After several weeks of buildup and thinning the herd, Fox’s The Masked Singer gathered its “Super Nine” — the top three singers from Groups A, B and C — to face off in a special two-hour episode Wednesday full of performances and new clues. Turtle, Kangaroo and White Tiger represented Group A. Kitty, Banana and Frog represented Group B. Night Angel, Astronaut and Rhino represented Group C. Panelists Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger were on hand to guess who could be under the masks. The episode was also full of April Fool’s jokes, including a Snoop Dogg lookalike at the beginning.
The Turtle went first. In his new clue package, he noted that he’s not a dancer and also made a reference to being a method actor. His “super clue” was a comic book called The Amazing Adventures of Shellboy. He sang “Higher Love,” and he said that he’s “not known for just one thing.” Drew Lachey, Brian Littrell, Nick Lachey and Chris Evans were the panel’s guesses. The panel has not suggested Jesse McCartney, but he could definitely be under this mask.
Kangaroo was up next, and she said that she would be singing a “fighter’s anthem” and that she has been through hell the past year. Her “super clue” was an inflatable kangaroo, and she made a reference to dolls. She sang “Not Ready to Make Nice” by Dixie Chicks, and she said that even though she’s a Kangaroo, she has never been to Australia. The panel guessed it could be Amber Rose, LeAnn Rimes or India Arie.
“When I first got here, I’d never sung in front of a crowd,” White Tiger said. “This performance has got to be so sexy it hurts,” he added. His “super clue” consisted of him flossing and then pretend to shoot a basketball. He sang “I’m Too Sexy,” and he hinted that he wrote a best-selling book. Jeong followed the phrase “lit up like a lightbulb” from the clue package and guessed it could be J.J. Watt, which was actually a solid guess. Other guesses included Rob Gronkowski and Joe Manganiello. It does seem more like that he is an athlete versus an actor like Manganiello.
Kitty got things started for Group B, and she said that she feels like she “could go all the way.” “Christmas is legitimately the most wonderful time of the year,” she said for her “super clue,” which also featured the Christmas Tree from last season, who was Ana Gasteyer. She sang “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” and she told the panel “I was not dreaming when Robert Redford helped me to get my very first role.” This made it clear that she’s probably an actor. The panel guessed Nicole Richie, Avril Lavigne, Vanessa Hudgens and Emma Roberts. Hudgens was the most solid guess, and Lavigne seemed very unlikely.
“When I first got here, I was just a party boy looking for a good time,” the Banana said. “A traumatic injury from my past made me forget the lyrics in my second performance.” His “super clue” was a mullet, and he sang “Sweet Home Alabama.” “Blue collar has many, many meanings. When I say ‘blue collar,’ I’m a funny guy, but I’m not stand-up funny,” he informed the panel. McCarthy guessed Brett Michaels, which was a very solid guess. Other guesses included Brad Paisley and Billy Ray Cyrus.
The Frog said that he used to have to care so much about his image. “I even take a power nap before every performance,” he said. His “super clue” was a knight in armor. He sang “Jump,” and he said, “I’m actually not a trained dancer,” which shocked the panel since that has been the focal point of his performances. Jeong guessed it was Sisqó, while the rest of the panel guessed Omarion and Lil’ Romeo.
Group C was up with a performance from Night Angel. “I’ve avoided putting myself front and center for years,” she said, also making references to helping others and experiencing rejection. Her “super clue” was a tricycle. She sang “Rise Up,” which she said is her new mantra. She also told the panel that she’s not just a voice but also a mogul. This led the panel to guess it could be Tamar Braxton, Brandy and Tisha Campbell.
“Airplanes aren’t built so they can stay safe in the hangar — they’re built to fly in the sky,” the Rhino said. “It’s funny the panel thinks I’m an athlete — music has been my passion since I was a child.” He teased that he has an album and has been on the Billboard charts. His “super clue” was a slots machine. He sang “What a Man Gotta Do,” and he said that he’s not nearly as tall as people think he is, suggesting that his costume could be exaggerating his height. The panel guessed it was Vince Gill, Duff McKagan or Derek Jeter. However, Jeter does not have an album.
Closing out the performances, Astronaut made a reference to a “new world” and exploring new territories in his clue package. His “super clue” was a broken record with the earth on it. There has previously been another clue about him breaking records. He sang “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and he said that he has never had traditional voice training. Panel guesses included David Archuleta, which was a very strong guess, as well as JC Chasez and Ryan Tedder.
The bottom three artists in each group were White Tiger, Banana and Rhino. The panel then had to choose which of the three would be eliminated and therefore unmasked. They went with White Tiger. Their final guesses for who he could be were Gronkowski (Thicke and McCarthy), John Cena (Scherzinger) and J.J Watt (Jeong). When he removed his mask, he revealed that Thicke and McCarthy were correct. He was indeed Rob Gronkowski.
The Masked Singer continues next week.
