‘The Masked Singer’ Season 2 premiere recap: Which two celebs were unmasked?
USATodaySpoiler alert! The following contains details from the Season 2 premiere of “The Masked Singer,” including the identities of the two unmasked celebrities.
“Time to get weird.”
Host Nick Cannon opened the second season of Fox’s “The Masked Singer” with this statement, and he wasn’t wrong that he was on the most deliriously strange TV stage. During its first season last winter, “Singer” became a reality competition sensation, turning viewers into sleuths who detected which mostly B- and C-list celebrities were inside elaborate costumes, crooning their hearts out in glitzy karaoke.
The new season arrives amid an avalanche of hype, and the judges, host and contestants all seem aware that they’re singing and guessing on a hit show. The result is a series that’s now a little more manufactured in its weirdness and quirks, but still has the fun mania that made the first season so magical.
The two-hour premiere saw not one but two celebrities take off their masks, and had plenty of good (and just a little bad) singing to keep us humming along throughout.
Butterfly versus Egg
Our first matchup was Butterfly versus Egg, the former starting with a rendition of “Bang Bang” by Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. In her gorgeous, glittery costume she knocked the difficult song out of the park (she can belt!) but her clues (like many in the episode) were vague. There was a reference to a home in London, but she spoke with a Southern accent. Her clue clip hinted at a photo shoot, but also that she’s been in hiding. The judges threw out model/actress Cara Delevingne, Fantasia Barrino, Spice Girl Mel B and, oddly, Diana Ross as suspects.
More: ‘The Masked Singer’: Producers promise trickier clues, bigger names and crazier costumes
Next up was Egg, who sounded a lot less like a trained singer. He wore a lot of sparkles, sang “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, and gave off – as the judges skated around saying – a flamboyant vibe. (At one point, Jenny McCarthy called him “fabulous,” and she might as well have used air quotes.) The clues included a skateboard, a wedding dress sketch and words like “swan” and “leap,” which moved the judges to guess famous figure skaters like Johnny Weir and Adam Rippon, as well as fashion-conscious personalities like “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness and designer Christian Siriano.
Egg’s Auto-Tuned Gaga song lost out to the Butterfly’s talent, so he retreated to participate in a “smackdown” (Fox, a new home of WWE wrestling, is really emphasizing in-network promotion) with the loser of the next face-off.
Thingamajig versus Skeleton
Our next two celebrities dressed as a “Thingamajig” (like last season’s Monster, but tall and gangly) and a Skeleton. The Thingamajig, depending on how tall you believe Nick Cannon is, is a towering figure, which led the judges immediately to guess NBA players. His clue package mentioned fashion shoots, sneakers and the number four, perhaps referring to championship rings. He sang “Easy” by The Commodores, and had a good but unrefined voice. The judges guessed Michael Strahan, Stephen Curry (who’s way too short) and Dennis Rodman, but I’m partial to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for this one.
Egg’s Auto-Tuned Gaga song lost out to the Butterfly’s talent, so he retreated to participate in a “smackdown” (Fox, a new home of WWE wrestling, is really emphasizing in-network promotion) with the loser of the next face-off.
Thingamajig versus Skeleton
Our next two celebrities dressed as a “Thingamajig” (like last season’s Monster, but tall and gangly) and a Skeleton. The Thingamajig, depending on how tall you believe Nick Cannon is, is a towering figure, which led the judges immediately to guess NBA players. His clue package mentioned fashion shoots, sneakers and the number four, perhaps referring to championship rings. He sang “Easy” by The Commodores, and had a good but unrefined voice. The judges guessed Michael Strahan, Stephen Curry (who’s way too short) and Dennis Rodman, but I’m partial to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for this one.
