreo than I imagine you’re used to, so much hip shaking and gyrating. Was that weird to you, or did the costume help alleviate any nerves?
The costume helped with everything. When I stepped into the costume, I was transformed, I became Pearl. All of the different sides of Gretchen Wilson that I’ve never felt comfortable enough to show just took the forefront in the costume. I saw it as an opportunity to show the world there’s a lot more to me than this redneck y’all keep talking about.
What as it about that sparkly costume that appealed to you? You usually are a black T-shirt and jeans kind of woman, and it’s so girly. [For the record, Wilson was wearing a black T-shirt and one sparkly, rhinestone-studded blue glove during our Zoom.]
It was just all of the things I’ve never felt comfortable to do as a grown woman. I took it and ran with it. It’s an uncomfortable costume. You don’t feel all that pretty in it because you’re mostly just sweating. But when you happen by a mirror and see it you’re like, “ooh!,” you just can’t help yourself. I thought it was really good exactly because of that: Everybody just thinks of a plain Jane, girl next door type of thing, and I thought this costume was perfect because it was so opposite of what anybody would ever think they’d see me behind.
You’ve had a wild ride in the music biz, scoring five top 10 singles on the Billboard country charts and then jumping to your own label, so I’m curious: What did you want to prove on the show?
I had some post-COVID health stuff, I’m a long-hauler. I’ve got medications I’ll have to take for the rest of my life — high blood pressure, asthma — these are all things I didn’t have right before COVID. I also was dancing with a 6-year-old boy at a wedding, spinning, spinning, spinning, then I lost myself and I shattered my ankle and my leg, so I spent eight months in a wheelchair in a cast. So all of this was happening to me the last couple of years and it really got me to the point where, health-wise, my weight, I was thinking, “I might be done. It could be over for me because I’m not sure I’ll be able to breathe out there and do this thing as a living anymore.” So when this opportunity came, it was a moment for me to go, “All right, I’ve struggled, I’ve got the weight down, the medication is helping and if I say yes to this and I can go do this then I can do anything.” If I can do this, I can do a 75-minute show in Yuma, Arizona, in August outside.
Your sound was so versatile on the show, from rock to country, pop, Latin and R&B. Why was that a priority for you?
First of all, because I could. I grew up in bar bands. When I was 16, I was in three to four bands all at once, and it was always covers, so I got my start like, “How much can I sound like this one?” That was sort of a hidden gem in my pocket that I had, being able to transform my voice.
You didn’t do a song by your favorite band Heart, though. Why not?
Like any show, only a certain number of songs they have clearance for, so it wasn’t like I could go in there and say, “I want to sing ‘Barracuda’ by Heart.” There was a very good chance they wouldn’t have been able to clear it. Also, had they brought me a Heart song, I would have said no because it would have been a dead giveaway. I felt we got really close with show opener [Big & Rich’s] “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” — those are two of my very best friends. How do they not know that that’s me? I tried to pick songs I love, but also songs my audience would not typically think it would be me singing.
Speaking of which, was it fun to sing “Pink Pony Club” with Rita Ora on the finale?
There’s a song I’ve never heard! Never heard it [before I sang it] and never heard it since. Let me just say [throws up prayer hands]: Nothing against the song, it’s just not my thing.
How cool was it to get that message from your daughter on the last night? Did she know it was you on the show?
In the beginning, I told almost no one. I told my publicist, I had to tell my mom because I have four dogs and she had to come take care of them. The show decided to involve my daughter and her new husband, so that’s how she got on it, otherwise she wouldn’t have known. I’m really glad they did because keeping this secret from her felt wrong not having her involved in the moment.
Your Pretenders cover tonight made Ken cry! That must have felt good, right?
I didn’t remember that! I haven’t seen the final episode yet. I don’t know what my favorite performance is because I haven’t seen them all yet. I was impressed with the “Conga” because that was so far outside of what I normally do, but my friends are all liking “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” and that was my least favorite. I was thinking, “What did I just do? I just chose a song that is going to lose me the competition. Where do I go with this vocal?” I had to be creative and jump an octave, or two, because this song doesn’t go anywhere! I think I did go three octaves in that song.
So far this season on The Masked Singer, viewers have seen the fuzzy heads come off of Honey Pot (Cedric the Entertainer), Fuzzy Peas (Oscar De La Hoya), Ant (Aubrey O’Day), Bat (Scheana Shay), Space Ranger (Flavor Flav), Griffin (James Van Der Beek), Cherry Blossom (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stud Muffin (Method Man).
Through it all, the show’s judges have consistently given one contestant major props: Yorkie. She first came out, tail swinging, on her spirited cover of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” during week 7, getting the audience in on the shout-along chorus and then having all the right moves on a cover of New Kids on the Block’s “Step By Step” on Boy Band Night.
Yorkie proved it again on Wednesday night’s (April 9) group C finals Decades Night, when she joined Nessie and Mad Scientist Monster to bop through iconic tunes from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. She jammed out in the episode’s kick-off bop through The Knack’s iconic “My Sharona” as the night’s stars tried to secure the last two spots in the Lucky Six lineup.
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The sparkly pink pup was up first, noting that she chose the ‘60s because the decade reminded her of her “ultimate protector”: her mom. She sounded confident on The Supremes’ “Stop! In the Name of Love,” nailing the song with her alluringly husky voice while adding just the right amount of tail-wagging sass.
In a Battle Royale showdown for the last spot in the Lucky Six, Yorkie took on Mad Scientist Monster during a run through Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” with the towering Nessy knocking it out of the park to secure the elusive final spot.
Ken Jeong had high praise for the dogged performer, saying she proved herself to be the “funniest, most charismatic” contestant so far this season, just before she was sent to the doghouse. After a clue noted that she’s on a huge TV show and has had some legal problems, Robin Thicke guessed Full House star and college admission scandal conspirator Lori Laughlin. After guessing Real Housewives of New Jersey star Theresa Giudice last week, always-wrong Ken Jeong pivoted to another Real Housewives star, Beverly Hills’ Kyle Richards.
He was, as usual, wrong, while self-appointed Bravo superfan Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg knew she had it in the bag, doubling down on her previous guess of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.
The reality icon who has landed nine No. 1 songs on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart spoke to Billboard before her elimination about why Yorkie was the perfect choice for her, how much less stressful the show was than Housewives and why, like Roan, she’s definitely hot to go.
The pink sparkly Yorkie costume seemed like a slam dunk for you. Were there even any other options?
You touched on it immediately. I saw the sketch for Yorkie and I was just, “That’s it! I know this character, it’s perfect for me. I’m in love with this little character.” And that’s why every time I performed, I lived her personality to the fullest. Listen: If you can’t have fun in a pink miniskirt and crop top with sunglasses and pink-tipped ears and pink Ugg boots, there’s something wrong with you. This was just made to have a good time.
You said you chose the Supremes song tonight because it reminded you of your mom. Was that an emotional song for you to sing?
Any time you bring something up about family or you dedicate something, your emotions are in it and yes, of course. I talk about protecting my heart. We’re all emotional beings and, listen, the Yorkie is too! Little Yorkie has feelings too.
You also seemed to really get into you Chappell Roan cover. What appealed to you about that song?
It’s a great little fun song to perform. It has tons of personality. It fit just beautifully and you can get out there and really have a good time. And I’m hot to go, so there you go!
Were you psyched when Jenny channeled Donny Wahlberg to praise your “Step by Step” cover? That’s the ultimate thumbs-up!
I love that compliment. I never get to sing a boy band song, so this was a really nice step out of the norm and I really had a good time with it.
You’ve had nine No. 1s on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, with songs like “Roller Coaster,” “Stars,” “Give You Everything” and, of course, “How Many F—s,” so why not pick a more upbeat dance song to perform?
The themes are set so it would be Boy Band night or Classics night, so I really had to work in the theme of the night, so I picked the material I thought I could do the best with.
Given you chart success, were you bummed that you didn’t make it longer on the show?
No, those things are beyond my control. I just went out there every night and performed to the best of my ability and had a great time doing the show.
So much of Real Housewives each season is about where your relationships stand with the other women, but on The Masked Singer, you’re completely isolated from the rest of the cast. Were there any similarities between this reality competition and your typical experience on reality TV?
No. [Laughs] Let me say this in the best way possible: Housewives can be very uncomfortable at times. Masked Singer was a dream. Few things are more stressful than Real Housewives.
Your son Tommy is a cop. Did he use his detective skills to suss out what you were up to?
My son is a sergeant with the LAPD. And no, absolutely not.
Did any of your Real Housewives castmates directly ask if it was you or recognize your voice?
My voice is quite recognizable, so my DMs are flooded with “I know that’s you, I know that’s you!”
You’ve had so much chart success, but was Masked Singer a way to continue that but with less pressure since nobody knew it was you?
Absolutely. 100%. The Masked Singer was a wonderful way to hide behind a mask and just get out there and perform and really inhabit the character and entertain and I enjoyed every moment of it.
You’re in your 10th year on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Is there any world where you thought you’d be on the show for a decade when you signed on? And what do you see for your future on the show, given the rumors that you might not be coming back?
Another decade? Is that what you said? Oh my God, certainly not a decade. I’ve had the great pleasure of being on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for almost a decade. I don’t know what’s happening the next year or beyond… certainly not another decade.
Tell me about how you’re prepping for your upcoming performance at Mighty Hoopla in the U.K. on June 1.
I’m super excited about the Mighty Hoopla and then Koko [in London] on June 3. I’m super excited to take the show over. I haven’t been to the U.K. in a very long time.
The Masked Singer pulled off one of its biggest surprises of the season during Wednesday night’s (April 2) “Boy Band Night” episode, revealing rapper, actor, and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man as the celebrity beneath the Stud Muffin costume.
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The reveal came after Stud Muffin delivered a smooth and cheeky rendition of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” complete with coordinated choreography and a clue package that hinted at his ties to hip-hop, brotherhood, and birthday shoutouts from BBD themselves. Clue deliveries during the episode came from Masked Singer alums Omarion (B2K) and Wayne Brady, the latter calling Method Man his “travel buddy.”
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“I had fun with it,” said Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith, Jr. “I’m always down to do something unexpected, and The Masked Singer let me just go out there and play. That’s what it’s about.”
Panelist Rita Ora had been adamant in her guess from Stud Muffin’s first appearance, and her celebration after the unmasking confirmed she’d been waiting for the win. “I knew it was you!” Ora exclaimed. “Your voice is so distinct — and you moved like a pro!”
The reveal drew gasps from the judges, with Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong both shocked by Method Man’s commitment to the disguise.
Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg floated guesses like MC Hammer and 2 Chainz earlier in the night, while Thicke aligned with Ora in the final moments.
The Wu-Tang legend is just the latest high-profile name to appear on season 13 of The Masked Singer, which has leaned into music nostalgia and heavy guest star cameos this year. Method Man’s appearance follows the show’s recent nods to boy band royalty like NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick and B2K’s Omarion, both of whom joined the panel this week to dish out clues.
Best known for his iconic role in Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man has also had a prolific career in acting and production, with credits spanning How High, The Wire, Power Book II: Ghost and beyond. His last solo album, Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab, dropped in 2022 and featured collaborations with Redman, Jadakiss, and KRS-One.
Season 13 of The Masked Singer continues next Wednesday with the Group C finals. As for Method Man? He’s officially out of the oven.
The following story contains spoilers about the celebrity revealed on Wednesday night’s (March 12) episode of The Masked Singer.
Space Ranger made his debut on last week’s Masked Singer, bounding out with his neon-tinged swagger and a silver space suit topped by a glowing, planet be-decked cowboy hat. It was a fitting ‘fit for what came next: an electrifying performance in which he bounced around, dropped to his knees and flashed finger guns with so much rizz that judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was convinced he must be a famous comedian.
If you were paying any attention at all, the clues (and his one-of-a-kind voice) made it pretty obvious: He’s futuristic, lives on his own planet and a childhood report card included an A+ in, ahem, “PE.” Oh, also, sometimes, he said, you have to show them all that you’re “worth the hype,” as he showed off a belt that appeared to have a clock face on it.
His debut performance, of a track by his “bestie,” was a spirited run through Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” that left judge Ken Jeong dumbstruck, while host Nick Cannon knew right away that it was one of his “favorite people” on the planet.
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Both Robin Thicke and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg agreed that it could be comedian/actor Tracy Morgan, while always-wrong Jeong — who said he’s opened for Morgan on the road — thought the space case was retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Rita Ora suggested a showman like actor/comedian Marlon Wayans.
Wednesday night’s Ghostbusters-themed episode was back with more super obvious clues, including one about his gig “schlepping furniture” in New York as a young man before he and his partner came up with a crazy idea for a career change with help from a “beastly band of boys” who boosted their career.
For his second song, he went in another direction with the swinging Busboys’ Ghostbusters soundtrack album tune “Cleanin’ Up the Town,” which further showcased his showmanship and vocal dexterity. The second performance made Jeong think it was DJ Jazzy Jeff, even as Thicke doubled down on his Morgan guess, while Ora and McCarthy-Wahlberg totally figured out that it was none other than Public Enemy hype man rapper Flavor Flav.
Before his elimination, Billboard spoke with Flav, who described the joy of getting the special dispensation to cover Swift, his shock at the judges’ guesses, and why he wanted to hang around just a bit longer.
You said being on the show has been on your bucket list for years. Why? What took you so long?
I don’t know what took it so long ’cause I’ve been wanting to do this show for years! So when I was asked to be on the show, I said, “Wow! Finally? OK, let’s go!” One thing about me is I love surprising people, I love amusing people, and I love keeping people in suspense. So this show put me on that platform to do all of these things.
People know you as the hype man from PE, but were you nervous to try singing on national TV, especially a Taylor Swift song?
One thing about Flav — Flav is never, ever nervous. I always love being the center of attention. I love being the most positive, talked-about. I’m the biggest hype man, I’m the original hype man, so I could not wait to get out there on that stage and hype up the world.
You are the self-proclaimed “King Swiftie” and there’s never been a Taylor song on Masked Singer. Was that an extra layer of pressure?
Nah, I wasn’t nervous at all, and I was honored that Taylor Swift and them did clear the song for me to do. Because Masked Singer been trying to get a Taylor Swift song cleared for years and they could not get one cleared, until Flavor Flav, King Swiftie, came on their show. [A spokesperson for the show confirmed that it was the first-ever Swift cover on the series.] They cleared it for King Swiftie. I’m honored and proud that Taylor Swift and them cleared me to do “Bad Blood.” I said, “I’m gonna have fun with this song and I know I’m gonna do a good job with it.” I ain’t gonna lie, I am my biggest fan and I do amuse myself and I love watching me on TV.
Did she approve it because she knew you were going to do it?
They knew I was going to do it, that’s why the song got cleared. They only cleared it because of me! They weren’t clearing it for nobody else! And you know what? I don’t think they’re gonna get another Taylor Swift song after this.
You have an iconic, signature look. So how did it feel to be in that ridiculous costume? Did it help you relax to be covered up?
It was real fun jumping in and out of that costume. When I first seen the costume, I was like, “Wow, how am I gonna pull this off?” But, you know, I can make anything work, I can pull this off. I really had fun… but it was a little hot and muggy up in there and I was running out of fresh air. But I said, “Keep it going. KIM — keep it movin’ Flav, you got this!”
Not gonna lie, I’ve been covering you for 30 years and so this was the easiest mystery to guess in the history of the show. From the way you walked out , to the super obvious clues and your one-of-a-kind voice it seemed almost too easy.
What do we say when we pick up the phone? “Heloooooooo?” C’mon now, it was the biggest, easiest giveaway! My voice is distinctive like James Earl Jones, like Samuel L. Jackson, like Morgan Freeman. I have the most sampled voice in the history of music and my voice is very, very recognizable. So when you take my voice and match it up with them easy-ass clues… the easiest clues! The first one was “PE.” C’mon now, everybody knows Flavor Flav is Public Enemy! Everybody knows that I’m famous for my hardware that I wear around my neck [holds up giant clock pendant]. It’s clocks. And also the other easy giveaways was the clock belt and they showed the belt twice! I’m like, “C’mon man, everybody knows that’s Flav!” I was trending number 3 on Twitter [after his first episode] and everybody on Twitter was like, “Man, that was the most easiest giveaway ever!” I think they should have did me better.
Be honest: Did you want to win?
I didn’t go on that show to win. I went on that show to have fun. Did I expect to win? No. But I did want to last a little longer than I did and last as long as I can. At least I could say I had fun. At least I could say I was onstage with one of my favorite people on the planet too, Nick Cannon. I’ve always been a Nick Cannon fan and when Nick said “I know who this is! This is one of my favorite people on the planet!” When he said that, you don’t know how honored I was and how proud I was to hear those words come out of his mouth. ‘Cause before Nick Cannon was Wildin’ Out, I was wildin’ out first, since 1986! The surprising thing was when the judges were trying to guess me… where the hell did they get Tracy Morgan from? [Laughs] The weirdest one was Floyd Mayweather. What in the world is Floyd Mayweather going to be doing in a costume?
SPOILER ALERT: This article features the name of the singer eliminated on Wednesday night’s (Nov. 20) episode of The Masked Singer.
So far, season 12 of The Masked Singer has already seen the usual mix of athletes, singers, actors and media personalities getting sent home, including John Elway (Leaf Sheep), Yvette Nicole Brown (Snowbird), Paula Cole (Ship), Marsai Martin (Woodpecker), Andy Richter (Dust Bunny), Laverne Cox (Chess Piece) and Natalie Imbruglia (Bluebell).
So the stakes were high Wednesday night when the Group C singers kicked things off with a collaboration on Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.,” with Ice King, Strawberry Shortcake, Royal Knight and Sherlock Hound taking the stage together following last week’s elimination of their groupmate Macaron (surfer Bethany Hamilton).
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Last week, previous Masked contestants Hanson revealed in a clue package that Ice King had topped charts around the world, sold out stadiums and was given the “royal treatment like he was one of The Beatles,” before retreating from the spotlight. That could have been anyone, so Wednesday night’s clue package kind of gave away the game, with the King noting that he can really relate to Miley, as they’ve both learned how the media can be “totally uncool” and that this year he’s been part of a “firestorm” of press.
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That revelation was a prelude to Ice King’s impassioned cover of Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts hit “Midnight Sky,” which he sang in the midst of a soundstage blizzard of fake snow. It followed last week’s rip through Hot Chelle Rae’s 2011 Billboard Hot 100 No. 7 hit “Tonight Tonight.”
The guesses from the judges were all over the place, with Robin Thicke praising the King’s “rock” energy, but not coming up with a Teen Choice Award winner who would fit the bill, even as always-wrong Ken Jeong doubled down on his guess from last week: Joe Jonas. Rita Ora keyed in on a possible former child star who has been through it, Shia LaBeouf, though Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg vacillated between James Franco and the actual man behind the mask: three-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner Drake Bell.
The child actor who began his career on the sitcom Home Improvement before becoming a Nickelodeon superstar on The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and The Fairly OddParents also sang on the Drake & Josh soundtrack and released his debut album, Telegraph, in 2005. He followed up with his 2006 breakthrough It’s Only Time and 2014’s Ready Steady Go! and has since released two albums independently: 2020’s The Lost Album and this year’s Non-Stop Flight.
Earlier this year, Bell, 38, revealed in the Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary that during his Nickelodeon years, his dialogue coach Brian Peck had repeatedly sexually assaulted him beginning when Bell was 15; Peck was arrested in 2003 and convicted of lewd conduct with a minor.
Billboard spoke to Bell before Wednesday night’s elimination episode and found out why he loved his costume, how TikTok sleuths blew his mind and what his next era might look like.
What made you want to do Masked Singer this season? Are you a fan of the show?
Totally. What’s interesting is that I had the opportunity to do Masked Singer in Mexico [last year], so I had experience coming in. I was Baby Alien [holds adorable stuffed Baby Alien doll up to the camera] and I’m on tour and doing meet-and-greets and a fan made me this stuffed animal.
You have a young son at home. Has he seen you on the show?
He’s a little too young. … I don’t think that he would tell any of his friends, but I had to keep it under wraps. I hope he’s able to watch it tonight and when I take my head off he’s like, “Wait, what? That was Dada?”
Every contestant complains about how hot and uncomfortable the costumes are. Tell me about the Ice King costume. Why did it speak to you?
The costume designers did me such a solid because my costume was so easy to move around in. Not the Mexico one, though; that was a really hot costume. Every 15 minutes I was asking for a fan or taking the head off. But this one was awesome and it was so light and easy to move around in. Right when I saw it, seeing this big character, the King and his big mustache and cape … [I thought] “There is going to be so much to play with.” I completely lost myself in the character.
You really seemed to go for it with the Hot Chelle Rae song. What inspired you to choose that one? It seems a bit outside of your usual vibe.
It’s totally out of my wheelhouse, but totally a guilty-pleasure song. It’s cool because when I’m in the costume, I’m not self-conscious about what people are going to think. It allows you to lose yourself and find the character and sing songs you wouldn’t normally sing.
The package alluded to you and Miley both understanding the difficulties of growing up in the Hollywood spotlight, so why “Midnight Sky”?
I think honestly just the vibe of the song. I love older music, from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and it had a real vintage feel. The second I heard it, I thought, “This has got to be the one.” It was the closest thing to what I’m into.
You’ve done movies, TV, albums, video games, but this is your first competition show. What was your goal? Did you want to win?
First of all, it’s just fun. This was an opportunity to have fun and they really allow you to play the game. You always think it’s smoke and mirrors and it’s all Hollywood and the contestants know who the other contestants are. But it is secretive and we really have no idea who anyone else is. When you leave the hotel, you’re completely covered up, with gloves and everything. You’re looking at how tall they are and trying to listen to their performance, but you can only hear the singer right before you. You don’t eat lunch together or rehearse together… so you’re playing along with the game.
Did anyone in your life immediately realize it was you under that costume?
I didn’t think anyone would ever guess or recognize my voice, but I was looking at a clip on TikTok and in the comments section every comment was, “Oh, this is Drake Bell.” They were like, “This is Drake because when he’s singing onstage without a guitar, if you look at a picture, his hands are like this and look at Ice King and his hands are like this too.” On the first night they were guessing it’s me? I thought I’d be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
Was there something about being masked that appealed to you as someone who has spent so much time with their face in the spotlight? Was there a comfort in that?
There’s a total comfort, like when I’m doing voice-over work on the Ultimate Spider-Man. Like when you’re doing fight scenes, you move your face in a way to get the sounds out and if you were on camera you wouldn’t make those faces because you’d be worried about what you look like. But getting the right voice behind the mask you’re not worried about someone going, “Wow, Drake Bell can’t dance.” Or “Why is Drake Bell singing this song?”
Obviously it’s been a hectic, intense year for you as you’ve come back into the spotlight. Do you feel like Masked Singer is an opportunity to have a “second chance” in Hollywood?
I definitely feel that way. Being able to do something so fun and music-driven now that I just released a new album and am on tour now — life works in mysterious ways, but it all came together at the right time. As I’m launching the new record and reintroducing myself to the world, this is a really cool thing.
You mentioned that you dropped the Non-Stop Flight album earlier this year. Can we expect more music from you soon?
The album is big, 25 songs, and it’s a total concept album that sounds like you’re on an airplane flight with announcements from the flight attendants and captain. It’s a journey through my life and the most autobiographical, self-reflecting album I’ve put out. … Songs about the past, present, future, the good, the bad, ugly, ups and downs. It took four years to complete, and every time I thought I was done, I’d write another song and something would happen. I would also love to get back on screen and now I’m really focused with the work I’m doing with a production company and looking to get more into writing and directing and producing and hopefully getting on the other side [of the camera].
The Masked Singer has unmasked its next batch of theme nights for season 12, with plans to treat audiences to episodes dedicated to Miley Cyrus, Barbie and more. As announced Thursday (Aug. 15), the competition series’ upcoming installment — which premieres Sept. 25 on Fox — will feature nights celebrating the Hannah Montana alum’s music […]
SPOILER ALERT: The following story reveals the identities of the eliminated contestants on Wednesday night’s (May 1) The Masked Singer.
Over the years, The Masked Singer has served up some fun and funky costumed duos, including Snow Owls (Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black), Banana Split (Katharine McPhee and David Foster), Beach Ball (Honey Boo Boo and Mama June) and Hydra (Penn & Teller).
The tradition continued this season with The Beets, who made their smashing debut last month during The Wizard of Oz night when they teamed up for Michael Bublé’s “Home,” before singing The Pointer Sisters’ 1982 Billboard Hot 100 No. 30 hit “I’m So Excited.” The men’s voices melded together so perfectly that panelist Rita Ora gushed, “Beets just beat it up!”
The singers were back Wednesday night (May 1) for a performance they said was inspired by them becoming dads, with their touching take on “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston breaking the weep bank on Soundtrack of My Life night. The mix of their soulful vocals — one high and sweet, the other warm and rich — drew gasps from the judges and the audience as they hit each and every note with ease.
The clues for the two did not help at all, with one dubbing himself “the ladies’ man” and the other “the tough guy,” though they did admit that they “couldn’t be more different” and that they never tried to outdo each other but rather teamed up “like a good girl group.”
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The guesses were all over the place, from podcast and Arrested Development castmates Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, to K-Ci & JoJo and members of Boyz II Men, as well as country duo Dan + Shay, Steve Martin and Martin Short, Brooks & Dunn and another comedy duo, Scrubs co-stars Donald Faison and Zach Braff. Ken Jeong, as always, was way off the mark with his Josh Groban/Brian McKnight guess.
After joining in the Group B team’s run through Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” and coming back to sing Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” during the Battle Royale against Gumball on Wednesday night, alas The Beets didn’t make it through the quarterfinals. And though the Internet figured out early on who they were, the judges were stymied about the identities of American Idol season 2 winner and runner-up, and best buds, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, both 45. In addition to staying friends, the dynamic duo have toured together several times over the years, including last year for Twenty The Tour, celebrating the two-decade anniversary of their Idol debut.
The night also saw the unmasking of Seal, who turned out to be 1980s child star and rocker Corey Feldman. But before that, Billboard spoke to Aiken and Studdard before their elimination to find out why their “adult vegetable” costumes were the most challenging ones ever on the show, how they’ve stayed so close over all these years and why Ruben was pissed to not come out on top again.
I’m sure you feel differently, but of all the nutty costumes on the show to date yours seemed kind of the easiest to move around in.
Studdard: Absolutely not! I felt so awkward and out of place in that costume because we literally could not see stuff. The only thing we could see was right in front of us. So trying to perform in those costumes was daunting.
Aiken: What? Oh my gosh I would say it’s the opposite! I want to claim a privilege here and say that Ruben and I — yes, a lot of people have more elaborate costumes and that’s what made the Beets more adorable in their simplicity — but if you look at it the Beet itself covers our whole bodies down to our knees, then our arms are completely inside the Beets, so we just have our wrists out, no arms or really any legs. If you watch, we’re only moving from the knee down. It was simple, but near impossible to move in. I think we had it the hardest, Ruben.
Talk to me about dedicated the Whitney Houston song to being dads, what an emotional moment.
Studdard: [laughs] I was just trying to remember all the words!
Aiken: And not fall off the stage!
Studdard: Anytime you get to reflect on the people that mean the most to you it’s special. Dedicating most of my performances to my kids now has been the joy of my existence. Anything I do on stage, whether people know it’s me or not, it’s for them.
Aiken: It was interesting because the theme was to pick a song that talks about our story or our life or career and that song meant nothing specifically to either of us, other than watching Whitney sing it in a stadium. But the lyrics obviously relate to our time on Idol and how that show changed our lives and it was interesting to do it on the same network where we started and on stage in front of a studio audience. So much about the Masked Singer has parallels to Idol — even though so much is completely opposite and different — but it was cool to re-live that 21 years after we lived it on Idol.
Whose idea was it to be on this show and was there something alluring to you about being disguised given how well-known your story is?
Studdard: I definitely was enthusiastic about being on the show. I don’t know if my initial want was to perform with my brother, but to get the opportunity to continue what we’ve been doing… we did our 10-year tour, we were actually out on the road while we were doing the Masked Singer, so it made all the sense in the world for us to get an opportunity to close out the 20-year reunion strong as the most disgusting condiment they put out.
Aiken: You’re telling me you don’t love beets Ruben? I love beets. That’s how old I am. No kid likes beets, but as we get older I have found that I enjoy beets now. That’s something that adults do, so it was appropriate that we were an adult vegetable.
Oh boy, I am not going to Google “adult vegetable!” Switching gears completely, you are both dads, did you watch the show with your kids before saying yes?
Studdard: I watched the show, but my son is three so he has no idea what it is and my daughter is a baby.
Aiken: We had both seen the show and I believe we had even talked to each other over the years as it’s been on the air how cool it would be to do it, but Ruben’s been busy and I had not been performing at all, so when Ruben got me back on stage for this tour I think the show saw that we were out doing something together. We’re not a duo that records together, so I think they say, “wait a minute, Ruben and Clay are on tour together, but people might not think of them as a duo, so that might be a way to trick the audience,” so it worked out perfectly for us.
Be honest now, what was scarier: singing on Idol as newcomers with no mask or trying to sing inside that costume?
Studdard: Singing on Idol for sure.
Aiken: The interesting thing about Idol for me was obviously it was scary every week because you’re worried you’re going to go home because there’s stakes involved and it’s your life and your career. On Masked Singer we didn’t have that concern at all. We came off tour to do it and went back on tour after it and we came on knowing we were going to have fun and goof off and enjoy ourselves. I never worried about falling off stage on Idol. I was definitely worried about it every time we performed on this show.
You placed one and two on Idol, so are you disappointed to leave Masked Singer after just a few performances?
Studdard: I was disappointed to leave… I want to win everything. I don’t care if it’s marbles or jumping jacks — and I know I can’t do that many — but I want to win.
Aiken: Ruben and I have a very different philosophy on it and I reminded Ruben that Masked Singer is not a singing competition. It’s a singing show, but it’s only marginally a competition because there are so many other factors to it. I was not bothered by losing and I know damn well that we sang the living s–t out of that Whitney Houston song! So I ain’t worried about us when it comes to that. I have lost things multiple times in the past, so I am much more used to it. Ruben has never lost anything before, so it was a little tougher on him [laughs].
After 20 years, why do you think your friendship has endured and continued to bring you together like this?
Aiken: Because I don’t mind losin’! And that’s with marbles and jacks and jumping jacks and everything. I lost to him on everything.
Studdard: [Laughs] Despite our obvious differences, we came up through a situation that inclined us to be closer to one another. American Idol was a lot different than it is now and we relied on each other a lot. We had to depend on each other to be timely, to be kind because we were living with one another. And not just for Clay and I, but I think the majority of our cast mates, we found a way to remain family over the 20 years since the show.
Rita Ora, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg just really, really, really wanna zigazig-ah. In honor of The Masked Singer‘s “Girl Group Night” episode, airing Wednesday (April 24), the four judges banded together to deliver an energetic performance of the Spice Girls ’90s hit “Wannabe,” as shared exclusively with Billboard ahead of time. In […]
Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (April 17) episode of The Masked Singer.
The 11th season of The Masked Singer has so far featured a very eclectic group of eliminated crooners, including comedian/actor Kevin Hart (Book); restauranteur Joe Bastianich (Spaghetti & Meatballs); TV personalities Savannah Chrisley (Afghan Hound), Billy Bush (Sir Lion) and Colton Underwood (Lovebird); as well as NFL hall of famer DeMarcus Ware (Koala) — and actual singer Sisqó (Lizard) too.
On Wednesday night (April 17), Ugly Sweater crushed it with some incomparable high notes on “Queen Night,” during a celebration of the iconic British rock group in the Group A finals. After wowing the judges in an earlier episode with a funk-forward cover of The Commodores’ “Brick House,” Sweater did it again with a sweet, soulful run through Queen’s 1984 power ballad “I Want to Break Free.”
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When it came time to guess, the judges were in the neighborhood, with Robin Thicke praising the singer’s signature “nasty” notes on “House” (and quickly guessing the singer’s identity), while judge Rita Ora speculated it could be Smokey Robinson, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg guessed Aaron Neville (after earlier guessing that Lionel Richie covered his own song) and always-wrong Ken Jeong aiming too young with New Jack swinger Johnny Gill.
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Who was that masked man who’s 13 Grammy nominations and has a lock as Billboard‘s top adult R&B male artist with the most No. 1s in that category to date? None other than former Gap Band lead singer and solo star Charlie Wilson, best known for such hits as “Party Train,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Oops Upside Your Head” and his featured vocals on songs by rappers including Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G., Pharrell, U.G.K. and Tyler, the Creator, among many others.
In addition to his surprise appearance alongside Tyler at last weekend’s Coachella — where he performed on the rapper’s 2019 single “Earfquake” and did a bit of The Gap Band’s “Outstanding” — Wilson, 71, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January and is currently promoting his Billboard top five adult R&B chart solo single “Superman.”
Billboard spoke with Wilson before his elimination to hear about how T-Pain inspired him to get in the Masked game, how wearing the Ugly Sweater was no holiday, and what it felt like to slip onto the main stage at Coachella last weekend.
Be honest: Had you ever watched this show before they reached out?
Oh yeah! I saw the one when T-Pain won [in season 1 as Monster]. I was so excited for him. I know T-Pain, he did songs for me and he’s a very gifted young man. I saw that it was fun and I wanted to get to be a part of it, but it just took some time because I was busy doing shows and recordings. I thought, “I can do this,” so it finally dropped in my lap.
Some iconic old-school and new-school R&B greats have appeared on the show — Bobby Brown, Faith Evans, Toni Braxton, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Seal, Gladys Knight — so it seems like there’s no shame in the game of putting on that costume right?
Yeah, my costume was… oh my gosh. It was built for me and was one of the most expensive suits they’ve built for the show. The [showrunners] kept telling me to try and make sure I stay as long as I can because [they said], “We spent a lot of money on this suit!” It was so heavy! So, so heavy I could barely walk in it. The feathers on the head were 8 to 10 pounds a piece and they had to take some off. I could barely pick up my feet!
It seems like a great showcase for so many of those classic R&B singers, especially some of your old-school peers.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I didn’t think about it being a showcase for me, because I’m still making No. 1 records. In fact, I have a top five song this week with one of my records [Wilson is in the top five on Billboard‘s Adult R&B Airplay chart with “Superman”]. I’m the only one out there still making top five records in the business!
You’ve been at this for more than 50 years, so tell me: Is this the weirdest gig you’ve ever had?
It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time, because a lot of people don’t want to see me have these records do as well as they’re doing. All those people you mentioned all wish they had the records I’m having. So yeah, I don’t pop my collar all the time, but people bring it up.
The judges’ guesses were all over the place, but mostly in the pocket. I can’t imagine you were ashamed to be confused for Smokey, Aaron or Lionel?
[Laughs] No, Robin Thicke said, “That’s Charlie Wilson!” as soon as I opened my mouth. I was like, “Oh man, I’m toast!” as soon as I opened my mouth and sang! He said, “I studied his voice and know him like the back of my hand.” I was like, “Could you just be quiet for a second?” He was tearing me up.
Speaking of, how did it feel to sing that Commodores song? Was there any rivalry with them in your bands’ heydays in the 1970s and ’80s?
Oh man, it was always that [rivalry] because if bands are good, they are gonna be at it. I won’t stand around and have someone call me a bootsy [someone who is uncool or weird]. I’m gonna get you. I’m gonna come after you like y’all coming after us! It was all in fun, not hostile, we was all in fun. I love The Commodores.
You’ve had so much success collaborating with rappers over the years — especially Snoop and Tyler. What is it about hip-hop that appeals to you? And talk to me about joining Tyler at Coachella last weekend.
It is great anytime I sing with these rappers or anyone from back in the day is coming for me and it’s their idea. If they want to do it, I’m gonna do it. I’m so, so blessed to have rappers still coming for me.
Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (April 3) episode of The Masked Singer.
The Lizard’s lifespan has been cut short after getting eliminated from The Masked Singer on the competition show’s “Shower Anthems” episode Wednesday night (April 3).
From the beginning of season 11, which kicked off last month, judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora accurately guessed the smooth-singing Lacertilia’s real name a few times — with Ora in particular revealing she was quite excited at the possibility of the early 2000s R&B icon being the one under the mask. When host Nick Cannon finally removed his scaly green head, Lizard’s true identity was revealed to be someone who embodies a much larger (and fire-breathing) reptile: Sisqó, the “Thong Song” singer who’s embraced the nickname “The Dragon” ever since his solo albums Unleash the Dragon and Return of the Dragon charted in the Billboard 200 top 10 in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
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Though the Dru Hill alum’s energy was high and his riffs plentiful up until the end of his time on the anonymous contest, he admittedly only made it as far as he did by the skin of his two layers of teeth. He wound up in the bottom twice in a row leading up to his final episode, delivering smackdown performances of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” and the Scooby Doo cartoon theme song before he was sent home.
His one regret? Not being able to compare heights with Kevin Hart, who appeared in the Masked season premiere to play a prank on Cannon. “Both of us are short,” Sisqó tells Billboard in a post-elimination interview, laughing. “We was sitting down, so we never got a chance to see who’s taller … I think I got maybe an inch [over him].”
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“Being with The Masked Singer was just an awesome experience,” he adds. “I learned a lot, and I’ve been in the entertainment industry now for about 25 years. You kinda get stuck in your ways and you don’t think you can learn anything else, and I was wrong.”
Below, Billboard catches up with Sisqó about making heads or tails of his physically challenging costume, not knowing the words to Billy Joel’s songs and more.
Where did the idea for a lizard costume come from?
They figured, if I was “The Dragon,” people probably would’ve guessed automatically – even though I think they did guess automatically. I’ve been to Robin’s house before, and Robin and Rita Ora, they’re musicians. They knew my voice immediately.
From what I understood, because my wife is Elizabeth — Liz, Lizard. Also, Busta Rhymes, he was a dragon before.
What was it like to perform in the costume?
When I first put that mask on, man, I think I almost hyperventilated a little bit. The wardrobe people had to put a mini-fan up to the mouth of the costume, just so I could get oxygen in there. Meanwhile, I’m in there pouring sweat, it’s difficult to breathe, I can’t really see.
Whenever we could [rehearse] in the costume, I wanted to so that I could figure out how I could be as mobile as possible. It had this giant tail, so when somebody would call me, “Lizard!” [Mimes whipping around his tail]. BAM, I’d take out the whole craft services.
How did you push through the physical constraints of the costume?
It was a real sink or swim moment. I didn’t want to be the one who gave up at the last minute. I just had to basically face my fear in that moment.
Each show I got a little better. It almost seemed like the lizard was alive, bruh. He had a whole persona of his own, and figuring out how to merge the lizard and The Dragon was the true challenge.
Some of the judges correctly guessed your identity from the very beginning. How’d you react to that?
From day one! I was a little flattered, but at the same time, it was like, “Aw, man, I don’t think I’m going to be able to win this because they already know who I am.”
You were in the bottom two three weeks in a row. What were those smackdown battles like?
I knew not even one word of Billy Joel’s “Moving Out.” I didn’t know the melody, I didn’t know the words to the song. After that, the words were going, I couldn’t see the prompter, so I just threw caution to the wind and started riffing, singing along without singing actual words. That was the nail in the coffin, ‘cause they knew exactly who I was then.
I’m not used to losing things. I was so arrogant. [Laughs.] I heard everybody else sing in rehearsal. I was under the impression that this was only a singing contest, so I was like, ‘Well if it’s a singing contest, I’m about to sing these people under the …”
What were your favorite clues Masked Singer used to hint at your identity in the teaser videos?
What I really enjoyed was how they put things together from my life. Like, when they were talking about my son, I was like, putting an egg to bed and kissing it goodnight. Then there was a female lizard, who I guess was supposed to represent my wife.
They said something about Billboard … but they made it seem like it was an actual billboard instead of the Billboard charts. That was funny, because I hosted the Billboard Awards, I believe it was 2001.
Did you tell your family you were going on the show?
My family are big fans of the show. Ken Jeong, it seems once a season, he asks [a contestant] if they’re me.
Because my family is so tight-knit, they knew I was doing a TV show. But I didn’t tell anybody that I was the Lizard. These kids are smart. After a while they just started going through the DVR and picking shows and asking, “Is this the show?”
[I told them] look, I’m not gonna say anything. What I will say is if you see me and Mommy sitting together watching TV, then just come in there and watch it with us.
What’s next for you?
Be looking out for new music from The Dragon. It’s actually part two in a three-part series I’m doing. The first album is called Genesis. The second one that I’m working on right now is called Exodus and the next one will be Revelations. Look out for a snippet really soon.