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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.
With less than two weeks to go until the release of The Little Mermaid, the Korean dub of the movie’s iconic song “Part of Your World” by NewJeans‘ Danielle arrived on Wednesday (May 17). The video features the NewJeans member wearing an all-blue ensemble consisting of a light blue ruffled top and a sequined blue […]
Food Network announced its upcoming slate of new programming on Wednesday (May 17), including two new series starring Selena Gomez. Later this year, the pop star will launch her first as-yet-untitled show, which will center around celebrations in the kitchen during the holidays. Then, in 2024, she’ll head out across America to visit some of […]
The Masked Singer season 9 finale is upon us, and Billboard has an exclusive first look at Macaw reflecting on their emotional journey throughout the competition.
“Tonight, honey, you showed us what you are made of,” judge Nicole Scherzinger raves following one of the masked contestant’s finale performances. “You always pull at our heartstrings, you give us the feels, but tonight you hunkered down and you said, ‘Naw, it ain’t over with yet, baby! I’m comin’ for you!’”
With their speaking voice modulated to hide their identity, the Macaw replied, “I had a lot of anxiety before coming onto the show because I was afraid to show myself,” before their voice broke on the verge of tears.
“Take your time, take your time,” host Nick Cannon said, offering the singer a consoling arm while Macaw continued, “It’s been a difficult last couple of years and I’m truly humbled, so thank you.”
Throughout the season, Macaw has absolutely crushed covers of everything from Elton John’s “Your Song” and “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw to Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” In the finale, the colorful songbird faces off against Medusa for the season 9 crown after beating out the likes of California Roll (Pentatonix), UFO (Olivia Culpo), Fairy (Holly Robinson Peete) and Axolotl (professional wrestler Alexa Bliss).
Other celebs who’ve rounded out the latest season of the hit reality show include Lou Diamond Phillips as Mantis, Melissa Joan Hart as Lamp, Dee Snider as Doll, former Selling Sunset villain Christine Quinn, Lele Pons as Jackalope, Grandmaster Flash as Polar Bear, Debbie Gibson as Night Owl and more.
Watch Macaw’s emotional confession during The Masked Singer finale below.
The Weeknd opened up about his upcoming HBO musical drama The Idol in a new profile on Tuesday (May 16). Sitting down with Vanity Fair, the “Blinding Lights” singer otherwise known as Abel Tesfaye defended the forthcoming series after Rolling Stone reported production had been marred with controversy, the ousting of original director Amy Seimetz […]
Season 23 of NBC’s The Voice is entering the final straight, the finishing line in view. Glory awaits.
On Monday night (May 15), the final eight performed live in the semi-finals. And for the first time this season, the power shifted from coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan, and into the hands of America. When the votes were tallied, those eight survivors became five — and the dreams of three contestants were crushed.
Before the cut, two of the star coaches stepped out of their seats and up to the mic. Horan performed “Meltdown,” the second single lifted from his forthcoming third studio album The Show, due out June 9.
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Meanwhile, Chance hit his Coloring Book number “Same Drugs,” with support from his former teammates Jamar Langley, Manasseh Samone and Kala Banham.
As the episode reached its climax, the five finalists were revealed: Grace West (Team Blake), D.Smooth (Team Kelly), Gina Miles (Team Niall), Sorelle (Team Chance), and Noivas (Team Blake).
And with that, Ryley Tate Wilson, Ray Uriel and Holly Brand are eliminated.
Shelton will like his chances. The country star hangs up his Voice hat at the end of the season, with a record nine wins as a coach. As the field shrinks to five, he’s the only coach with two singers still in the game.
Watch the final 5 below.
With Fast X looming, one of the franchise’s heralded stars, Ludacris, sat down with Tamron Hall to discuss his upcoming 10th studio album and what fans can expect, and Billboard has an exclusive first look.
“We’re definitely gonna get some music before the end of this year,” revealed the “Southern Hospitality” star on the Tuesday (May 16) episode of the Tamron Hall Show. “I would say an album, probably next year.”
Luda’s last studio album came in 2015, titled Ludaversal. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and included features from Usher, Miguel, Monica and Big K.R.I.T.
Luda quipped with Hall about the project’s delay, blaming the Fast & Furious franchise’s hectic shooting schedule on the wait. “They keep shooting more movies. What am I supposed to do?” he joked.
Despite his busy schedule, Luda has found time to crank out freestyles on social media. Last year, he caught the attention of his 15 million Instagram followers when he delivered a blistering verse over Armani White’s viral Billboard Hot 100 hit “Billie Eilish.” The post not only sits at a whopping 858,000 views on Instagram, but earned him an invitation to the burgeoning rapper’s “Legends Mix” of the song featuring Busta Rhymes and N.O.R.E. Months later, on April 20, Luda dropped another freestyle, accrued staggering numbers, and neared the 800,000 mark.
“When I was young, I feel like some of my favorite rappers, once they get to a certain point, it’s almost like you wish that they were still kind of hungry and you feel like they don’t have it necessarily like they used to. I never wanted to be that,” he shared. “So it’s extremely important for me to prove to people that even though I’m doing all this other stuff, make no mistake, I still got it, and I’m still as hungry.”
Watch Luda’s interview clip with Tamron Hall above. Check your local listings for airtime.
Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne Foxx are coming to a television screen near you. On Monday (May 15), Fox announced that the father-daughter duo will team up to host a new game show called We Are Family. “We are thrilled to be developing We Are Family with Jeff Apploff and our friends at FOX […]
Lizzo is feeling good as h-ll about her Simpsons debut. The 35-year-old hitmaker teased her first ever cameo on the iconic TV cartoon Sunday (May 14), sharing a preview video of the jam session she enjoys with Lisa and Bart Simpson in the upcoming episode. In the clip, a Simpson-ified Lizzo — wearing one of […]
NBC announced the cast for the upcoming fall season of The Voice on Monday morning (May 15), revealing that former judge John Legend will be back in the mix in addition to returning castmate Gwen Stefani. The two will be joined by Niall Horan in his second season, with one-time Voice hold-out country icon Reba […]
