Soundtrack Of My Life Night AKA The Quarterfinals

After an amazing episode last week with The Lucky 6, it was time for The Quarterfinals with Soundtrack Of My Life Night! I was looking forward to this episode, as this is one of the theme nights that gets brought back season after season, and it allows for some great performances of the contestants singing songs they have a personal connection to.

The episode opened with a group performance of “More Than A Feeling” by Boston. I enjoyed this for many reasons, one being that it’s one of my favorite songs, and another being that I always enjoy the group performances, as they let the contestants stand out together, and they always choose the best songs for all of them to show off their voices together, and I was surprised by how great it was for all five of their voices. After that, Detective Lucky Duck came out and said that one of the contestants there stole something very valuable from Robin. 

After that, it was time for the first performer of the night, which was Coral. For each clue package in this episode, the clues would be delivered by people close to the contestants. In her clue package, the clues were delivered by her costar, who said that they first joined forces six years ago, and that they met during an audition and they were both so nervous. He then said that they had to do a chemistry read, and part of that was the two of them having to stand really close together and literally just stare into each other’s eyes before the scene. He then said that it was so awkward, but something special happened in that moment, which was that they became instant BFFs, and they both got the parts that changed their lives together. Visual clues included flowers, more specifically lilies, and a clapperboard that said “Musical Production.” She then went on to give an amazing performance of “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne, during which she showed off all the power in her voice. After the performance, she said that her parents influenced the soundtrack to her life, saying that they have been there for her through the great times and the really difficult times in her life. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Coral is actress and singer Meg Donnelly. The person in her clue package was probably Milo Manheim, her “Zombies” costar who she is also best friends with, the lilies are referring to her role as Lilly Kelly in the movie “The Broken Ones,” and the clapperboard that said “Musical Production” could be referring to her being an understudy in “The Sound of Music Live” and her role in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
The second performer of the night was Nessy. In his clue package, his clues were delivered by his daughter, who said that sometimes he can be expert level cringe, as he is always posting on social media, and she almost died when her teacher played one of his music videos in front of the whole class. She then said that while there are a million things that he does that makes her roll her eyes, there are also a million reasons why he is the greatest, as he makes the best milkshakes, he always helps with homework, and he even taught her how to drive a tractor. Visual clues included a bag full of letters and a clock that said 3:00. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga, during which he showed off all the power and emotion in his voice. When the panelists were making their guesses, I was glad to see that Robin was sticking with his correct guess of Edwin McCain, but I also knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to convince any of the other panelists to go along with his guess.

The third performer of the night was Boogie Woogie. In his clue package, his clues were delivered by his wife, who said that she remembered how hard he took the loss of his mom and that she had never seen him so low. She then said that he channeled all of his grief into writing and made some of the most inspiring hits because of it, and he has even inspired her music as well. She then said that while he would never mention it himself, his music has helped so many others process their own grief, overcome illness, and some fans have even said that his music saved their lives. Visual clues included a Platinum record and a briefcase that said “Super Suit.” He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Golden Hour” by JVKE, during which he did a great job with the rap portions of the song, and showed off all the power and emotion in his voice during the chorus. After the performance, he said that the song reminded him of his wife, especially when they got to sing at sunset at the White House. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Boogie Woogie is Andy Grammer. He lost his mom back in 2009, he has five Platinum singles, the briefcase saying “Super Suit” is referring to his song “My Own Hero,” and he performed at the White House during the Fourth Of July celebration in 2022. 

The fourth performer of the night was Pearl. In her clue package, her clues were delivered by her son in law, who said that there was no scarier moment in his life than asking Pearl for her daughter’s hand in marriage, saying that he even chickened out the first time. He then said that she is one tough oyster to crack, but he gets it because Pearl raised her daughter all by herself and had to be two parents in one, and he also said that Pearl can hitch a trailer better than anyone he knows. He then said that when she gave him her blessing, he was so relieved, and there was no one more proud dancing at their reception than Pearl. Visual clues included music note earrings and a cassette tape that said “Movie.” She then went on to give an amazing performance of “Your Love” by The Outfield, during which she showed off all the power in her voice. While the panelists were making their guesses, I was sure that Jenny was about to guess correctly, as she brought up a clue from weeks ago, but she still guessed wrong. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Pearl is Gretchen Wilson. She raised her daughter Grace as a single mother after she split from Grace’s father Mike Penner, and the cassette tape saying “Movie” could be referring to her role in the 2011 remake of the 80s movie “Footloose.”
The final performer of the night was Mad Scientist Monster. In his clue package, his clues were delivered by his wife, who said that she and the babies missed him, as he keeps them safe and sound, which is important to her, because growing up, she didn’t have that. She then said that she was orphaned as a teenager, and with no family stability, she became her own parent and her own protector, and when she met Mad Scientist Monster, she didn’t know how to be loved. She then said that she didn’t think she deserved it, but he was patient with her, he knew she was a little broken from her past and wanted to help her rebuild piece by piece, and she helped him too, as she was an audience of one while he worked on his first huge single. Visual clues included a calendar for August 2025 that said “Summer Break” and a chessboard that had only knights on it. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “The Scientist” by Coldplay, during which he showed off all the power and emotion in his voice. After the performance, he said that he wanted to sing “The Scientist” because it’s an emotional and heartfelt song, which is really different from what most people know him for, which is a party anthem kind of guy. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Mad Scientist Monster is Brian Kelley from Florida Georgia Line. His wife Brittney was orphaned at the age of 17 and has struggled with depression, and he is known for his summer jams and beach party anthems. 

After everyone had performed, it was time for the unmasking, and Nick said it was the closest margin ever, with less than 1% separating the bottom two contestants. The singer with the least amount of votes was revealed to be Nessy, which did not surprise me, my uncle, or his partner, but it did surprise my parents. This meant that it was time for Nessy to unmask, but before that could happen, the Crack The Case Clue Case was brought out, and inside was a Celtic knot, which Nessy said symbolizes eternal love, which is something that heavily influenced his career. As the panelists were making their final guesses, I was not surprised that Robin failed to convince any of the other three panelists to go along with his guess. Nessy then unmasked, and the internet and Robin were proven to be right yet again, as he was revealed to be 90s singer Edwin McCain. I found it funny that when he was talking about how hot it was in the costume, he told a story about how he was paying so much attention to sweat going down his back that he forgot where he was in the song he was singing. One interesting fact about Edwin McCain is that while I wasn’t familiar with him prior to the show, he has performed in the area way more times than you would imagine, as he has performed at Daryl’s House in Pawling, The Emelin Theater in Mamaroneck, The Sacred Heart University Community Theatre in Fairfield, and The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. I am also happy that the show continued the tradition of letting the unmasked contestants sing the song they are famous for after being unmasked, as we got to hear Edwin McCain sing “I’ll Be.” Also, with Robin guessing correctly, this puts him and Jenny in a tie for The Golden Ear Trophy. 

Overall this was another amazing episode of Season 13 of The Masked Singer, and I’ll see you all next week in The Semifinals!