Double de-masking! Latest 'Masked Singer' celebs are Hollywood and boy-band royalty

Fox executives actually didn’t understand they had a monster (no pun meant) hit on their arms when they greenlit The Masked Singer. And that i assume i will apprehend why. A very bonkers making a song opposition presenting cosplaying mystery celebrities sing karaoke, on what seems like an hour-lengthy model of Eurotrash band Alacazar’s infamous “Crying at the Discotheque” music video, possibly didn’t seem like Emmy bait. But I guess proper approximately now those execs are wishing they could amplify this wildly a hit season — in place of speeding to next week’s finale with a double-elimination this week. Count on sister channel FXX to be showing The Masked Singer on a marathon loop this summer even as we all eagerly watch for Season 2.

Anyhoo, following preceding de-maskings of Antonio “the Hippo” Brown, Tommy “the Pineapple” Chong, Terry “the Deer” Bradshaw, Margaret “the Poodle” Cho, Tori “the Unicorn” Spelling, Ricki “the Raven” Lake and l.  A. Toya “the Alien” Jackson, this week it become time to bid farewell to 2 extra bushy pals: Rumer “the Lion” Willis and Joey “the Rabbit” Fatone.

Even as it changed into surprising that the Lion become removed before next week’s finale — she changed into this season’s frontrunner, together with her “California Dreamin’” performance, used in Fox’s buzzy early promos, once having viewers speculate that she turned into woman Gaga or Ariana Grande — I don’t recognize why the judges have been sooooooo bowled over by way of this screen. All of the clues had been there: The truth that the Lion comes from a “delight of ladies,” “Hollywood royalty” (Rumer is the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis), and “Hailey, Idaho”; the references to Chicago, the “Bluegrass country,” and Empire; even her anti-bullying advocacy. And yet the judges stored questioning the Lion changed into Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Fergie, Hailey Steinfeld or a few member of Wilson Phillips, TLC or En style. (can we get new judges next season, please — ones that realize how to use Google and Wikipedia?)

It became also obvious pretty early on that the Rabbit became a former NSync member — even his straitjacket, immediately out of the “I power Myself loopy” video, become a clue. Fatone, like Willis, took his elimination in stride, crooning “My female” one closing time earlier than hopping offstage.

In order that leaves us with the Peacock, Monster and Bee, the 3 first-class non-Lion vocalists within the Masked Singer sport. Allow’s test these surviving semifinalists’ performances from Wednesday, and maintain the guessing sport going earlier than next week’s final, literal face-off.

The Peacock, “allow’s pass”

Previous clues: The 176-pound showman “started out as a little teenybopper” and has gone through “special incarnations” of his career, ranging from Vegas revues to dramatic appearing. He’s also been pictured cradling a doggy, became a “pricey buddy” of Michael Jackson and once wore a curly wig instantly out of Joseph and the first-rate Technicolor Dreamcoat. Additionally, his face has been tattooed on someone’s frame.

This week’s clues: He devoted his performance to his “squaddies of love,” defined himself as an “idol” and informed judge Robin Thicke that one among his albums used “Blurred lines” as an idea. 

Judges’ guesses: Ne-Yo (the authentic singer of “permit’s move”), Ryan Seacrest, Donny Osmond, “weird Al” Yankovic, Neil Patrick Harris.

My wager: For weeks I’ve believed that that is “Solider of affection” singer Donny Osmond, however you realize … it may be “phrase Crimes” singer bizarre Al. Amusingly, if that grew to become out to be the case, Al might truely be the least weird thing on this freaky-styley display. However my pinnacle wager continues to be Donny, who has also expressed a fondness for Thicke’s hit.

The Monster, “live With Me” 

Preceding clues: “now not absolutely everyone” considers him a expert singer, but now he is again to “rewrite his mixtape.” This party-monster is also from the grimy South and has a fondness for Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t need to Be” — which a certain AutoTune rapper finished inside the Yahoo studio in 2005. He’s additionally lacking a few enamel, and he wears a size-12 shoe.

This week’s clues: He’s been “vilified and persecuted for sounding like a ringtone.” nicely, that become obvious. 

Judges’ guesses: Jamie Foxx, Calvin Harris, Kevin Hart, Darius Rucker, CeeLo inexperienced.

My bet: The Monster is absolutely T-ache, you guys. (Why are those judges so clueless, after they’ve been provided with such a lot of brilliant clues? They must be clueful.) now not handiest does the rockin’ Monster sound like T-pain’s Yahoo performance, but he also seems like T-pain’s AutoTune-unfastened NPR Tiny table concert. And he became the ringtone king in the mid-2000s. I truely want to make his outstanding Sam Smith cowl from this week — which Thicke defined as “Grammy-worthy” — my ringtone right now, in 2019.