The panel on The Masked Singer is pretty good at over-hyping contestants and making outlandishly bad guesses. But this season, they were not wrong about how deep the talent pool was. With so many celebrities present that could have won it all, the season truly might have been the best yet. Why? The higher profile names. To have a season that featured a finale of Boyz II Men and Mario, the door has opened for other big names to take the stage. With the commitment level a bit shorter than some other celebrity reality projects, The Masked Singer is the perfect place to let loose, have fun, and sing in a larger-than-life costume!
Season 12's crop of celebrities were broken up into three groups. Each group featured a series of eliminations before one or two were invited to compete in the Quarter Finals. With the "Ding Dong Keep It On Bell" back in play, the panel easily could have used it for each group. That's how strong the talent was. Yes, part of the allure may be seeing some stars try their hand at anonymous singing and be horrendous. But when the performances are strong, there's more reason to want to tune in. That, and the ability to be a super sleuth and discover their identities faster than the panel.
The Masked Celebrities Came To Win Close
Looking back at the final list of fifteen acts, there were truly only three comical duds. And they all happened to be eliminated first in their respective groups. John Elway as Leaf Sheep, Andy Richter as Dust Bunny, and Bethany Hamilton as Macaron never had a shot at winning. They were the one-and-done entries that paved the way for the twelve other stars (who did have singing experience) to shine.
From there, it was truly a battle of whom the audience wanted to hear again and again. Nearly every single celebrity had a true shot of making the next round. For that, this season was special. Even when Yvette Nicole Brown as Showbird, Laverne Cox as Chess Piece, and Drake Bell as Ice King were eliminated right before their respective group's finals, it came as a shock because they truly displayed the talent to move onto the finals.
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Aside from athletes Bronson Arroyo as Sherlock Hound and Kobie Turner as Goo, the remaining celebrities were singers. For The Masked Singer to compile a lineup that includes legends, icons, and stars, it was the place to be. The '90s were represented by Natalie Imbruglia as Bluebell and Paula Cole as Ship. Actors-turned-singers or singers-turned-actors shined, like AJ Michalka as Strawberry Shortcake, Marsai Martin as Woodpecker, and Jana Kramer as Royal Knight. And then came the R&B sensations in the finale. If you had Boyz II Men and Mario dressed as anthropomorphic mascots doing battle on your 2024 bingo card, go play the lottery!
History was made with Boyz II Men being the first group to win the show, so expect other legendary groups and artists to hit the stage and don a crazy costume. With the show moving away from filling the lineup with Z-list stars and more household names, the next issue to tackle is how to get the panel to stop those terrible guesses. But that's the comedy of it all, right? Ken Jeong, we're on to you! The Masked Singer has finally cracked the code and figured out how to keep the show appointment viewing and not next-day YouTube clips.
The Masked Singer is available to stream on Hulu.
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The Masked Singer TV-PG Reality
The Masked Singer: Celebrities compete in a singing competition while wearing elaborate costumes and masks to conceal their identities. A panel of judges and the audience work together to guess the performers' identities based on their voices, performances, and given clues, with weekly eliminations revealing the masked celebrity.
Release Date January 2, 2019 Creator Craig Plestis Finale Year November 30, 2024 Cast Nick Cannon , robin thicke , Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg , Ken Jeong , Nicole Scherzinger , Rita Ora , Joel McHale , Niecy Nash-Betts , Tori Kelly , Leslie Jordan , T-Pain , Brian Austin Green , Mickey Rourke , Bret Michaels , Chloe Kim , Elvis Francois , Bob Saget Main Genre Reality Seasons 12 Character(s) Host Cinematographer Tim Murphy Creator(s) Craig Plestis Distributor Propagate Content, Fox Entertainment Main Characters James Breen, Dominique Worden, Jason Stiff, Peter Hebri, Micki Boden, Zoe Ritchken, Joe Warwick, Amme Chanthavong, Lauren Taylor Harding, Chelsea Candelaria, Emily Smith, Erin Brady, Patrizia Di Maria, Katie Franzeo, Lindsay John, Alexis Bishop Production Company Endemol Shine North America, Fox Alternative Entertainment Number of Episodes 67 Expand
Stream on Hulu