Instead of ending this season with the finale tonight, FOX decided to milk another week of great ratings from its reality juggernaut, The Masked Singer.
The two-hour finale will air next Wednesday (Dec 16) beginning with a clip show at 8 pm, followed by the showdown between Sun, Crocodile and Mushroom. Judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger will be on hand to parse all the clues.
The Christmas special featured encores from some of the season’s favorite masks. But new holiday-themed performances abounded, from the remaining contestants, Tori Kelly aka Seahorse singing a tune from her new Christmas album, and a WACKY “Little Drummer Boy” from Ken Jeong. Check out a few of the performances below.
I believe I know the identities of all the remaining contestants.
Sun
Sun is the only mask whose Christmas performance served as an actual clue! The contestant performed “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It’s a song that’s been covered by many, many artists over the years, but the original was recorded in 1958 by teen country singer, Brenda Lee. And guess who began their career as a teen? Leann Rimes, who is most certainly the celebrity behind the Sun mask! Leann was only 14 years old when she began her country music career. Twelve year old Brenda recorded her first hit “Dynamite” in 1957.
Watch Sun belt out the classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
Crocodile
It’s well established among internet sleuths that Backstreet Boy Nick Carter is behind the Crocodile mask. Clues have pointed to his boyband past, touring with DJs and more. He described his song selection “Silent Night” as a “family favorite.”
Watch Crocodile croon “Silent Night”
Mushroom
Mushroom delivered a standard-style cover of The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). The celebrity is one of the few Masked Singer contestants who have successfully disguised his voice every week. He sounds different each time! It’s made guessing his identity tricky. But I think I’ve got Mushroom’s identity figured out, finally. Pharrell and Jordan Fisher have been big time guesses all season. A big name entertainment site even posted a long article “proving” that Mushroom is Jordan. However, a few sleuths have mentioned soul singer Aloe Blacc and after doing some research I THINK WE HAVE WINNER Y’ALL.
The Hamilton Clues: Aloe has a track on the Hamilton mixtape. The childhood friend in the CIA: Aloe grew up on Army bases. Straight A student in school: Aloe got scholarships and graduated from UCLA. Mushroom clutching a briefcase in his package: Right after college, Aloe held a corporate job. The little toy bull in his “friends and family” package: Aloe took part in the Red Bull Music academy. The alarm clock clue: DUH HIS BIGGEST HIT WAKE ME UP. He mentioned he doesn’t go by his birth name (Jordan and Pharrell are birth names) Aloe’s real name is Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III. And Aloe wears hats! (Hat clues). I thought Pharrell was Mushroom, but after thinking about it? He coached The Voice, he wouldn’t compete on a reality show. .
Watch Mushroom sing “The Christmas Song”
Tori Kelly SLAYS Sleigh Ride
Speaking of Mushroom, Seahorse should have won their sing-off last week! But there is a silver lining. An unmasked Tori performed “Sleigh Ride” from her new Christmas album, A Tori Kelly Christmas. It’s a thing that could not have happened if she were still a contender. That’s a cool little perk!
Watch Tori Kelly aka Seahorse sing “Sleigh Ride”
Ken Jeong’s outrageous Little Drummer Boy Performance
The special ended with coach Ken Jeong “singing” a wacked out version of “Little Drummer Boy” dressed as a drum major. Got to hand it to Ken, he is willing to look like a complete idiot for the sake of comedy. God bless him…
Note: Ugh. These fake audience members. Everybody knows reality shows are taped in an empty studios due to the pandemic. Faking an audience just looks stupid. And dangerous, quite frankly.
Watch Ken Jeong “sing” Little Drummer Boy
The last performance came from a montage of unmasked signers. Obviously, the performance was taped during their post-elimination interviews. I didn’t remember of few of these “celebrities” and had to look them up! They are: Tori Kelly (Seahorse), Lonzo Ball (Whatchamacallit), Bob Saget (Squiggly Monster), Chloe Kim (Jellyfish), Wendy Williams (Lips), Clint Black & Lisa Hartman (Snow Owls), Mark Sanchez (Baby Alien), Taylor Dayne (Popcorn), Brian Austin Green (Giraffe), Paul Anka (Broccoli), Dr. Elvis Francois (Serpent).
That’s everyone, except for the masks eliminated first and second–Busta Rhymes (Dragon) and Mickey Rourke (Gremlin). The moment Rourk unmasked himself during week two got a special little shout out from host Nick Cannon.
Watch eliminated celebrities sing “Jingle Bell Rock”
