The Masked Singer Recap: The Quarterfinals
The Masked Singer season 9 continues as the four remaining celebrities fight for a spot in next week’s semifinal. Featuring Nick Cannon as host, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger on the judges panel. The four celebrities California Roll, Macaw, UFO and Medusa sing British Invasion themed songs. Each contestant sings one song. One ONE celebrity will leave the competition.
Look at Nick Cannon in his bowler hat.
Macaw
Clues: “Acceptance is something I’ve struggled with personally and in my career.” On stage after his performance he says, “I thought at first I was not going to be able to handle the pressure of being on a stage like this again. But I’ve had such a fun time, after going through a lot of life transitions, I feel like I’m able to spread my wings. And show my true colors.”
Performance: “Your Song” by Elton John: OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY. Macaw is singing Elton John’s sublime “Your Song.” GREATEST SONG IN THE WORLD. And I ain’t mad at all. It’s a beautiful and heart rending rendition. If Macaw doesn’t advance tonight I WILL CUT SEVERAL B******. Macaw loves to fly with his wings for real. That nervous giggle is so familiar. Heh. On Stage Clue: Leader “Whether in the studio, on the stage, or on TV I know how to lead.” Hm. Ken guesses MaCaulay Culkin. Noooooooooo. Robin guesses Ryan Cabrera. Nicole guesses Darren Criss or David Archuleta. DING DING DING DING.
Prediction: Nicole guesses CORRECTLY. Macaw is David Archuleta. He gave a bunch of clues that gave it away, including hinting that he competed on another competition and experiencing “transitions” which points to him coming out as LGBTQ a few years ago.
California Roll
Clues: The group performed at the White House.
Performance: Creep by Radiohead: FOX previewed this performance earlier today. California Roll once again displays their impeccable harmonies and amazing arranging skills. They are going to be hard to beat in end. On Stage Clue: White House. “We had such a good time performing a the White House, they even gave us a standing O.” Jenny guesses Pentatonix. DING DING DING DING. Nicole guesses the Hamilton cast. Ken guesses the Miami Sound Machine. The crowd boos.
Prediction: Jenny is correct. California Roll is Pentatonix.
UFO
Clues: “So much of my career is based on how I look…I’m getting older.” After her performance, UFO says, “My usual career is very rigid.”
Performance: Tears Dry on Their Own by Amy Winehouse: UFO should be heading home this week. She’s clearly the weakest of all four singers. Actually, there were other singers already eliminated who were stronger than her. This is a terrible song choice. She sings with ZERO soul. It’s a tuneless rendition. On Stage Clue: “Red, White and Blue” She represents the USA. Nicole guesses Lily Collins. As if. Ken guesses Rebecca Romijn. Robin guesses Molly Sims.
Medusa
Clues: She lit a candle and talked to her therapist. California Roll will be a rematch. After her performance, Medusa talked about being a mom and that her ability to convey emotion in a song comes from experiencing “devastating loss in my life.”
Performance: Someone Like You by Adele – The last performance is a huge emotional number from Medusa. Her highly stylized phrasing and tone makes every song she covers her own. She knows how to pour on the drama. Ken and Robin are standing on the desk by the end of the song. On Stage Clue: Mom “Being an artist is my greatest passion, but being a mom is my greatest job.” That ruins a bunch of prior guesses judges were sure about. Robin goes back to Ellie Goulding, since Kesha isn’t a mom. Nicole guessed Lorde. But she isn’t a mom either. She switches to Imogen Heap, Amy Lee and Bishop Briggs. DING DING DING.
Prediction: All clues point to Bishop Briggs behind the Medusa Mask. Nicole guessed it, off handedly among a bunch of guesses.
RESULTS
The studio audience and judges panel votes decide who moves. And they send home UFO. THEY BETTAH. Final guesses. Robin: Molly Sims Jenny: Gigi Hadid Nicole: Lily Collins Ken: Rebecca Romijn. And UFO is….Olivia Culpo. She’s a former Miss USA and Miss Universe. Some folks on the internets knew. She’s not even serious about singing! She’s going back to belting it out in the shower, she says.
The show ends with an In Memoriam card for Jerry Springer who died recently from pancreatic cancer. The show fades out to chants of “Jerry…Jerry…Jerry.”
The judges have guessed the identities off all three remaining contestants. Jenny guessed that California Roll is Pentatonix, while Nicole guessed that Macaw is David Archuleta and Medusa Bishop Briggs.
Three very talented vocal acts will compete next week for the chance to compete in the head to head finale. Based on how this show rolls, I expect the final two will be Medusa and California Roll. The judges seem to want the wildcard to go all the way. Plus, there is the “rematch” angle after California Roll beat Medusa in round 1. I hope I’m wrong! I’m rooting for Macaw to at least compete in the finals for a SINGING SHOW SHOWDOWN!
