By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
FOX’s most unpredictable singing competition is back! The Masked Singer has returned for its sixth season. Tonight, Group A’s sixth season made its debut on the Masked Singer stage. Also, an in-person studio audience joined the celebrity panel (Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, and Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg) for the first time in two seasons. Which performer impressed the panel? Did our favorite quartet correctly deduce the eliminated celebrities’ identities? Read on to find out!
After Nick Cannon made his entrance, the Skunk was the first performer to take the stage. Before the performance, the clues were a train, a vase with a “D” on it, and a pink handbag. She sang Sam Smith’s “Diamonds,” and I thought that she was Toni Braxton. Nicole declared that Masked Singer: Season Six was “in the big leagues.” After the panelists wrote down their first impression guesses, the Skunk revealed that “it was time for her to take a big leap and do something she hasn’t done in a while.” Robin thought it was Faith Evans, while Ken and Jenny went on a “diva” list.
The Octopus grooved out to “Le Freak.” He became the tallest performer in show history. He revealed that “eight was a lucky number.” Octopus had to let go of his ego and the “ABC” blocks. He sang Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti,” and I loved his husky tone. Jenny called the performance “amazing.” After the first impression guesses were collected, the Octopus revealed that his mom’s favorite show. Jenny thought it was Dennis Rodman, while Ken thought it was Chris Weber or Dwight Howard. Meanwhile, Nicole thought Octopus was Shaquille O’Neal.
Pufferfish was the third singer to walk out onto the Masked Singer stage. She revealed in her pre-performance package that she had to defend herself and had a problem fitting in. There was a boomerang and an electric guitar in the clue package. She sang Doja Cat’s “Say So,” and I thought it was Iggy Azalea. After tapping Nick Cannon’s butt, Nicole called Pufferfish, a “natural performer.” Nicole thought it was Maya Rudolph or Paula Abdul, while Ken guessed Issa Rae. However, Robin thought it was Jessica Alba.
Mother Nature made her presence known on The Masked Singer. She revealed that she was not a mother and had a photo of Wayne Brady (who won Season Two) in her clue package. She sang Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out,” and I loved her performance. Ken loved that Mother Nature was “having fun” on the show. Mother Nature chose the costume because “she was a force to be reckoned with.” Ken thought it was Tiffany Haddish, while Nicole guessed Chelsea Handler. Finally, Robin guessed Tracee Ellis Ross.
The Bull was the final member of The Masked Singer: Season Six Group A to perform! He revealed that he grew up in a “small town of cows.” The Astronaut made a cameo in his pre-performance package. He sang Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” at the Panelists’ Desk before going to the stage. It was the best performance of the season premiere, and I thought Bull was Jason Derulo. After the panelists wrote their first impression guesses, the Bull revealed “quite shy” when he sang. Jenny guessed Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, while Robin guessed Sisqó. While Ken got booed, Nicole refused to tell her first impression guess.
After all the performances and votes, we had to say goodbye to two singers! The first Masked Singer to leave was Octopus! Jenny thought Octopus was Dennis Rodman, Nicole thought it was Shaquille O’Neal, and Ken guessed Dwight Howard – both stood by their original guesses. But it turned out that Ken correctly guessed that the Octopus was NBA great Dwight Howard!
I was surprised (and upset to learn that) Mother Nature was eliminated from the competition! Ken guessed Tiffany Haddish, while Nicole thought it was Chelsea Handler. However, she changed her guess to Tracee Ellis Ross. Robin stood by his original guess of Tracee Ellis Ross. While Jenny joined Ken in guessing Tracee Ellis Ross. For the first time, the show left everyone in a loop and we had to turn in to find out!
Tomorrow night, Group A returns as TWO Wild Card contestants try to join this season’s competition!
