State Champ Radio Masked Singer
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On Wednesday (Sept. 13), Rita Ora was announced as the next judge on The Masked Singer, joining the panel for the show’s 11th season, filling in for Nicole Scherzinger. “We’re grateful to have the amazing @ritaora shine her light and join us as a panelist on #TheMaskedSinger Season 11!” the show shared on Instagram. Fox TV’s Instagram […]
The Masked Singer is back! Before season 10 officially premieres on Sept. 27, everyone’s favorite mystery singing competition will return with a special kick-off episode at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night — and Billboard has exclusive previews of two very special duets below. The first duet combines an eight-time Grammy-nominated boy band alum with […]
Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the winner of season 9, revealed on Wednesday night’s (May 17) episode of The Masked Singer.
Like something straight out of Greek mythology, Medusa’s journey to the Masked Singer crown was a heroic one.
It was a star-studded season, which featured iconic actors Dick Van Dyke, Malin Akerman, George Wendt and Lou Diamond Phillips; impressive singers like Sara Evans, Debbie Gibson, Michael Bolton, Dee Snider and Pentatonix; and every type of celebrity in between. It all led up to The Masked Singer‘s final battle of season 9 on Wednesday night, in which two of the season’s favorites, Macaw and Medusa, went head-to-snake-filled-head.
Throughout the season, Medusa wowed judges with mystical, powerful renditions of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” Shawn Mendes’ “Mercy,” My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” and more. However, it almost came tumbling down during New York Night, when Medusa and California Roll competed in the Battle Royale, singing “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. The panel of judges chose California Roll to go on to the next round, but used their first-ever save on Medusa when judge Nicole Scherzinger rang the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell.
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Before getting crowned the winner of The Masked Singer on Wednesday night, the judges were perplexed when it came to her identity. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg initially thought she might be Ellie Goulding or Halsey, while Ken Jeong thought Medusa might be the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, and Robin Thicke guessed Kesha. Scherzinger predicted Tove Lo or Lorde, before accurately guessing the woman behind the myth: British-American singer-songwriter, Bishop Briggs.
The star — known for her passionate vocals in hits like “River” — spoke to Billboard before Wednesday night’s finale, sharing her emotion-filled journey to the crown, the inspiration behind her upcoming EP When Everything Went Dark and how Medusa helped turn her weaknesses to stone.
Congratulations on your big win! How does it feel?
Thank you! It is the coolest thing ever. I can’t believe that I can even share that this is happening.
Did anyone in your personal life suspect that Medusa was you?
I definitely got a lot of text messages and I tried my best to keep it a secret. I just can’t wait to text them all back tonight and tell them they were right.
You had the judges pretty stumped throughout the season. Was it exciting to be the secret but incredible talent on the show?
I wasn’t super surprised that I didn’t get guessed just because I’m still an up-and-coming artist. I will say though, when Nicole eventually guessed me, all of a sudden you feel very exposed [laughs]. I felt very aware of my body and mannerisms. It was nice to fly under the radar, though.
On the other hand, you got compared to some amazing artists. The judges thought you might be Ellie Goulding, Halsey or Kesha. How did that feel?
Never forget, they also said Lorde at one point. I’m definitely holding on to those and never forgetting that it’s the coolest thing ever.
Nicole Scherzinger also saved you earlier in the season. Do you know her personally and how did it feel to be championed by her throughout the show?
I do not know her personally, but I am obviously obsessed with her. Coming into the show, she was vocalist that I really, really admire and I feel like she’s really underrated for what an incredible vocal talent she has. I mean, she sings like Whitney Houston. So the fact that she had any response to my voice, it meant so much to me. And with the bell, that moment, I cannot even explain how everything turned into slow motion. They were all yelling ‘Take it off!’ I really thought that I was going to be going home. You really learn in those moments how much you want to be there.
We have to talk about your amazing costume. Why Medusa?
I feel that she is someone who was really misunderstood and I was balancing a lot when I was on the show. I was six months postpartum. I was a new mom and I was pumping in between performing. I feel like the idea that women can be so many different things all at once really is Medusa to me. To be able to use Medusa strength when I really needed it, meant so much.
Balancing your postpartum journey with this show sounds tough.
I barely balanced it at all. I was writing notes to my son even if I was away only for a few hours and I was bombarding him and my husband with FaceTime. There is no such thing as balance, but we can find that space where we get to do what we love, and also be present as a parent. I think finding those moments means everything and it’s not talked about enough. I’m still on the journey of postpartum and it’s crazy how much your mind and body completely evolves and changes.
With the physical struggles of postpartum and choosing such difficult songs to perform, how did you manage it all while in a costume?
I love performing so much, and my favorite thing about performing is really losing myself in whatever song I’m singing. I feel like I got to use the fact that I really lean into the emotion of every song to my advantage. I also feel like the snakes were good luck charms and they whispered to me. The company kept me warm at night, so I think there was a side of it where I wasn’t alone on stage.
It’s an exciting year for you. You released a new single, “Baggage,” and your EP, When Everything Went Dark, is out June 23. What’s the story behind your new music?
It’s about these past few years, the past, present and future. I lost my sister really unexpectedly. The journey of grief is an ever evolving one and, with that and becoming a mom, I felt like exploring the topics of love, loss, grief and, hopefully, by the end of it, feeling empowered to keep going. That really is the main thing that I really am trying to work on, not only as an artist and through the EP but as a human being. Then I have a tour coming up, that I’ll be bringing the baby on, of course. I’m really excited to be able to perform the songs.
Is it strange to have grief co-exist with the joy of bringing a new life into the world?
Yes, and it’s so hard. You can’t help but feel like perhaps the new life was a gift left behind from that loved one. The amount of times that you hear about these things happening in such close proximity, I always wonder that because my son is someone that really helped me continue. Even when I was pregnant, I made sure to work on my mental health just to make sure that I was going to be a grounded mom that could talk about what has happened.
What do you hope viewers take away from your Masked Singer journey?
Everything we’re talking about, which is you can be multiple things all at once. Don’t be afraid to lean into those different sides of your personality and your spirit, and I hope that people feel empowered to do so.
Spoiler Alert: The following story contains the identities of the two contestants who were eliminated on Wednesday night’s (April 26) episode of The Masked Singer.
The “Battle of the Saved” night of The Masked Singer amped up the drama on Wednesday (April 26) when a trio of season 9 contestants who’d gotten a second chance earlier in the season — Medusa, Gargoyle and Mantis — squared off to move on to the next round. The night began with Medusa crushing Shawn Mendes’ “Mercy,” which judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg said was so good it “alone could win this.”
Gargoyle was next, taking on Usher and Pitbull’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” followed by Mantis rocking through The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” After the audience vote, the first one to get sent packing was Mantis, who was revealed to be actor Lou Diamond Phillips, no stranger to the music game thanks to his breakout role as Ritchie Valens in the 1987 musical biopic La Bamba and roles on Broadway in the 1996 revival of The King and I.
Following a head-to-head-battle with Medusa on Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries,” Gargoyle was next to fall, with the reveal unmasking Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. The pair joined this season’s other eliminated celebs including: Dick Van Dyke (Gnome), Sara Evans (Mustang), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Michael Bolton (Wolf), Malin Akerman (Squirrel), Lele Pons (Jackalope), Alexa Bliss (Axolotl), Holly Robinson Peete (Fairy), George Wendt (Moose), Christine Quinn (Scorpio), Dee Snider (Doll), Alicia Witt (Dandelion) and Melissa Joan Hart (Lamp).
Next week’s British-themed quarter finals episode will celebrate the upcoming coronation of King Charles III with the four remaining singers — Macaw, California Roll, UFO and Medusa — competing for a spot in the semi-finals.
Check out Mantis and Gargoyle’s unmasked interviews below.
The Masked Singer has made its most fitting collaboration to date. On the Wednesday (March 15) episode, judges Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy and Robin Thicke appeared alongside several fan-favorite characters from Sesame Street to perform BTS‘ 2020 smash hit “Dynamite.”
Elmo kicked off the performance by sitting at a piano and getting warmed up before announcing to the crowd, “The Masked Singer, Sesame Street is here!” Big Bird kicked off the track’s first verse, before swapping between Cookie Monster — who, naturally, popped up from a cookie cart — and Elmo. Jeong then came in enthusiastically, singing,”Ladies and gentleman, I got the medicine so you should keep ya eyes on the ball!”
After verse cameos from Grover, Abby Cadabby and Count von Count, the rest of the judges filed in and joined in for the song’s upbeat chorus: “‘Cause I-I-I’m in the stars tonight/ So watch me bring the fire and set the night alight/ Shining through the city with a little funk and soul/ So I’ma light it up like dynamite, whoa oh oh,” they sang in unison before a grand finish, complete with raining confetti.
“Dynamite” is one of BTS’ No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The track spent three weeks atop the tally in September 2020, and enjoyed 32 total weeks on the chart. The song also served as the K-pop group’s first No. 1 on the all-genre chart.
Watch The Masked Singer judges perform “Dynamite” alongside Sesame Street characters above.
Spoiler alert: This story contains information about contestants eliminated on Wednesday’s (March 1) episode of The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer celebrated New York Night on Wednesday with a stellar lineup of performers who paid tribute to the Big Apple, including one who helped spark one of the city’s most iconic contributions to music history.
Looking to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals, two-time champ Medusa thrilled the crowd with a sensual take on Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” kicking off the evening’s entertainment accompanied by a virtual string section.
Next up was Polar Bear, who entered to the strains of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” as his helpers sprinkled him with fake snow. With a costume featuring a handful of gold chains, tinted shades, a bedazzled red baseball cap tipped to the side and an outfit covered in vinyl LPs, PB was indeed too cool for a season 9 that has already seen the unmasking of actor/comedians Dick Van Dyke (Gnome), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster) and singers Sara Evans (Mustang) and Debbie Gibson (Night Owl).
The clue package provided plenty of obvious details, including that he was from New York, a reference to the city getting a “bad rap,” scratching (and turntables), a childhood obsession with taking apart and re-assembling electronics, and a “message in a bottle.” What followed was a rocky run through Blondie’s legendary 1980 rock/hip-hop crossover “Rapture.”
And while PB’s falsetto was no match for Medusa, he did his best to croon (most) of the song’s lyrics as dancers dressed in taxi costumes crisscrossed the stage behind him and a Statue of Liberty popped and locked her way out of the subway. Strangely, he never got around to Debbie Harry’s rap in the tune, which was significant when you found out which Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was under the fur.
The guesses were mostly close, but no cigar, with Robin Thicke guessing DJ Jazzy Jeff (who is from Philly, FYI), always-wrong Ken Jeong guessing Diddy (right city, no RRHOF), and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg guessing Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav (right city again and in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but also wrong). So it was up to Nicole Scherzinger to correctly guess that the fly bear was none other than hip-hop originator Grandmaster Flash.
The night also featured the five-headed California Roll taking on Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” while snagging the group’s champion crown and punching a ticket to the quarterfinals, while Medusa was saved by the “Ding Dong Keep It On” bell.
Billboard spoke to Flash before his elimination, during which the rap legend talked about singing in public for the first time, his kids clowning him for playing dress-up and why Singer was the perfect way for the 65-year-old to keep tapping into his childlike wonder.
Had you ever seen this show before they called you?
No. If I’m not traveling somewhere or touring or lecturing or doing something adult, I’m sleeping because I’m tired. My schedule is pretty rigorous. I can remember friends and family members talking about this show, so I went online and looked at some episodes and a week or two later the call came into my office and I paused and asked, “Why would they ask me, the icon that I am?” I release my stress by grabbing some crayons or paint and getting on the floor [with my kids] and that’s very healing. This Masked Singer show should teach some of our adults that it’s okay sometimes to be a kid and be wiling to look the silliest you ever had. I’m the coolest of the cool in my world of hip-hop, so I had to come off my cool and be childlike.
Why’d you pick Polar Bear?
I’m looking at the Polar Bear with no extra stuff and my adult is kicking in in full: it’s not cool enough. Then they came back with the chains, then the hat backwards, then the shades and sneakers and then at the moment I shut off my adult.
It’s hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and you sang “Rapture,” the song that probably clued most non-rap fans into the genre. Was that your call?
I was asked to pick some songs and I picked a few and that one felt right enough because there is no way I’m going to do a rap song, they’d have chose me right away. It needed to be that on-the-fence song, with enough singing but some representations of hip-hop. I would say it was the perfect song for this venture. I wasn’t going to rap because that would give the damn thing away.
I’m not knocking your skills at all, but it sounded like you struggled with the singing bit? Safe to say that this is your first time singing like that onstage?
Oh my goodness. before I left for L.A. they asked me to sing into my phone and send it to them and two days later they were like, “you’re kind of out of key.” I don’t sing anyway, so they said they would set me up with vocal coaches in L.A. When the hour came I had to do this song over and over and over. I was getting slightly annoyed, but I said I will stay childlike because I’m doing this for a reason. I got as close as I could get with it.
You’ve been a performer for 50 years, but did this make you nervous?
This was the most nervous performance I ever did. I’m wearing these super oversized shoes, oversized gloves and this tent [-like costume] and Medusa is saying to me, “act cool and have fun with it” and I’m sweating bullets and I’m nervous. But the the cue came and I see the screaming people in the pit and it brought me back to my childlike self and I said, “Flash, you gotta pull this off!” So, I hit my poses and sang the song.
Be honest: Is this the weirdest gig you’ve ever had?
Oh yeah by far this is number one. By far the weirdest Thing I’ve ever done. But from a heartfelt point of view, try being a kid sometimes. It’s healing. You forget about the problems of the world, your mortgage, your car, and just be a kid. That kept me in the moment.
Did any of your kids give you a hard time for doing this?
I got lots of phone calls, mostly saying, “Why did you do that?” And when I told them the phone got quiet. But the kids were getting at me: “You look stupid.” “What was that song you was singing and why was you doing that?” Definitely some mixed emotions from my children.
This year we’re celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, what else can we expect from you now that you’ve checked Masked Singer off the list?
Being one of inventors of the culture, I’m doing major lectures for huge companies, I have a big tour coming, I stream every Thursday on Twitch, I have merchandise on the way on my website, and I’m talking more about the history [of hip-hop] because I’m one of the inventors. I never imagined this [Masked Singer] for me either, but I did it and I loved it.
