10 New Masks, 2 Revealed — But Not How You Think

This show should steal “expect the unexpected” from Big Brother, because it’s always mixing up its format and throwing curveballs at us. It definitely happened tonight with five head-to-head competitions dominating this two-hour premiere, but they weren’t for elimination but rather safety.

One by one, ten new masks were introduced, but they competed in sets of two. Then a preliminary vote sent one to safety and sent the other to a second vote at the end of the night. So by the close of the show, we had five celebrity masks safe and five in danger, with two of them eliminated.

And then, they’re going to throw five more masks at viewers next week, so we’ve no idea how that’s going to play out, or how any of this is going to move forward. Total chaos and confusion? That’s par for the course on this show. It also describes one of the on-stage answers one star gave, making us wonder if they were okay … or maybe they were, like, super okay, man, you know?!

Nick further promised this season featured “the most decorated star in the history of the show,” and we’ve already got two possibilities. Yes, there are some incredible voices already on display in this massive launch, and some not-so-great ones, as well. We know exactly who some of these people are, and we have no idea no the others, so it should be another typical wacky ride.

Let’s jump right in with this week’s mask. And don’t worry, before we get to the shocking unmasking(s), we’re going to make you power through the terrible (and occasionally good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora first. We do this because we love … to torture you.

(“Golden,” HUNTR/X) After a fall season hiatus, The Masked Singer returned with a “Golden” cover that was both high energy and served as introduction to some of this season’s new masks (or was that all of them?). We just got quick glimpses, but mostly this was a fun piece to remind us of the silliness of this show and that it’s okay to sometimes just relax and have fun with life. Oh, and they let Ken sing! Yeah, mostly this was about Rita showing off her pipes, but everyone else got to have some fun — and let us say, it is weird seeing Ken and Jenny just wailing like they’re real singers. Actually it’s kind of like some of this show’s celebrity masks.

(“Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl,” Chappell Roan) Galaxy Girl brought her “it-girl” energy throughout this performance, which was playful and sexy at the same time. The costume has some sharp edges that had us a little worried as she danced around, but it’s certainly an attention-grabber. Vocally, she was more in the Miley Cyrus range, a little lower but still with a full, rich texture. She has great stage presence and vocal control, suggesting she could be a professional singer — or an extremely talented amateur.

Clues & Guesses: For her first clue package, we learned that Galaxy Girl was blowing it up and on top of the world from a very young age, going to the best schools on scholarship. She even said she was the “youngest on stage” before she could even drive. But ultimately, she wound up lost in the background and walked away for awhile.

Visual clues to this point included a yellow hearthstone, a walk along a flowered walkway, and constellations in the sky with kite and triangle-shaped cores. Then, with a “Welcome 2 LA” sign and a Friday the 13th calendar entry, she told us she worked her butt off and experienced a meteoric rise. She’s been curious to do this show for a while now and decided to jump in.

When asked what her strategy is to win this season, she said, “Okay, my strategy is I wanna have fun.” She spoke to the audience, “I want to perform for you guys. I love a crowd so much so let’s get together and have the best time.” She also revealed she’s a huge fan of Rita’s.

Could this actually be Nick Cannon’s “most decorated star in the history of the show” and it really is Miley? Actually, would she even be the most decorated star — we’ve seen some incredible names through the past 13 seasons. Still, that was our first vibe based on how petite she is and her overall sound and energy. But if it’s not her, then who is it?

Rita’s jaw dropped a bit and she started to wonder if maybe this could be Lindsay Lohan, who is certainly enjoying a career comeback and has shifted back and forth from music to acting. She also has that lower vocal register, so it’s not a terrible guess based on the voice, which she said was her parameter. Even talking, GG’s voice was cracking, so either it was strained or that rasp is for real!

Jenny McCarthy followed the clues, taking the break and the calendar day and the heart to a somewhat more unlikely guess, Jennifer Love Hewitt. Yes, JLH has also released music throughout her career, but this sound and vibe and youthful energy doesn’t feel right for her at all. If Robin didn’t think her body language was giving LiLo, it’s definitely not Love.

Ken’s first guess of the season was a disaster: Emma Stone, but it was more than what Robin gave us as he didn’t have one at all.

(“Shake Your Groove Thing,” Peaches & Herb) Handyman had so much rasp in just his clue package that we were already getting Tone Lōc vibes. When the performance started, he was giving some of that hip-hop energy and hunched over delivery, but his vocals were almost buried underneath a backing track. What we heard still had that gravel, but didn’t bring this amazing singing ability wrapped around it like a Louis Armstrong. He’s no singer, but he does appear to be an entertainer.

Clues & Guesses: From the clue package, we’re picking up on a guy who transitioned from a scrappy tough guy with an “interesting crew” in his wilder, younger years to someone who was hobnobbing with the likes of Robert De Niro and Courteney Cox. 

This West Coast kid said that he flipped his life upside down and showed us his “wild guy face,” a monster mask. We saw Ace of Spades license plate as he found he could still be the scrappy guy in this new iteration for his life, but now he can use his attitude for good. When asked what he hoped to get out of this experience, Handyman explained, “Well actually, my daughter dared me to actually do this, and I had a good time.”

Ken decided to be “for real” on this one, sharing that Ace of Spades could refer to a champagne and this could be — “disguising his voice” — Idris Elba. So yeah, he wasn’t being “for real” at all because yeah … no. 

As Rita was talking, Robin stood up and had an epiphany among his “legend rapper” voices and landed right where we started with Tone Lōc. Rita was upset at being interrupted before she wound her way through a “Fast & Furious” explanation to a guess possibly worse than Ken’s. This is not Vin Diesel, Rita, and now we want Nicole Scherzinger back!

In a new format twist, these first two masks competed head-to-head with one of them automatically advancing and the other becoming, as Nick put it, one of the night’s “unusual suspects” up for elimination at the end of the night. Our pick immediately would be Galaxy Girl as she was just giving more from top to bottom in her performance, vocally, musically, and with her physicality. Did the panel and studio audience do the right thing?

Winner: Galaxy Girl

(“Ordinary,” Alex Warren) Pugcaso was not afraid to show off his pipes, even going a cappella for his final notes. By then, though, we already knew that this guy was the real deal. That is one incredible voice, so if he didn’t find music as his career, he really should have. We have a feeling he did, though, because that is one finely-honed instrument. This was the strongest vocal of the night as he has incredible range, depth, and quality to his voice. This is the kind of artist we want to hear more and more and more from.

Clues & Guesses: Pugcasso walked away from the “family business,” he said while showing a painting of a baseball home plate after entering a live TV studio through an “All-Star” door. He called it a career change when he put his hat in something big that changed his life overnight, which certainly sounds like someone who blew up on a singing or competition reality show. 

At this point we saw a Big Ben, so was it in the UK that he blew up? Oh, and we closed with a shot of the blue paint from his brush swirling in a mason jar of water, so there’s that. “I’m a pretty private person,” he told Nick on stage. “I’ve never worn a costume like this ever before in my life so this is something new, and awesome.”

Robin was probably on the right track thinking this is a singer, but he decided to take the home plate literally and believe this is a baseball player so he had nothing. Now, Pugcasso could have won in the MLB draft and pivoted his career, but he said it was “something only a handful of artists have achieved,” and most athletes don’t call themselves artists.

Switching places, Ken decided to use his hear, and what he heard was Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds. Rita took the meteoric career shift and rise to someplace other than a reality competition show and considered the explosive rise of Glee to land on a respectable vocal guess in Darren Criss, while Robin considered Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.

(“Don’t Rain on My Parade,” Barbra Streisand) Queen Corgi was all in with a “New Yawk” accent, but we’re not sure it was wholly authentic. We didn’t expect the strength and quality of her voice, but she didn’t have her breath control nailed consistently throughout, making us think she’s a very talented singer, but possibly not one who’s found a career as a singer just yet — though it’s possible she pursued it as she does know how to use her voice and can belt.

Clues & Guesses: She went to college but that wasn’t her bag, with an “F” in physics from some guy who was doing his best to look like Albert Einstein to prove it. Instead, she appears to have found success on social media, with likes and loves flying from her laptop as she said she’s now seen as a “trailblazer.”

She said people started paying attention to her in her dorm as we saw a ring camera, big bottle of mouthwash, and “Live from New York” emblazoned on her screen. So has she been on SNL? Did she actually blow up for singing online, or maybe that’s part of her repertoire? She said no one believed she could make a living doing this, making us think she was among the first social media influencers to pull it off.

When asked her game plan, she said plainly, “I’m here to win.” She then added, “If I can breathe, then I will win,” echoing our concerns that she hasn’t nailed breath control yet.

Rita took the LFNY to more of a Broadway place in her Nikki Blonsky guess, while Ken threw out an okay guess in Maya Rudolph, who was part of SNL, has done a lot of singing, and is on a show called Big Mouth, which could tie in with the mouthwash clue. 

Jenny stuck with SNL and considered Aidy Bryant, who has a solid set of pipes of her own, though lesser known. QC then admitted she’s new to singing and performing live on the stage, “if you can believe it,” and just the way she said that has us really vibing on Jenny’s guess. That had Aidy’s delivery all over it.

A tougher battle overall, but there was still an obvious winner for us. Pugcasso has such a quality to his voice and so much control over his instrument, he was practically playing with the audience. Queen Corgi carries herself more like a very talented amateur, and that’s just not enough to surpass what he did. That’s the right answer, but did they get it right?

Winner: Pugcasso

(“Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele) Scarab flubbed her lyric toward the end, but who cares. That was such a polished voice, seasoned with pain and experience. You can always tell those artists who have lived something in their lives because it paints the tone of their art. Scarab hinted she was a legend, but she could have said nothing and we would have heard it in that powerhouse sound. This was stellar.

Clues & Guesses: Now we’re thinking this is the most awarded celeb after her narrator called her “perhaps the most decorated we’ve ever seen” on this show, but she isn’t ready to rest on her laurel and settle into retirement, as she said many at this point in their careers would be doing. She was looking for something new to inspire her.

She talked about her awards as we saw a Golden Globe along a wall of gold, while she also told us she’s met presidents, and spent time with famous faces like Brad Pitt and Prince. A golden lion was presented to her at one point as we also saw the scales of justice and another focus on pyramids in the book that started off the whole package.

Our insta-vibe on this one was Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph, based just on the voice and her overall presence. When asked why she joined this show, she replied, “Well, Beetlejuice, y’all. You keep saying my name, so I thought I’d show up and show you who the real Beetlejuice is.” And if that isn’t a tantalizing clue to marinate on all season long — because she should be here awhile, if there’s any justice.

Ken’s first “I know exactly who this is” was the expected disaster of a guess because this is definitely not Whoopi Goldberg. Jenny pondered the scales of justice to How to Get Away with Murder and considered Viola Davis … which is marginally better. Then, Scarab stomped around the stage and cracked everyone up with Jenny musing, “I can’t tell if she likes it or hates it.” Then, Robin came full circle to our insta-vibe guess, so could it be Sheryl Lee Ralph?

(“Jailhouse Rock,” Elvis Presley) Croissants surprised us with the very fact that they sounded respectable as neither of them is a singer. Their stage presence was little more than rocking (get it?) back and forth, but they actually sounded okay on a song that didn’t challenge them much, so props to them for having the ability to hold a note.

Clues & Guesses: As soon as they told us they were living at the top and it all came crashing down, we were convinced this was the Chrisleys, Todd and Julie. They said they were canceled, torn apart and separated until a miracle brought them back together — a miracle in the form of a pardon from President Trump that saw their immediate release from prison?

They said they think everyone has the wrong idea about them as we saw a peach torte, which feels very Southern, like their roots. They also showed the Mustang, which was Sara Evans back in Season 9. Sara did perform a new song on their show Chrisley Knows Best back in the day and is good friends with Todd. As their daughter Savannah was Afghan Hound (and awful) in Season 11, that might have been too obvious.

When asked how it feels to take the stage without anyone knowing who they are, Mr. Croissant said, “I think it’s wonderful to be here and make everyone laugh and have a good time.” Mrs. Croissant added, “And to be able to do it together.” So they are as unserious about this as we are.

Robin took the clue package to reality shows but then went too big with a very random guess of Snooki and The Situation from Jersey Shore, adding, “And they both have mugshots.” Jenny, though, is a little more in touch with pop culture, so she had no problem tying all the clues to the Chrisleys. Rita threw out Spender Pratt and Heidi Montag to be different, but prefaced it by admitting she kind of agreed with Jenny.

Another one that is absolutely not a nailbiter. Croissants clearly do not live up to what Scarab was bringing. They were definitely more of a novelty act — and it could not be more obvious who they are. With all of that, we kind of hope they’re one of the two masks that goes home (sorry … not sorry).

Winner: Scarab

(“When I Grow Up,” Pussycat Dolls) Snow Cone had a story to tell on this one and it was her own. We loved that she showed so much personality throughout, with a talking portion that was just flawlessly delivered with great attitude. Vocally, she’s got some vocal prowess, but definitely didn’t know how to manage her breaths for this song, telling us she’s not a pro at this. Still, she’s a multitalented actress, we’d wager.

Clues & Guesses: A classic case of a fallen Hollywood star, Snow Cone wants to change our opinion of her based on scandalous and false headlines that have dominated her public perception after something that happened and cost her a role on one of TV’s top shows. She said “one moment spoiled everything,” so it was a scandal that derailed her whole career and she’s still stuck under it.

It all started when she was modeling boots for a kids catalog before her career blew up and then blew up. We saw a newspaper headline reading “Snow Cone Is Alive” and she wrapped with a sash: “America’s Sweetheart.”

On stage, when asked what it means to be on the show, she started with a gasp, “Sorry, I thought I was in really good shape until I got in this costume.” She went on, “I’ve always been a really big fan, and this is such a surreal moment. I’m so thankful for this experience.”

Jenny put voice to one of Hollywood’s harsher and more tragic sides when she said this could be so many people in the industry. But she took “C.O.” on boots from the clue package and flipped it to consider Mischa Barton. Rita tossed out Nicole Richie while Ken considered Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen — but Taylor sings way better (and different) than this.

(“Stayin’ Alive,” Bee Gees) Stingray has a very sweet sound to his tone, which he was able to maintain on a very difficult song. He didn’t go nearly as high as Barry Gibb, but it was also half a falsetto if at all. Still, there’s a pleasant quality that he had to offer with a few moments that he stretched his range more than we expected. He doesn’t move or sing like a professional — he likes his hip thrusts! — but he definitely has some talent as a singer.

Clues & Guesses: A classic nepo baby, Stingray touted watching from the upstairs hallways as his mother hosted big stars like Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. We saw a photo of Paris Hilton as he talked about his experience at his mom’s parties. As for himself, Stingray says he says yes to everything as he walked Sunset Blvd., from “Michelin to the Met Gala.” We also saw a “Yelp” parody, Kelp, framed on one wall.

Nick told us he thinks he knows who that is before asking how this experience compared to others he’s done before. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to do something when, you know, without anybody really understanding of what they feels [unintelligible].” If that read as gobbledygook, it sounded even less coherent, as Robin’s face clearly showed trying to make sense of it as Stingray concluded, “So I’m just enjoying this moment and hoping that I can keep– keep staying her to perform for you guys.”

Nick was then even more sure he knew who this was, calling him a friend, but Ken was way off with his Lenny Kravitz guess, despite his famous mother, as Lenny can sing with way more power and confidence than that. He does know how to pelvic thrust, though. Jenny took the Paris photo Jaden Smith, who moved to Paris, while Rita considered Lil’ Romeo.

This one was a little more balanced, as Stingray had a more consistent performance, but Snow Cone seemed to offer a little more passion and presence. We’d probably give her the slightest edge because she brought so much personality and verve to her performance, we loved how it really showcased her personality as well as talent. Did the studio audience and panel agree, though?

Winner: Stingray

(“Turn Down for What,” DJ Snake and Lil Jon) Googly Eyes just kind of yelled his way through this, but in a way that wasn’t musical and was almost complete nonsense. If the song wasn’t so recognizable, we’d have had no idea what was going on. As it was, this was a vocal delivery anyone could have given, so it makes it pretty clear that this is not someone who’s a singer, or even a performer in the arts.

Clues & Guesses: With a costume that betrays absolutely nothing about who’s inside, it’s down to the clues and the voice. The voice didn’t help, so we’re left with him saying he’s a massive star and born leader. He also said he’s known for getting businesses out of the red and into the black, which could be a star athlete who leads underperforming teams to championships.

He joked he was “mostly housebroken” in a thick accent we did not hear when he was singing as he cited references including Chris Tucker, John Krasinski, and Kevin Bacon. Visually, we saw copies of a poppy seed bagel and a cake mix box next to batter in a bowl, so pre-cake?

When asked how it feels to be a Googly-Eyed monster, he replied, “Oh my goodness, it feels great. I got eyes everywhere! I can see everything, I love it.” The accent was back when sent Ken to “Big Papi” David Ortiz. Robin took “Monster Hits” to Daddy Yankee. Googly Eye showed off his playful side before Rita tossed off a terrible Wesley Snipes guess.

(“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga) Cat Witch delivered a great vocal performance with a high note tossed in at the end, vibrato and texture throughout, proving that she’s a trained singer who’s definitely put some time and focus on honing this side of her talent. She has a great stage presence and really carries herself with the confidence and joy of a young performer.

Clues & Guesses: This is a weird one because for the first time ever, we know who this is before we saw a single clue. Nevertheless, the package took place in a cabin in the woods with Cat Witch creating a concoction in a cauldron she topped off with a single drop of purple soda pop.

She talked about manifesting her career, which has come to include brand deals, merch, tours, and albums. At the top, we saw a makeup compact, which could indicate her career launch on social media, representing makeup tutorials. We saw an animal skull with “Wild” on it as she told us she’s ready to shed her old image and present a more mature side.

Nick asked her if she has a message for her competitors, and she said, “Of course, it would be fun to win, but regardless, I plan to leave my mark and really change the game.” Rita thought of an influencer she met at Fashion Week to consider Charli D’Amelio, as she can dance. Jenny guessed Addison Rae, which could tie with the “soda pop” clue, while Ken wondered if it could be Lisa from BLACKPINK.

When we talk about mismatches, this is what we’re talking about. Cat Witch can sing and move and perform. Googly Eyes’ costume can’t even move, not that it would have helped, though we guess he could have jumped up and down while shouting. The bottom line, one of these was singing the other was not.

Winner: Cat Witch

After a long night of new masks, the competition was split in half and there would be no more performances. Basically, half of them earned safety and the other half were up for elimination. So it was between Handyman, Queen Corgi, Croissants, Snow Cone, and Googly Eyes. Of these five, we’d say that Queen Corgi and Snow Cone have the most raw talent, and the biggest potential to go somewhere. Handyman lands somewhere in the middle for us, which means our Bottom 2 was Croissants and Googly Eyes, with the giant monster at our bottom.

Nick didn’t specify who got the lowest number of votes, but the first unmasked was in line with what we saw. It was the end of the road for Googly Eyes — but he was also perhaps the most difficult to pin down. Or is that really “Big Papi”?

• Robin Thicke: Manny Ramirez Pedro Martinez
• Jenny McCarthy: Derek Jeter
• Ken Jeong: David Ortiz
• Rita Ora: Manny Ramirez (because she knows no baseball players)

In the end, there was no denying the poppy seed bagel as “Big Papi” himself emerged from inside the cocoon of a costume. Of the song he bellowed, Papi said, “I could sing that all day.”

The second unmasked singer kept things moving in the right direction, as the Croissants are heading out the door and back into their post-prison life. In all seriousness, this is the Chrisleys — it can’t be anyone else. But some of these people on the panel are just so wrong; there’s clearly no Golden Ear trophy this year because we all know who this is!

• Robin Thicke: Snooki & The Situation
• Jenny McCarthy: Todd & Julie Chrisleys
• Ken Jeong: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
• Rita Ora: Spencer Pratt & Heidi Montag

After two hours, The Masked Singer couldn’t even give us closure on this one, instead leaving their faces blurred and saving their identities for next week. The only way this makes sense is if its’ not the Chrisleys. It’s as obvious as when Wendy Williams did the show, so there’s zero drama here. Come on, TMS, do better!

The Masked Singer continues next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.