Season 5 of The masked singer was hyped from the start as a ‘game-changing season’, with the addition of a secret agent clue-hacking chicken (named Cluedle Doo, of course) and several surprising wildcard contestants. But one of the game-changers was due to unfortunate circumstances: host Nick Cannon tested positive for COVID-19 just before production started and therefore had to be replaced by Niecy Nash for at least the first four episodes, with no news as to when he did. would do. deleted to return to the set.
Fortunately, Niecy, who had previously served as a guest judge on the show, fit right in. But at the end of Wednesday’s Group B Playoffs, it was strange that in yet another groundbreaking turn such a new and temporary addition to the cast would be allowed to veto the judges’ votes and decide which contestant would be eliminated – without any explanation for this sudden rule change. In the two years that Nick, who is also the series’ executive producer, was host The masked singer, he had never had that supreme authority.
But when Niecy announced that she had chosen to send home this week’s wildcard contestant, the Bulldog, who had turned up at the end of the episode to take off the new edition’s ‘Candy Girl’ in a gold tracksuit. suddenly it all makes sense. While the judges had guessed that this latest mystery celebrity could be Andy Samberg, Chris Tucker, Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock, the cosplaying dog turned out to be none other than … yes, Nick Cannon, who is his biggest and craziest Masked singer entrance yet.
“I’ve dedicated my entire performance to you, and you’re going to kick me off?” Nick joked to Niecy after removing his gilded dog’s head. ‘Niecy, let me first of all say that I dedicated my performance to you because you really are a queen. You come in for me during my illness, during a difficult time for me, and you can watch your thing do amazingly and shine here, I really want to thank you. You’re royalty. But you kicked me off the show! I tried to go all the way, Niecy! “
Nick then confessed that he “had a renewed respect for all of our masked crusaders, from Season 1 onwards, for all these people here on this stage. I never thought I would be nervous. My heart was beating fast and all! I was like, ‘Yo, I’m nervous performing for my people!’ But the judges were clearly delighted to see their colleague on the Masked singer stage. “I’m so happy!” Robin Thicke shouted.
And so order was restored The masked singer – kind of. Of course it is still the most insane and unpredictable show on television. But let’s try to predict the identities of the four Group B contestants – one of whom may be a former New Edition member – who will compete against Group A in the Nick Cannon-hosted “Super Eight” semifinals.
The Black Swan, “How Will I Know”
It’s not easy to cover a Whitney Houston song, and I imagine it’s even harder to cover a Whitney Houston song in a big bird costume. But the Black Swan delivered the resilient performance of a real pop diva. “Without a doubt she is a front runner,” said Judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg. Nicole Scherzinger called this songbird the “full package” and said she “closed it down with those vocals. “
Clues: The Black Swan revealed that she had been concerned early in her career about being judged for her appearance, so she sent anonymous audition tapes with no photos. She also mentioned a dear deceased friend who had been a singer. Visual cues included three tens (as in, a competitive ‘tens across the board’) and the words ‘Montana’ and ‘spot’. Past clues included mentions of child stardom, a struggle with show business powers, a complex parenting relationship, and a “ loyal flock. ”
Judges’ guesses: Emily Osment, Ashlee Simpson, Doja Cat, Victoria Justice, Brenda Song.
My guess: This is all-former preteen pop star JoJo. All the clues from the past have already been lined up, but as for this week’s clues, JoJo once joined in America’s Most Talented Children (losing to the future American idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo), was originally approached to play Hannah Montana and oversees a food-porn Instagram account called JoJo’s Sweet Spots. JoJo’s life is clearly calling here.
The Piglet, “7 years old”
This little piggy’s ode to fleeting childhood made Jenny cry, and not just because of the cute and nostalgic Charlotte’s webtheme directions package that preceded it. This was a genuinely sweet and tender performance. ‘You just touched my heart. I really hope you win this game, ”gushed Jenny.
Clues: Years ago he was ‘really grilled’ and had a ‘rough time’, but then ‘someone unexpectedly changed his life’ – ‘saving him from the heat’ and giving him a ‘brand new start’. Now he is a happy family man. Visual cues included two precious dog tags, the abbreviation “1 DR” and palm trees. Previous episodes have made multiple references to the Piglet’s unhappy love life.
Judges’ guesses: Bradley Cooper, Zayn Malik, AJ McLean.
My guess: This must be father of three Nick Lachey. I swear this. Not only does The Piglet sound like the former 98 Degrees singer (and the whim / roast cues are clear references to that boy band’s fiery name), but the backstory about the woman who changed his luck is clearly about his wife, Vanessa Lachey. – who Nick met on the set of his “What’s Left of Me” video right after he separated from his first wife, Jessica Simpson.
The Crab, “Give It to Me Baby”
Last week’s wild card debuted with a heartbreaking and heartbreaking rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine,” but this week his claws showed up as he got into badboy mode on this funky Rick James jam. And that is his privilege! He must have been the king crab tonight. Robin said he “brought the fire” and Nicole loved his “nice” and “lovely” singing.
Clues: After his performance, he was so overheated and out of breath from his tight suit that he had to take a break – indicating that he may be older and / or have health issues. He revealed that he was a troublemaker as a child, but learned the value of the family by cooking with his mother, and he is an avid chef to this day (we saw him scooping macaroni and cheese in the kitchen) . He is also a huge fan of Sammy Davis Jr. and the song “Mr. Bojangles”, which is why one of his prized possessions is one Sammy style bowler hatPast clues have pointed to multiple family tragedies and a nighttime megastardom.
Judges’ guesses: Martin Lawrence, Bobby Brown or someone from Boyz II Men.
My guess: This must be Bobby Brown, who not only rose to fame as a teenager and later faced horrific loss (the death of two children and his ex-wife, Whitney Houston), but has a food line and learned to cook from his mother. He also had a song called “Roni”, released a 1997 tribute to “Mr. Bojangles” to Sammy Davis Jr. with Whitney and struggled with his health. The Crab also sounds just like Bobby … and he sounds very wellI think he took another small step towards the winner’s circle this week.
The Chameleon, “Hip Hop”
Nicole raved that this laid back lizard’s Dead Prez cover was ‘perfection’ and ‘sounded like a record’, with ‘swag just dripping from him’. Jenny understandably stated, “We are in the presence of a massive, massive star!” This was definitely one of the coolest, grooviest Masked singer performances I had ever seen.
Clues: He is the father of a “little chameleon”, an expert in martial arts and a huge fan of it Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and hot chicken wings. We also saw clocks, an evasive road sign and a taxi. Last week we saw a lot of fashion / tailoring references and a cheese board.
Judges’ guesses: Waka Flocka Flame, Wiz Khalifa, Machine Gun Kelly.
My guess: The internet clocked the Chameleon as Wiz Khalifa from episode one, but aside from last week’s references (Wiz is a member of the “Taylor Gang”), nothing else seemed to add up to me. But Wiz, who has a young son with Amber Rose, once recorded a Ninja Turtles theme, trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, had a song called “Chicken With the Cheese” … and well, taxis are black and yellow. So, following this week’s clues, I don’t have to be a whiz kid to find out that this is indeed the “Cheese” Wiz itself.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Follow up on Lyndsey Facebook Twitter Instagram Amazon and Spotify.