The Masked Singer Unmasks 2 Celebrities During Season 2 Premiere

A Christmas tree, a rottweiler and an egg facing off for a grand prize can only mean one thing: The Masked Singer is back!

The singing competition’s second season returned to Fox on Wednesday with 16 new undercover celebrities, eight of whom took the stage for their first performances.

While the producers made the clues harder for season 2, host Nick Cannon shared during the premiere that the 16 celeb contestants have a combined 42 Grammy nominations, 140 films, 35 No. 1 hits, 21 platinum records and 22 Broadway shows between them. The competitors also boast a total of 29 kids, 28 tattoos, eight divorces and two Time Most Influential People honors.

Judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke returned to try to figure out which actor, musician, athlete, politician or influencer could be under the disguise, and Cannon asked each contestant after their performance what makes them the embodiment of their character.

Wednesday’s special two-hour episode consisted of eight characters facing off in four pairs. And just like last season, the studio audience then voted to pick the winner of each battle. The four losers went on to sing in one of two smackdown rounds. The judges determined the winner of the smackdowns, and the two losers were ultimately unmasked at the end of the episode.

Here’s how everything broke down when The Masked Singer introduced its first crop of costumed performers.

Faceoff No. 1: Butterfly vs. Egg

BUTTERFLY

Clues: “For the past year, I’ve been waiting patiently in my cocoon for the promise of metamorphosis.”; “After achieving success in many stages of life, I found myself terrified by the one place I used to call home,” followed by an image of London’s Big Ben; “I’m here to take you to church. Can I get an amen?”
Song: “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
Judges’ guesses: Fantasia Barrino, Mel B, Cara Delevingne, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross
What makes them the Butterfly? “Bless your heart, thanks for asking! I love to float gracefully and I’ve got a lot of soul in these wings.”

EGG

Clues: a snow globe; a swan; a skateboard; “I’m strong on the outside, vulnerable on the inside.”; “You might figure that coming to The Masked Singer is a bit of a leap for me, but after years of being on top of the pyramid, I’m here to join the ranks of the greatest, most versatile entertainers of our time.”; “I’m going for the gold.”
Song: “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga
Judges’ guesses: Adam Rippon, Christian Siriano, Jonathan Van Ness, Jonny Weir
What makes them the Egg? “I’m always egg-stra and I do enjoy a good sparkle.”

Winner: Butterfly

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Faceoff No. 2: Thingamajig vs. Skeleton

THINGAMAJIG

Clues: a cupcake with the number four; a briefcase with magic tricks inside; athletic sneakers; a fashion shoot; “I’m here because I like to sing, though you may think that’s not my thing.”
Song: “Easy” by Commodores
Judges’ guesses: Steph Curry, Dennis Rodman, Michael Strahan
What’s a thingamajig? “A thingamajig is a thing that likes to majig.”

SKELETON

Clues: a Christmas party; Las Vegas vibes; “I’ve been around the block a few times, but I’m far from dead.”; “I’m tired of playing second fiddle.”; “I finally get that spotlight all to myself.”
Song: a mashup of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang and “Good Times” by Chic
Judges’ guesses: Dana Carvey, Jon Cryer, Nathan Lane, and Martin Short, who Jeong is certain it is.
What makes their bones shake? “I have no booty to shake. So all I can do is shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake a boom.”

Winner: Thingamajig

SMACKDOWN

After Egg’s fierce performance of “One Way or Another” by Blondie and Skeleton’s soulful rendition of “Hard to Handle” by Otis Redding, Skeleton beat Egg to stay in the competition.

Faceoff No. 3: Ladybug vs. Rottweiler

LADYBUG

Clues: a KSOR TV camera; a classic game show setup with a spinning wheel; bridges; “After a lifetime of drama, I could really use a little love and a lot of luck.”; “Being born into the limelight means keeping up with every piece of gossip and family feud.”; “Now after years of spinning my wheels, the chance to be anonymous makes me feel like I’ve already won a prize.”
Song: “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler
Judges’ guesses: Lily Collins, Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lynn Spears, Willow Smith
What makes them the Ladybug? “I’ve been through so much in my life. I just feel so lucky to be here.”

ROTTWEILER

Clues: a fantasy championship ring; bitten by a rottweiler as a kid; a bodyguard throwing a football; Friday Night Lights reference; “Look your best in order to perform your best.”; “Being a hungry competitor is actually how I rose to fame. It happened almost overnight.”
Song: “Maneater” by Hall & Oates
Judges’ guesses: JC Chasez, Nick Lachey, Brian Littrell, Bruno Mars, Russell Wilson
What makes them the Rottweiler? “I’m loyal. There’s a bit of a wait and see attitude.”

Winner: Rottweiler

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Faceoff No. 4: Tree vs. Ice Cream

TREE

Clues: the number 30; a bag of sugar; pots and pans; a black and white television showing Tree singing; an “expert in delicious treats”; “When the season is over, there’s no use for me.”; “I’m more than just one thing that you know me for.”; “I can dish out more talents to make the world smile.”; “I’m like the old-school entertainer who could do it all.”; “That’s why I’m here, to jazz up my career.”
Song: “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco
Judges’ guesses: Beverly D’Angelo, Zooey Deschanel, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rachael Ray
What makes them the Tree? “Well, I’m festive and fun and I like everyone to gather ‘round and have a good time.”

ICE CREAM

Clues: a money gun; gold coins; a mansion with a pool in what looks like California; karate moves; headphones and a turntable; emojis; “For me, every day is cheat day.”; “Growing up, I caught a lot of flack for doing the thing I love the most.”; “Even my mom and dad had their doubts. But I believed in my ridiculous dream and I turned my fantasy into a reality.”; “I’ve got over a billion reasons to be proud of my hard work and determination.”; “I am used to performing in front of millions of people.”
Song: “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus
Judges’ guesses: Diplo, Rob Dyrdek, Calvin Harris, Marshmello, PewDiePie, Evan Spiegel
What makes them the Ice Cream? “I’m sweet and everybody loves me.”

Winner: Tree

SMACKDOWN

Ice Cream sang Devo’s “Whip It” and Ladybug countered with “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar, but the panel chose Ladybug to stay in the competition.

UNMASKING

Egg turned out to be Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir, and Ice Cream was revealed to be videogame streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.

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