Written by Erin Doyle
Wow! Nick Cannon wasn’t lying when he said this season of The Masked Singer was going to be harder than the first.
On The Masked Singer Episode 2, we met our third group of masked celebrities and I was absolutely lost on most of them. The clues were cryptic and misleading, their behavior was everywhere, and they stayed in character so well that they even faking their accents. One thing we were absolutely sure of is there is some genuine talent this season and they lit up the stage this week.
We met four masked celebrities: Black Widow, Leopard, Panda, and Flamingo. The costumes were insane and the stage was electric. The performers were filled with confidence.
The Black Widow took on Whitney Houston, a bold choice by any means, but completely blew us away. In the clue package all hints were pointing to Lizzo for its “Good As Hell” reference and a peach possibly symbolizing her “Juice” track. Lizzo also uses the peach emoji constantly on Twitter with her fans to embrace themselves and their curves. Lizzo, however, to my knowledge has no acting experience except in the new Hustlers movie. Black Widow talked about living her life in the public eye, with hints of being edgier and darker. To me, this means a Disney celebrity all the way or an actress that has mainly “good girl” roles.
The Leopard threw everyone for a wild ride. In the clue package for the performance, they used a higher distortion on their voice and everyone was under the impression it was a female. Boy, was everyone wrong as the Leopard started to sing “Somebody To Love” by Queen and killed it (even hitting Freddie’s falsetto at the end). Maybe this isn’t a seasoned professional we are all used to seeing in our everyday lives, but Leopard sure plays the part and can sing their heart out. The package hinted that they have been in headlines and a part of tabloid culture and how these stories do not define them. With the costume and package heavily having a baroque style, my money is on the fact that this person is from the U.K.
The Flamingo sang “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers. Although this isn’t a song that demands much vocally, one couldn’t hide the fact that this girl can sing. In the clue package, she discusses how she felt trapped in her career and wants a new beginning. There were hints leading us toward a fashion guru on Youtube or a makeup artist that loves to rack up likes.
The Panda was okay! You could tell they were not a professional singer, but was trying their absolute best and was having the best time doing it. They were lively and bouncing around and you couldn’t help but sing along to the classic “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson. The package revealed that Panda was a part of a huge family and that their father was always a big influence on them growing up. More hints included that they were a chef and singing was a passion but not something they did for a living.
The Panda and the Leopard went to the showdown. The Panda sang T-Pain’s “All I Do Is Win” and the Leopard sang “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. Although both were not that well executed, the Panda was the loser. The Panda was revealed as undefeated boxer and champion, Laila Ali. Robin Thicke correctly guessed this one as a joke, but he changed his mind when it came to the final guess. He should’ve stuck with his gut!
My guesses going into the next week:
The Flamingo is Adrienne Bailon Houghton, former Cheetah Girl and daytime talk show host.
Black Widow is Raven Symone, another former Cheetah Girl, actress, and singer/songwriter. I’m also leaning toward Jenny McCarthy’s guess of Amber Riley but I need more performances and clues to help determine this one.
The Leopard is Seal. It has to be. After doing some thinking, I couldn’t help but shake the fact that Seal has sung with Queen before as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and he crushed it.
I know it’s crazy to think that there could be two Cheetah Girls on the show, but with all of the evidence given, I know it could be them. Until I see a new package and performance, I’m stuck. We’ll meet new celebrities next week and more will get unmasked! Who do you think these celebrities are?
