Barbie Night

After an amazing start to Group B last week with Sports Night, it was time to see them again with Barbie Night! I was looking forward to this episode, as all four contestants were great last week, and I was sure we were going to get more great performances in this episode. When I first heard that Barbie Night was going to be an episode this season, I had no idea what that would mean, as I was wondering if all the contestants were going to perform songs from the movie “Barbie.” I soon found out that was not entirely the case, as it turned out the contestants would be performing songs by female singers and songs about women, which I felt gave them more choices.

The episode started off in an entertaining way, as it opened with Ken Jeong giving a surprisingly very good performance of “I’m Just Ken” from the “Barbie” movie. As soon as I saw they were doing Barbie Night this season, I knew that they were going to have this song in some way or make Ken jokes throughout the episode. 

After that introduction, it was time for the first performer of the night, which was Bluebell. In her clue package, she said that when she was young, she believed that she could be a star and even wrote a list of her goals and never questioned whether they would manifest. As soon as she got her big break, she thought that nothing could go wrong, but then everything did go wrong, as her career wilted, money dried up, and she found herself struggling to make ends meet. She then said that she never stopped believing in herself, so she started watering and suddenly a new career bloomed. Visual clues included a dragon, a ripped Polaroid, and an arts and crafts creation of the sun. She then went on to give a great performance of “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa, which I felt was perfect for her voice and also a great way to start off the episode, and she even showed off a few dance moves. After each performance, toys that represented the contestants were brought out as additional clues. The toy that was brought out for Bluebell was an astronaut Barbie doll, and she then said that she has been ready to take us out of this world since her arrival. After this week’s clues, I am still confident that Bluebell is Natalie Imbruglia. The story that she told reflects her career trajectory, as when her 2009 album didn’t perform well, she took a six-year hiatus to focus on her acting, the dragon is because that was apparently on the shirt she wore in the music video for her song “Torn,” the ripped Polaroid is another reference to her song “Torn,” the arts and crafts creation of the sun could be referring to her son that was born in 2019, and the astronaut could be referring to her winning and being nominated for MTV Video Music Awards, as the trophy there is an astronaut.

The second performer of the night was Goo. In his clue package, he said that there is one go-getter gal in his life, his future Mrs. Goo. He then said that he first met her at a theme park where he was frustrated and grumpy, he had his guard up, and he was stewing alone on a bench when he looked up and saw her hand. She was asking him to dance, and he instantly melted at her kindness, playfulness, and confidence, and he realized in that moment that he had met his match, and he cannot wait to become her Mr. Goo next year. He also said that she has encouraged him to be as playful as her by doing the show. Visual clues included a golden ticket, a plate of apple strudels, and a church robe. He then went on to give a great performance of “Miss Independent” by Ne-Yo, which was the perfect song to show off the soulful qualities to his voice. After the performance, an additional clue was brought out, which was a Malibu Dream House, and he then said that it was fitting for Robin because he knew that he was a fan. After this week’s clues, I am still confident that Goo is NFL player Kobie Turner. He is currently engaged to Alissa Villanueva, with the wedding scheduled for 2025, the church robe is because he played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Robin would be a fan of his since he lives in Los Angeles and Kobie Turner plays for the Los Angeles Rams. As Kobie Turner is such a specific celebrity, I will be shocked if any of the panelists guess him or even guess an athlete with the guesses they are currently making. 

The third performer of the night was Chess Piece. The clue package for her in this episode made me even more confident in the popular guess of Laverne Cox from last week, as she said that growing up, she was an easy target for other kids to tease, and she also loved Barbie but wasn’t allowed to play with her, and that they even modeled a Barbie doll after her, and there were also oranges as a visual clue. She then went on to give an amazing performance of “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan, during which she showed off her amazing vocalizing ability. After that, an additional clue was brought out, which was the actual Barbie doll of her that was made, which made me shocked that none of the panelist figured out it was her at this time.

The fourth and final performer of the night was The Wasp. In his clue package, he said that he had a dream house, but it took him a while to realize it. He then said that he lived with a dozen family members, and all of them were hustlers, but there was one thing missing, and that was his dad. He then went on to say that without his guidance, he felt like he didn’t know his purpose, and when he ventured out into the world, he had to learn to stand on his own. When he finally made it big, he came back home and his whole family was there, including his dad. When he talked to him one-on-one, he told him that he was proud of him, and for the first time, he felt like he had limitless potential. Visual clues included a crab, a marquee that said, “Starring Wasp,” and a ladder. He then went on to give an amazing and beautiful performance of “Skyscraper” by Demi Lovato, during which he showcased the emotion he has in his voice. After the performance, an additional clue was brought out, which was two Barbie dolls on a stage, and he then said every minute he’s out there, he takes his live performances to new heights. After this week’s clues, I am still confident that Wasp is R&B singer Mario. The crab is referring to his home state of Maryland, his father was a gospel singer who was not around much, and the marquee could be referring to his starring roles in movies and TV shows. 

After everybody had performed, it was time to announce who was going to be unmasked. I predicted early on that Chess Piece was going to be the unmasked contestant in this episode, and I quickly found out that I was right. As the panelists were making their final guesses, I was shocked that not only were they all wrong, but that most of them were also not even close to the correct answer. Jenny guessed Serena Williams, a tennis player, Ken was slightly close with his guess of actress Issa Rae, Rita guessed Tyra Banks, and Robin guessed dancer Misty Copeland. The internet was shown to be right once again, as Chess Piece was revealed to be actress and activist Laverne Cox.

Overall, this was another amazing episode of Season 12 of The Masked Singer! As the World Series is going on next week, I will see you in two weeks for the Group B Finals with 60s Night!