Carnival Night

After more than a month since the season premiere and six amazing episodes with Group A and Group B, it was time to finally meet Group C in Carnival Night! I was looking forward to this very much, as since we were going to be meeting the last five contestants seven episodes in, it almost felt like it was another season premiere. I was also intrigued by what the theme meant, as I only knew carnival as being a traveling amusement show, so I was curious as to how that would translate to the stage. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong in my assumption of what it meant, as I quickly found out they were referring to the festive season that occurs during the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period that is celebrated around the world. I was also intrigued as to what songs would be performed, as I knew that this was a theme night that was vague enough to allow the contestants to choose whatever songs they wanted to sing. 

The first performer of the night was Yorkie. In her clue package, she said that becoming Yorkie was kismet, as they are both sassy, fashion-forward, and popular. She then said that we shouldn’t be fooled by the designer dog looks, as she still has a bite, which is a good skill to have when you have been through everything that she has been through, which is a lot of crazy stuff. She then said that one minute you’re so hot, and the next it’s your time to go, but she didn’t roll over, as she has had music, which is the one place where she can truly express herself, and it also rescued her in her darkest hours. Visual clues included a diamond ring and poker chips. She then went on to give a very good performance of “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan, which I feel showed off her personality perfectly and was perfect for her voice. After the performance, she said that she was down bad, but then a lovely lady in Beverly Hills adopted her, and now she’s wearing Chanel and eating caviar. I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Yorkie is TV personality and singer Erika Jayne. She is someone that I feel would describe herself as sassy, fashion-forward, and popular, she has been through a lot, as she has been divorced twice, and she and her husband have been accused of embezzling funds, the diamond and her mention of Beverly Hills is referring to her starring on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” as there is a diamond in the show’s logo, and the poker chips are referring to her Vegas residency. I am also excited that she is on the show because she is another one of the celebrities on my list of celebrities that are perfect for the show. 

The second performer of the night was Stud Muffin. In his clue package, he said that becoming Stud Muffin made sense because he has had a muffin top the majority of his life. He then said that he has always said if he could have any dream job, he would be a mascot, as you get people pumped up and nobody knows who you are, and he is on the show as Stud Muffin to represent his team. He then said that he learned from day one that having a strong crew was the only way to score, but before they were sweeping up the competition, he was literally sweeping up the floors. He then said that one day, he found his right hook with his shot at the big time, and he and his crew went from the bottom to the top, but they are still the same hungry players they were from the jump. Visual clues included dumbbells, sneakers with a basketball on them, a jar of jam, a stack of dollar bills, and there was also a W on the belt of his costume. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Jump Around” by House of Pain, during which he showed excellent energy and managed to stay on the beat the entire time. After the performance, he said that one of his teammates used to run with a mascot, and he thought it was so cool, and then added that he loves the idea, but love doesn’t cost a thing. I agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Stud Muffin is rapper Method Man. Him saying that he has a muffin top could be referring to the fact that he is a gym rat, the team that he is referring to is Wu-Tang Clan, the hip hop collective that he helped create, the right hook that he is talking about could be referring to the hooks he raps on many songs, Wu Tang Clan went to the top with their debut album being certified 3X Platinum, the dumbbells are referring to his dedication to fitness, the sneakers are referring to the Wu-Tang Nike Dunk shoes that were released in 1999, the jar of jam is referring to Method Man signing with Def Jam Records for his solo debut album, the stacks of money are referring to his many songs about money, he has a song called “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” and the W is referring to Wu-Tang Clan. I am excited that he is on the show because he is yet another celebrity that is on my list of celebrities that I feel are perfect for the show.

The third performer of the night was Nessy. In his clue package, he said that becoming Nessy made sense, as he too is a gentle giant, he sticks his neck out for the people he loves, and he’s a little bit mysterious. He then said that like the Loch Ness Monster, some would call him a legend, but he’s a pretty private guy, as unless you venture deep into the acres of his estate, you might never catch a glimpse of him. He then said that most of his neighbors, and even his mailman, don’t even realize that he is THAT guy with all the success, but the elusiveness is by design, as it allows him to live the best of both worlds, as he gets the glory and the solitude of his family. Visual clues included newspaper headlines, one of which said “mystery private jet seen,” red lips, a radio with a star on it, a horseshoe, four other Nessys, and the costume also has what looks like rabbit feet on it. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Roxanne” by The Police, during which he showed all the power in his voice. After the performance, he said that he took a lot of time off to be with his family, but it felt really good to be able to come on the show and be invited back into the limelight. This was one of the two contestants in this episode that drove me crazy, as I didn’t know who it was, and the internet wasn’t helping much, but after some time has passed, I agree with a guess that has gained some traction and has some clues that line up, which is that Nessy is a singer named Edwin McCain. I did some research on him, and he does seem like the kind of celebrity who would live a private life, but still perform a lot, the private jet could be referring to the fact that he is a pilot and learned how to fly gliders, the red lips are referring to his song “The Kiss,” the radio with the star on it is referring to his song “Radio Star,” the four other Nessys are referring to his wife and their three kids, he has taken a lot of time off to be with his family, even cutting tours short and missing important meetings, and the horseshoe and the rabbit feet are referring to his new album “Lucky.”

The fourth performer of the night was Cherry Blossom. In her clue package, she said that to her, Cherry Blossom represents rebirth and a changing of the seasons, which is why it was perfect for her. She then said that she was on the show to honor her close friend who had been there before, saying that they grew up together and that there was no one who made her laugh more. She then said that one day she turned on The Masked Singer, heard that voice, and knew from the very first note who it was, and while she was excited to follow in their footsteps, she was also terrified, as while she has done it all in her career, she has never sung before. Visual clues included a Christmas tree, a full moon, and a book that said “Best Selling Blossom.” She then went on to give a very good performance of “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez, which I think is a great song to get an audience to have fun with you, and for someone who was so scared about performing, I thought she was still very good. After the performance, she said that it was one of the scariest things she had ever done, but she was channeling her kids’ confidence, as one of them sings. Due to some clues that had been shared to the internet hours before the episode, I knew this was someone from the show “Full House,” and after the performance, I knew that it was Candace Cameron Bure, and I was surprised that none of the panelists guessed her. 

The fifth and final performer of the night was Mad Scientist Monster. In his clue package, he said that becoming the Mad Scientist Monster fits perfectly for him, because you have to be a little crazy, keep experimenting, and reinventing yourself, which is why he was on the show. He then said that sometimes in life, you think you have the perfect equation and that things will be simple, as he was on the path to become the best in his field, his skills made the scouts go wild, and it seemed like everybody wanted to recruit him to their team. He then said that when it was time for his chance, everything combusted, and they sidelined him, and he lost his mind, but in the chaos, a new experiment bubbled to the surface. He then said that for every action, there is a reaction, and his reaction changed the world, and he found his purpose. Visual clues included a baseball speed sensor and a fish tank, and the costume itself has a name tag with two bees on it and a pen that has an orange on it. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty, during which he showed the melodic abilities of his voice, and performed the song incredibly as a country song. After the performance, he said that the show was important to him because it gives him an opportunity to reintroduce himself to his fans in a way that they’ve never seen before. After doing enough research on the two guesses that made the most sense to me, and seeing that one of them was doing shows at the time that the Group C Episodes were taped, I agree with one of the popular guesses on the internet, which is that Mad Scientist Monster is Brian Kelley from Florida Georgia Line. He is a country singer, he was also going to be a baseball player growing up, even playing it in college at Daytona State College and Florida State University, and was even scouted by the pros, but he found himself doing more bench sitting than playing, so he filled the void with writing music and moved to Belmont University where he met bandmate Tyler Hubbard, the baseball speed sensor is referring to the fact that he was a pitcher, the fish is referring to his song “Fish All Day,” the two bees on the name tag could be another reference to baseball, the pen with the orange is referring to his home of Florida, and him talking about reintroducing himself to fans could be referring to the fact that Florida Georgia Line broke up in 2022, and he hasn’t done much since.

After everyone had performed, it was time for the unmasking. The contestant with the least amount of votes was revealed to be Cherry Blossom, which didn’t surprise me, as I knew that while everyone was good in this episode, it was between her, Stud Muffin, and Yorkie. Before the panelists made their final guesses, the Crack The Case Clue Case was brought out, and inside was a button that needed to be pushed, and it activated a pre-recorded video from past contestant Joey Fatone, who said that he knew Cherry Blossom from working the 90s convention circuit, and that she was part of one of the most famous TV families of the 90s. Cherry Blossom then said that she didn’t get here on her own, and that she had her family by her side, and they will always be a part of her. At this point, I knew that they were spelling it out for the panelists, but not only did they still not know who it was, they didn’t even guess anyone from “Full House.” She then unmasked, and the internet was proven to be right once again, as Cherry Blossom was revealed to be Candace Cameron Bure. I thought it was nice that she did the show to honor her old costar and past contestant Bob Saget, that was a really sweet thing to say. I’m also happy that she was a contestant, because back in July, I wrote about how she would be perfect for the show.

Overall, this was another amazing episode of Season 13 of The Masked Singer and an amazing start to Group C, and I’ll see you all next week when we return to Group C with Boy Band Night!