Tonight, season 6 of the wacky singing competition, The Masked Singer continues with the premiere of Group B contestants
FIVE new masks will perform tonight, including Banana Split, Dalmatian, Cupcake, Queen of Hearts and Mallard.
After the contestants are presented, with clues, they will perform a song. Then, it’s up to the audience and judges to guess who is behind the mask.
The Masked Singer 6: Is Katharine McPhee & David Foster Banana Split?
Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke sit on the panel. Nick Cannon hosts.
Nick, in a James Brown move, enters the stage in a long cape.
Queen of Hearts
Clues: A JEWEL gets smashed in the intro. Queen of Hearts has an exaggerated Southern accent that could be fake. A clock reads 10 o’clock. Giant chess pieces. The tinman from the Wizard of Oz serves her a potion. She has spent her entire life learning how to champion her own heart. She left home when she was young.
Prediction: Queen of Hearts is likely singer-songwriter Jewel. She’s faking the southern accent. Jewell grew up isolated on a ranch in Alaska with no plumbing or electricity. She left home at age 15. The chess pieces and “Queen of Hearts” theme could relate to her 2006 album Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. The Wizard of Oz clues point to her appearance in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True TV special from 1995. Jewel played Dorothy.
Performance: Born that Way by Lady Gaga – She’s a good singer, and obviously a professional. She’s kind of singer-songwriter, but can hit the big notes. She ends on a major riff. Her phrasing is terrific. The judges submit their first impression guesses. Jenny says “I think I know who this is!” Why queen hearts? “I’m hear to be a big ole blasting megaphone of heart.” Nicole guesses Britney Spears. That’s ridiculous. Jenny guesses Fergie. Hm. No. Ken guesses Renee Zellweger.
Mallard
Clues: Best selling book, platinum album. Cowboy boots and a stagecoach. He sang for quarters on the school bus. Photo of Chris Pratt!
Performance: Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich – This sounds like an older country or rock singer. He had platinum albums, so he was probably a superstar once upon a time. “Normally I don’t dress this fancy. But with a face like this, I’m used to disguising it.” Robin guesses Garth Brooks. Jennifer rattles off a bunch of country stars. Ken guesses Billy Ray Cyrus. A costumed horse runs out on stage. Is that a clue?
Prediction: The internets are saying Mallard is Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. If so, that costume is really on the nose. He has released several best selling books and a platinum selling Christmas album. He and Chris Pratt are pals, reportedly.
Cupcake
Clues: The clues include an old fashioned bank machine, a coffee machine and a bottle of whiskey. She’s used to sharing a spotlight. Also, someone she loves just got some news about their health, and she wants to cheer them up.
Performance: Heatwave by Martha Reeves and Vandellas – Although cupcake refers to themselves as a girl, the vocal is masculine. Maybe she’s in a band, though “used to sharing a spotlight.” She says “I was supposed to be here with some other sweet things.” Jennifer guesses RuPaul. Robin also guesses RuPaul. Nicole guesses Roberta Flack or Leslie Jones. These guesses are wack. Ken guesses Tina Turner. NOOOOOO. She’s retired and lives in Sweden.
Prediction: See a ton of RuPaul guesses, but he’s statuesque. The build is all wrong. Others are saying Billy Porter. He starred in the FOX show Pose and FX American Horror Story. There is a ton of attention paid to Cupcake’s legs and boots. Billy originated the role of Lola in Kinky Boots.
Dalmatian
Clues: He had to make his own playbook. He became obsessed with practicing every day. He always felt like the underdog.
Performance: Beautiful – Snoop Dogg ft Pharrell – Dalmation is rapping. Is he actually a rapper, or maybe an athlete rapping? He’s not a great rapper, so I don’t think it’s the thing he does for a living. Nick shares that he DEFINITELY knows who it is. He picked the Dalmation costume because: “I always feel like I’m the underdog. I had to go with my favorite dog.” Robin guesses Nelly. Jenny guesses Katt Williams. Kevin guesses Reggie Bush.
Banana Split
Clues: All the way from the Beverly Hills Baskin Robbins. Ice cream holds up a silver medal. She quit her dayjob when she got her “big break,” but then had to beg for it back. Banana says, “There is no such thing as an overnight success.” Ice cream puts a ton of energy insto SMASHING Ring bell. “Big Man” is a clue.
Performance: A Million Dreams by Pink – Why even beat around the bush? These two are most certainly Katharine McPhee and her husband David Foster. The singing sounds exactly like her. Those high notes are unmistakable. And there’s David playing piano, as he always does. Ken is verklempt! “We don’t work together all the time…but we’ve worked together really well,” says Ice Cream. “Banana is good by itself,” Ha ha. Letting EVERYONE know who the real star is here. Jenny guesses Katharine McPhee and David Foster DING DING DING. One point toward the Golden Ear trophy for Jenny. Robin’s dad Alan Thicke knew David. But still he thinks it’s Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Nicole guesses Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Katharine guest starred on Ken’s former TV series Community several years ago. Ken thinks it couldn’t be her, because “she’s more reserved.” OK then.
Prediction: Banana Split is Katharine McPhee and husband David Foster. The end. The silver medal refers to Katharine finishing American Idol season 5 as the runner up. “Big Man” might refer to her husband David Foster as “Hitman.” Her big break, American Idol, did not translate to instant success. Katharine starred in the NBC musical drama Smash.
Results
Studio audience, judges and fans across America VOTE. And the first in Group B unmasked is…Dalmatian! I’m not surprised. It was either him or Cupcake. Panel guesses: Robin guessed Nelly and is sticking with that. Nicole guesses “one of the lils” but now she’s says Nelly. Jennifer guessed Steve Harvey and now thinks Kevin Hart. Ken guessed Reggie Bush and he’s sticking with that. And Dalmation is Tyga! Hm. I thought his performance was bad. Former contestant Lil Wayne inspired him to try it. He thought Robin would guess him after they collaborated on a song together.
