Nicole Scherzinger and Ken Jeong celebrate country night on ‘The Masked Singer.’ (Photo property of FOX)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
The Masked Singer: Season Nine left Sesame Street’s sunny neighborhood and headed to Nashville to celebrate country night!
Tonight, newcomers Axolotl and Macaw will face off against last week’s champion, Fairy, to advance to the Season Nine quarterfinals. Did either of them outperform the Fairy and would face off against the California Rolls? Or did the Fairy cast a spell on the audience to advance? Did the Masked Singer panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger correctly deduce the eliminated performers’ identities?
Read on to find out!
After the crew walked out to “Fancy,” the dancers channeled their inner Orville Peck; Nick revealed that the Panelists still had one more save on the bell (which will be used on the next round). The Fairy said that Linda Ronstadt was a longtime friend of hers. Her pre-performance package included “Fairy’s Tale,” a rubber duckie, and a picture of the California Rolls. She sang Bonnie Raitt’s “Angel in Montgomery” and gave me chills. Nicole loved her tone and called her a professional singer. Special guest star Bill Engvall gave the Fairy’s clue: “21” and Blackjack. Ken guessed Jennifer Aniston, while Nicole guessed Mickey Guyton, and Robin suggested Lori Harvey.
The Axolotl made her Masked Singer debut. Her pre-performance package contained a diamond ring, a raw steak, a bell, and pom-poms. She sang LeAnn Rimes’ “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” and I thought of Nikki Bella. Robin loved the song choice and the costume, and Jenny called her a “professional entertainer.” This clue came from Houston Texans’ Robert Woods; he presented them with a football helmet that had 2.3 million on it. Robin thought it was either Nicki or Brie Bella, while Jenny thought of Alexa Bliss, who is married to Ryan Cabera. Nicole ended the round with Simone Biles.
The Macaw was the last performer to take the Masked Singer stage. His pre-performance package was okay, but once I heard “Live Like You Were Dying,” I immediately thought of David Archuleta. He perfectly matched the clues in the pre-performance package. Jenny declared that the Macaw could be the night’s frontrunner. Meanwhile, Deana Carter delivered the final clue of the night. She held a silver medal, perfectly fitting David as he was one of American Idol’s legendary runner-ups. Robin guessed Elijah Wood, while Jenny McCarthy suggested Zayn Malik. Nicole narrowed it down to Hoobastank singer Doug Robb.
After the Masked Singer studio audience voted, Axolotl was the first performer to unmask. Jenny stood by her guess of Alexa Bliss, Robin also stood by his guess of Nikki Bella, and Ken thought of Brie Bella. Nicole guessed Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney. JENNY WAS RIGHT…ALEXA BLISS WAD AXOLOTL!
Nicole yelled “Yee-Haw” to introduce the Battle Royale to Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Fairy gave a soulful twist to the country classic, while Macaw did their best with the tune, but it did not win me over. The panel had to make the final decision. The MACAW was advanced to the Season Nine quarterfinals and Fairy was sent home. Nicole guessed Tracee Ellis Ross, while Jenny suggested Corrine Foxx. Robin landed on Lori Harvey, while Ken stood by his stupid guess of Jennifer Aniston. I WAS RIGHT – HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE WAS FAIRY!!!
Next week, The Masked Singer: Season Nine travels back to the 1980s!
