It's Soundtrack Of My Life Night!
Here with high hopes to breaking into the quarterfinals, it's our Group A singers--
Buffalos, the Ship, and Woodpecker!
( music playing )
♪ Had to have high, high hopes for a living ♪
♪ Didn't know how, but I always had a feeling ♪
- Hey! - ♪ I was gonna be that one in a million ♪
♪ Always had high, high hopes
♪ Mama said fulfill the prophecy ♪
♪ Be something greater, go make a legacy ♪
♪ Manifest destiny, back in the days ♪
♪ We wanted everything, wanted everything ♪
♪ Mama said burn your biographies ♪
♪ Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams ♪
♪ Museum victories, every day
♪ We wanted everything, wanted everything ♪
♪ Mama said don't give up
♪ It's a little complicated
♪ All tied up, no more love
♪ And I'd hate to see you waiting ♪
♪ They say it's all been done ♪
- ♪ But they haven't seen the best of me-eh-eh-eh ♪ - Whoa.
♪ So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see-eh-eh-eh ♪
♪ Had to have high, high hopes for a living ♪
♪ Didn't know how, but I always had a feeling ♪
♪ I was gonna be that one in a million ♪
♪ Always had high, high hopes
♪ Had to have high, high hopes for a living ♪
♪ Didn't know how, but I always had a feeling ♪
- Yes! Oh! Love it! - ♪ I was gonna be that one in a million ♪
♪ Always had high, high hopes
- Nick: Wow. Amazing. - Yeah!
High hopes, indeed.
- So good. - Yeah!
All right, guys, now head on backstage and rest those vocal cords.
You've got a big, big night ahead of you.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to "The Masked Singer."
Whoo!
Raise the roof!
The surprises, the suspense, the competition will continue,
because only one singer tonight
can advance to the quarterfinals.
Our theme for the evening is Soundtrack Of My Life.
Our competitors have chosen songs
that hold a special place in their hearts.
They're also sharing stories of important moments that have shaped their lives.
Our Group A finalists will sing.
Audience and panel, you guys will vote,
and the singer with the least amount of votes will be unmasked at once.
Then a fierce Battle Royale
stands between the two remaining singers.
The winner of it advances to the quarterfinals,
the other shows us their famous face.
But there's still hope for one eliminated singer because--
reveal the bell!
Yes, the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell
is back this season.
- Now... - I love the bell.
...if the panel wants to save an eliminated singer from unmasking,
- call on the bell and ring it loud. - Yeah!
Now, again, the panel can only save one singer across three group finals.
- You guys understand? - Yeah, Robin.
- You got it, Daddy. - We get one.
- One this season. - All right, you guys ready to kick things off?
- Yeah! - All right, we're gonna do that with the Ship.
Here are some new clues, 'cause we could all use 'em. Check it out.
I'm so proud to have steered my way into the Group A finals.
I've always trusted my heading, even when it was risky.
Tonight, I'm singing "Because the Night" by Patti Smith,
and I'll tell you why.
There was a time I found myself shipwrecked, broke,
living off a $2 burrito a day.
Half for lunch, half for dinner, you know.
So naturally, I jumped at the chance
to sing back-up on an international tour.
- Rowboat? - "Titanic." Celine Dion.
- Oh, my God. - But as thrilling as it was,
I knew I had my own stories to tell.
I realized I'd rather be driving myself
around in a rental car singing my truth.
- John Wayne? - Another cowboy reference.
And taking that chance started the tidal wave of my career.
And, you know, I took a risk being here,
because this is so unlike me.
But it's already so rewarding,
and it would mean the world
to continue my voyage to the quarterfinals.
There's another country reference.
This could probably be a big country singer that we're missing.
- Yeah, I know. - Yeah, absolutely.
♪ Take me now, baby, here as I am ♪
♪ Hold me close, try and understand ♪
- ♪ Desire is hunger, is the fire I breathe ♪ - Wow.
♪ Love is a banquet on which we feed ♪
♪ Come on, now, try and understand ♪
♪ The way I feel when I'm in your hands ♪
♪ Take my hand, come undercover ♪
♪ They can't hurt you now
♪ Can't hurt you now
- ♪ Can't hurt you now-ow-ow-ow-ow ♪ - Whoo!
♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to lust ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to us ♪
♪ With love we sleep
♪ With doubt the vicious circle turns and burns ♪
♪ Without you I cannot live
♪ Forgive the yearning burning
♪ I believe it's time, too real to feel ♪
♪ So touch me now, touch me now ♪
- ♪ Touch me now - Sing it!
♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to lust ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to us ♪
♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪
- ♪ Because the night belongs to lust ♪ - Whoa.
- ♪ Because the night belongs to the lovers ♪ - Yeah!
♪ Because the night belongs to us ♪
- She wants to win. - Yeah!
Yeah, yeah!
Whoo!
Tonight belongs to the Ship.
Keep it going.
Aw, man. You've been giving us passionate, soulful,
you know, performances each time.
- You've been killing the power ballads. - ( shivering )
- And tonight she even went up an extra few notes. - She did!
- She hit that high note. - Yeah.
It sounded to me like that was her best performance.
- Yeah, amazing. Great job. - Oh! Thank you!
- Robin: Great job. - Nick: Well said, well said.
Well, tonight the singers have brought us a time capsule
that will give us more insight into their identities.
- All right. - Men in Black, bring it out.
Ooh, they'd better have something good for me.
What is it, Nick? What is it? Hurry, hurry, hurry.
Nick: The clue-- oh, okay.
It says, "Congrats on the Best New Artist win."
Whoa.
"You are a true leading lady.
Signed LeAnn, '98."
This note is from one of the most treasured moments of my career.
- Really? - And it meant the world to receive recognition
from such a talented woman like LeAnn Rimes.
- Jenny: LeAnn Rimes. - Ken: Wow, who was Sun.
But you know, LeAnn was a star when she was,
- what, 13, 14 years old, so-- - Yes, yes.
Also in country, in the country world.
- Robin: Yeah, yeah. - She dips her toe in there a lot.
- Rita: Yes. - You know who was my leading lady?
- Jenny McCarthy. - Us.
- Besides Jenny McCarthy. And Rita Ora. - Hello!
- Thank you, thank you, thank you. - Alanis Morissette.
- I wish! I love her. - Who was Best New Artist at the MTV VMAs.
She had a masked ambassador, the Ship, named Jewel.
- And Alanis wrote a song for Jewel called "Firefly." - Okay.
- So this may be the great Alanis Morissette. - Fact-checked by Ken.
- Robin: I mean, I like your clue. - That's pretty good.
- Is he on a roll? - I like your clue, putting together--
- I'm going for three in a row! - Both: Three in a row!
- That doesn't sound like Alanis Morissette. - Three in a row.
- Wouldn't it be ironic if you were right, though? - Yeah, it would be ironic.
Rita: I can't have Ken be right one more time.
- I don't think we'll ever hear anything else. - The apocalypse is near!
- ( groans ) - ( laughs )
So, Ship, your clues have been confusing the hell out of me.
So, I have been saying Sarah McLachlan,
and I say that because of the country clues.
Yeah, I definitely hear Sarah McLachlan, yeah.
Yes, but then I felt like the Best New Artist clue--
obviously, who's won a Best New Artist Grammy?
- Jenny: Yes? - It's also giving me Norah Jones.
- Ken: Oh! - Jenny: I love Norah Jones.
- There it is. - Ken: That's a good guess.
You know, originally, you guys, when I heard her voice initially,
- I thought Joan Osborne. - Robin: Yeah. Yeah, I heard that, too.
Jenny: You know? She's got that Joan Osborne voice.
But then there's more clues. And I love me some clues.
- You do, Jenny. You do. - And I saw the John Wayne tonight,
- which confirmed another cowboy. - The Dude.
Jenny: Do you remember "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone"?
- Oh! - A little famous artist named Paula Cole?
- Okay, cool, cool, cool. - That's a good guess. Yes!
- Man, I love that. - Nick: Well, they're all great guesses, right?
- Jenny, I think that's great. - Now, Ship,
it's been an incredible journey for you so far.
What have you discovered about yourself along the way as the Ship?
I'm such an introvert! This is really stressing me out.
- Aww. - ( laughing )
But I have to say, I've been watching this show with my daughter,
and we love you, and thank you so much for having me here.
- Aww. - I hope to go all the way.
Wow. What the nicest words.
- Jenny: Now I love her even more. - Nick: Ship, we love you,
and you've definitely gotten your sea legs on this show now.
Set anchor and head backstage.
- Yeah! - Y'all keep it going for the Ship.
Men in Black, come retrieve our Ship.
- Rita: All ships abroad! - We'll see you later on tonight.
You guys, those were some more clues we just got.
- She's a mother. - She's a mother.
- The introvert thing really got me. - And the introvert.
- Someone who's an introvert. - We all can agree
she's gonna be a tough one to beat.
- Yeah, very tough. - Yes.
♪ Who is that?
- Man: Here we go. - What is the soundtrack of your lives?
- I really wanna know. - You know what mine is?
- Real talk? I-- not "Creep" or "Loser." - Oh.
It is "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
- I love that song. - Really?
That to me is an anthem of my life.
Ken, you have such a sweet heart.
- I have a soul! And I'm shy! - That's sweet.
- And I'm an introvert! - So you guys ready to get this rocking?
- Yeah! - ♪ Who is that?
Welcome back to "The Masked Singer."
Our three secret celebrities
are sharing stories and songs
that are the soundtrack of their lives,
and only one can advance to the quarterfinals tonight.
Stakes are as high as Robin's falsetto.
( vocalizing )
Our next Group A contender is the Woodpecker.
She has our panel more confused than I've ever seen them.
Well, let me know what you think after this.
I am all a-twitter to be here in the Group A finals,
and I know my family is rooting for me in the wings.
( pecking )
Tonight, I chose a song for them.
See, I come from a long line of strong chicks in my family tree.
And all of us lived under one roof.
Talking about a lot of perfume, pantyhose, and pink.
- Regina Hall. - "Scary Movie" maybe?
My great-grandmother introduced me to jazz and Ray Charles
and passed on her love for music.
And, girl, did we put those records on.
Team vinyl over here.
My maternal grandmother gave me the courage
to go after my dreams,
and I so wish she lived to see them realized.
And my other grandmother instilled in me
the greatest love of all-- a love for "The Masked Singer,"
which we always watch together.
It's one of the reasons I'm here.
Burger. Maybe like the movie "Good Burger"?
Or a cooking show.
My performance tonight is a tribute to all of the women
who gave parts of themselves to me so that I could fly.
So hang with me as I put one of my favorite records on.
I see you, great-grandma.
And hopefully it'll help me soar into the quarterfinals.
Oh, this is gonna be good.
( pecking )
♪ Three little birds sat on my window ♪
♪ And they told me I don't need to worry ♪
Nice voice. Nice tone.
♪ Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet ♪
♪ Little girls double-dutch on the concrete ♪
I know this voice.
♪ Maybe sometimes
♪ We've got it wrong, but it's all right ♪
♪ The more things seem to change ♪
♪ The more they stay the same ♪
♪ Don't you hesitate
♪ Girl, put your records on
♪ Tell me your favorite song
♪ Girl, go ahead, let your hair down ♪
♪ Sapphire and faded jeans
♪ I hope you get your dreams
♪ Just go ahead, let your hair down ♪
Oh, my God.
♪ You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow ♪
♪ When you gonna realize
♪ That you don't even have to try any longer? ♪
♪ Do what you want to
♪ Girl, put your records on
♪ Tell me your favorite song
♪ You go ahead, let your hair down ♪
♪ Sapphire and faded jeans
♪ I hope you get your dreams
♪ Just go ahead, let your hair down ♪
♪ You're gonna find yourself somewhere ♪
♪ Somehow
- Whoo! - That was amazing!
- It's, like, so buttery. It's so good. - It's-- yes.
Nick: Woodpecker.
- Robin: Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Woodpecker! - So much fun.
Whew!
Woodpecker, you've, like, shown us a vulnerable side of you.
You may just be pecking your way to the finals, honey, 'cause that was amazing.
- Ooh-whee! Thank you so much. - There it is.
And shouts out to the Woodpecker's grandma.
- Rita: Yeah. - You said she has never missed an episode of "Masked Singer."
- Aww! - Hi, Grandma.
Nick: What do you want to say to your grandmother
who is watching right now at home?
Oh, Grammy, I am so grateful to have you in my life.
- Robin: Oh. - I hope I am making you proud in this tight corset!
- Oh! - Aww.
Nick: Well, you're killing it,
and we really want to know who you are.
We need some clues.
What time capsule did Woodpecker bring us?
Men in Black, bring it out.
Rita: Give it to me.
♪ Bring it out, bring it up
What is that?
- What? - Ken: It's a tree?
Rita: Is that a bark?
- ( Jenny gasps ) - Glasses.
- Jenny: Some glasses? - Oh, I know who it is now.
- You do? - Yeah.
- Just based off that? - These glasses remind me of how I got my start.
Because I can see clearly now that my career has taken off.
- Ah. Ah. - Nick: Thank you, Men in Black.
- I think helps me, too. - Really? You go, then.
- How does that help you? - Well, if I follow the clues, the burger--
this actress was in "Good Burger 2."
- Ooh! - And you know what?
She famously wears glasses in a lot of her YouTube videos,
and I think that this could be Liza Koshy.
- Oh! - Okay.
- Ken: Wow. - Great guess, Robin.
Because I've been thinking, this was probably a voice
that I haven't heard before,
that maybe I'm not as familiar with.
She could already be a star on a different format. I just haven't caught wind of it.
But you know who else is a star on a different format?
- Who, Ken? - Quinta Brunson of "Abbot Elementary."
If you look at the clues, globe--
she won the Golden Globe for Best Comedic Actress
for "Abbot Elementary."
Regina Hall was in the clue,
and she presented the Golden Globe for Best Comedy
to, oh, I don't know,
Quinta Brunson from "Abbot Elementary."
- Threepeat, threepeat! - Rita: I don't know, Ken.
- That's another good guess. - Threepeat! I'm on a roll!
- Robin: Could be. - Slay, slay!
- Uh-oh! - Nick: All right, Jenny, what you got?
Well, what I think is, um, this is an actress--
remember it was a child actress we thought started early?
- Uh-huh. - Also that she-- there was a family clue,
- you guys, previously. - That's right, family.
And I was thinking maybe someone like a Tatyana Ali
- from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." - Ken: Oh.
- Great guess. - Robin: That's a great guess.
Nick: Well, we know something else.
Woodpecker did a great, amazing job!
- Rita: Yeah! - Ken: Amazing.
Adorable.
Men in Black, help her out. We'll see you for the vote.
Woodpecker, Woodpecker!
( chanting ) Woodpecker, Woodpecker!
- I hate to, you know, be a bummer here. - Right, right.
But it's Group A finals, which means we have to say good-bye to two people.
- Yeah, it's a-- I know. - Good luck.
- Good luck to all of us. - Yeah. Yep, yep.
♪ Who is that?
Welcome back to the Group A finals on "The Masked Singer."
Only one singer can advance to the quarterfinals.
Will it be Buffalos?
Here's some new clues
to help steer you in the right direction.
Who would believe we would be here in the Group A finals?
- And tonight we are digging deep. - That's right.
We chose "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
because we've learned that sometimes the hardest parts of life
are when we're forced to be the most harmonious.
- Hey! A bell. - Bel Biv DeVoe?
As we made it big, we had one cowboy
who helped guide us and inspired us the most.
- Yeah, he was everything to us. - He was a real MacGyver, too.
- Always fixing stuff. - But we lost him suddenly.
- Oh, my God. - Aww.
We felt heartbroken. How could God do this to us?
We didn't feel like we could go on.
We sang as we put him to rest,
thinking it would be our last time.
But we knew he would have wanted us to keep the herd together.
So that's what we did.
And while there's a MacGyver-shaped hole in our hearts,
- everything we do is for him. - Including this performance.
And hopefully he sees us make it to the quarterfinals
from wherever he's watching tonight.
- Oh, Buffalos! - Buffalos giving me all the feels.
- Wow. That's beautiful. - Oh, man, my emotions.
Hey!
♪ 'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony ♪
- ♪ That's life - Whoo!
- Wow. - Yeah!
♪ Trying to make ends meet
♪ You're a slave to the money
♪ Then you die
♪ I'll take you down the only road ♪
♪ I've ever been down
♪ Hey, hey
♪ You know, the one that takes you ♪
♪ To the places where all the things meet, yeah ♪
- ♪ Yeah, yeah - Both: Yeah!
♪ No change, I can change, I can change, I can change ♪
♪ But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold ♪
♪ But I'm a million different people ♪
♪ From one day to the next
♪ I can change my mold
♪ No, no, no, no, no
♪ I'll take you down the only road ♪
♪ I've ever been down
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah
- ♪ I'll take you down the only road ♪ - ♪ Down the--
- ♪ I've ever been down - ♪ Ooh
♪ Ever been down, ever been down ♪
( vocalizing )
Amazing!
- Ken: Amazing. - Nick: Whoa.
- Buffalos brought out the vocals tonight. - Amazing.
- ( laughing ) - I mean, from where I'm from,
we would say I fancy a bunch of Buffalos.
- Oh! - Robin: It's just a lot of personality.
It's great sense of humor.
- But tonight, those vocals were-- - Amaz--
That was another level that they hadn't shown us.
So I think they've been trying to trick us.
- They've been holding back. - Yeah.
All right, well, clearly you connected to something emotional.
Tell us about how you guys are feeling right now.
Well, you know, we been in this industry for a very long time,
and we've gained a lot and we've lost a lot.
And, uh, the beautiful thing is is we're here right now
sharing our story with you.
- Yeah. - Jenny: That's so nice.
- Oh. - Nick: They got us all emotional.
- We go from laughing to crying immediately. - I know.
- But we need a clue! - Yes.
- Incredible. - Men in Black, bring it out.
- Jenny: Halftime show. - Nick: Halftime show.
- Ken: Halftime show. - Well, this halftime show t-shirt
has aged over time, like us.
( chuckles )
But we can tell you, this performance
was in front of one of the biggest audiences in the world.
- Nick: All right. Thank you, Men in Black. - That is so cool.
Nick: Is that helping you guys out?
- Well, I'll go first. - All you, Jenny.
I was thinking that they sounded a little bit like B2K.
But the bell tonight made me think this could be--
you know, Philly, the Liberty Bell, Boyz II Men.
- Rita: Okay. - Who also did a Super Bowl halftime show.
Ken: I don't know. I know Boyz II Men very well.
This is not Boyz II Men.
I know exactly who this is.
- ( laughter, groans ) - Let's just keep it simple and real.
This is Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
- ( jeering ) - How dare-- let me finish.
Let me tell you. Cowboy clues all season.
It's about their song "Ghetto Cowboy."
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. - Rita: You know what?
- Save us, Rita. - You know, I think, for me, the halftime show took me.
It's gotten me kind of thinking,
like, it could be will.i.am, APL, and Taboo
from Black Eyed Peas. They've done the Super Bowl.
They've done the halftime show.
Black Eyed Peas, that's not bad.
- Well, I love Rita, but-- - But it's not.
- I don't think these are Fergie-less Peas. - ( laughing )
Fergie, you know, she just couldn't make it.
But I really hope I see you guys in the final 'cause I love you to death.
I think you guys are awesome.
Killer job, Buffalos. You guys were amazing.
Head on backstage and we'll see you for the vote.
All right, well, studio audience, panel...
- Oh, my God, we have to vote. - ...it's time.
Only one can move on to the quarterfinals.
Vote now for your favorite of the night.
The singer with the least amount of votes will be unmasked and sent home.
The other two will have one last opportunity to sway our panel
and move ahead in the competition.
You don't wanna miss it.
Do we ring the bell? They were all great. I don't know.
I honestly-- real talk, I really don't know right now.
- Well, let's vote and worry about that later. - Okay.
♪ Who is that?
Welcome back to the Group A finals on "The Masked Singer."
The singer unmasking first
tonight is...
- ( groans ) - Jenny: Oh, I hate it.
For me, this is the worst part.
Ken: Oh, man. It is nerve-wracking.
This is the toughest competition yet.
- The Woodpecker. - ( all groan )
- Oh, man. - Oh, wow.
Jenny: No!
We love you, Woodpecker!
Ship and Buffalos, congratulations, you're safe for now.
Head on back and prepare for the Battle Royale.
And keep it going for the Woodpecker, y'all.
- Aww, that kind of-- that breaks my heart. - I know. She's so good.
Woodpecker, sadly, your journey ends here.
But the good news, we finally get to reveal your famous face.
- Yeah! - Panel, first things first.
Let's hear your final guesses.
- Oof. Go ahead. - I'll go first.
We've heard "young mogul," "boss lady," "multi-talented."
- I thought Keke Palmer. - Yep.
But right now, the burger--
she's in "Good Burger 2," the movie,
and I think that this could be Liza Koshy.
- Ken: Good guess. - Jenny: I like it.
Well, I-- you know, you did guess Keke,
but here's why I'm gonna stick with Keke.
I saw all the school clues, and so it got me thinking,
"Akeelah And The Bee," the movie.
You know, the burger-- she did an "SNL" sketch about "Good Burger."
And so, yeah, I'm gonna actually stick with Keke Palmer.
- Jenny: I like that guess. - That's a good choice.
All the school clues--
gym tape, the classroom, globe--
I believe Woodpecker
is "Abbot Elementary's" Quinta Brunson.
Jenny: I like it.
Okay, remember, her ambassador is Jenifer Lewis,
who played her aunt on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air."
I think this is Tatyana Ali.
Ken: That's not bad.
All right, panel, let's see if any of you are right.
- How dare you, Daddy? - All right, come on, come on.
- Oh, it's on. - Woodpecker, we need to know, who are you?
Audience, you know the drill. Say it with me.
( all chanting ) Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!
♪ Who, who, who, who
♪ Who are you?
♪ Who?
If Ken gets another one right, I'm gonna go crazy.
♪ Oh, I really wanna know
♪ Come on, tell me, who are you? ♪
♪ You, you, are you?
- Award-winning actress... - Oh, my God!
...and young Hollywood mogul Marsai Martin!
From "Black-ish" and so many other shows.
- Robin: Oh! - My friend.
- Why? - When I saw the glasses, I was like, "Oh."
- What's wrong with us? - ( groans )
I mean, you-- first of all, you killed it on "The Masked Singer."
- Thank you. - You killed it.
And interestingly enough, one of the accolades
that Marsai has, she actually stole from me.
- What you mean? - As the youngest executive producer in Hollywood.
- Oh, yeah. - I was 19, and you were like--
- 14. - 14.
- Wow. - I didn't know I took it from you.
My bad, dawg. My bad.
That's amazing. So she's accomplished so much.
And now you are the Woodpecker on "The Masked Singer."
- Whoo! - Amazing.
What made you do "The Masked Singer"?
Oh, well, first of all, me and my grandma Bonnie-- shout-out to her--
- Hey, Grandma Bonnie. - We watch this all the time.
We watched it from the very beginning,
and the show has been absolutely amazing.
And honestly, like, singing has just been
out of my comfort zone for the longest time.
So I think to be able to be behind the mask
and to become this certain character,
this certain facade in a way, just felt fun and exciting.
And, you know, I was very-- I was looking forward to it.
But your costume really suits you 'cause, like, it gave us so much sass,
everything that this show needed.
- You brought the swag and the sass and the glamour. - Oh!
- It was amazing. - Thank you guys so much.
- You guys are absolutely amazing. - Thank you. Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, give it up one more time for Marsai Martin.
Yes!
- ♪ I need a hero - ♪ Hero
♪ I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night ♪
♪ He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast ♪
♪ And he's gotta be fresh from the fight ♪
- ♪ I need a hero - Nick: After the break,
Ship and Buffalos hit the stage for an epic Battle Royale.
Who will it be? It's all next.
♪ And it's gotta be soon
♪ And he's gotta be larger than life ♪
♪ I need a hero
Ken: Yeah!
♪ Who is that?
( dramatic music playing )
- Ken: Wow. Wow! - ( music continues )
Jenny: They got big hammers, too.
The time has come for the Battle...
- ( gears cranking ) - Yes!
...Royale!
Whoo!
Whoo! Whoa!
Nick: The battlefield is set.
Ship and Buffalos are going mask to mask,
performing the same song, but in their own style.
These final performance will determine
who advances to the quarterfinals,
and who is sharing a ride home with Woodpecker.
Ship will go first, and Buffalos will follow.
May the best mask win.
Let the battle commence!
( music playing )
♪ Loving you isn't the right thing to do ♪
♪ How can I ever change things that I feel? ♪
♪ If I could, baby
♪ I'd give you my world
♪ How can I, when you won't ♪
♪ Take it from me?
♪ You can go your own way
♪ Go your own way
♪ You can call it another
♪ Lonely day
♪ You can go your own way
( vocalizing )
- Both: Wow. - Nice. Nice.
( music playing )
♪ Loving you, it isn't the right thing to do ♪
- Oh, my God. - ♪ How can I ever change
♪ Things that I feel, yeah?
♪ And if I could, baby
♪ I'd give you my world
♪ How can I, when you won't take it from me? ♪
- ♪ Oh - ♪ Take it from me
♪ You can go your own way
- I mean... - ♪ Go your own way
- ♪ Call it - ♪ Call it another day
♪ Oh, you can go
♪ You can go your own way
♪ Go your own way
( vocalizing )
- Nick: Wow! - Wow. Wow, wow, wow.
- Jenny: So good. So good. - Whoo! Yeah!
- Talk about it. - They're gonna cause a stampede!
Talk about a battle of the voices!
- Wow. - Whoo!
- Nick: My goodness! - That's a battle.
- Panel, give us your thoughts. - Ken's in love!
I honestly-- oh, I could just listen
- to both of you all night long. - Jenny: I know.
She came in with power.
They came in with surprising finesse.
- And this is-- I got emotional. - Well said. Well said, yeah.
- It was incredible. - You guys-- everybody walked to the front of the stage.
- I mean, it was that good. - I know.
But when you put Ship and Buffalo together,
you know, what comes to mind is Noah's Ark.
Jenny: Oh, my God. Save us, save us.
Robin, I definitely thought you were gonna say something
- like, "This is no bull-ship." - Yes!
- Oh! - I thought. I thought.
- Ken: Whoa, Nick! - Oh, that's pretty good.
- Nick! - That's pretty good.
All right, panel, it's up to you guys. Who won the Battle Royale?
- We have to choose. - Vote now for your favorite.
The fates of our celebrity singers are in your hands.
After the break, we announce the big Group A champ
and we have another celebrity unmasking.
That's if the panel doesn't use the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell.
Stay tuned for it all. It's next.
- This season? - Yeah.
They leveled up every performance. These people are amazing.
Can you imagine what the next groups are gonna be?
- I know, I know, I know. You're right. - Yeah.
So I think we gotta save it.
I think we save it, yeah.
♪ Who is that?
Welcome back. The votes are in.
The winner of the Battle Royale,
securing their spot in the quarterfinals is...
I don't know. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?
( groaning )
I don't know.
- I mean, they're both amazing. - Hardest one ever.
- You guys, this is the toughest one. - I can't look.
- Buffalos! - Oh!
- ( fanfare ) - Congratulations!
- Wow, Buffalos! - You guys are our Group A winner.
Head on back, and we'll see you at the quarterfinals.
But keep showing your love for the Ship!
So amazing. Outstanding journey here on the show.
But, honestly, we cannot wait to see what huge superstar you are.
- Yeah! - I know, right?
So you know what we gotta do.
I need the panel's final guesses.
- Who wants to go first? - Rita does.
Me? No!
- You're the newbie. - I love you, Ship.
You were so cool and you're so great.
Just remember that. I mean, of course you know that, 'cause you're a legend,
- because I think you're Sarah McLachlan! - Uh-oh!
Jenny: That's not a bad guess.
For me, it was the piano playing,
the ethereal sort of tone to her voice...
- Robin: Yeah. - So that's who I think it is.
- Ken: Yes. - Nick: Ken, what you got?
Her first clue was a clock
for her early album "Now Is The Time."
She won Best New Artist-- MTV VMAs.
You oughta know it's Alanis Morissette.
All right. Jenny?
Okay, you guys, Jewel was the ambassador.
She sang with Jewel at Lilith Fair.
And then I was thinking with that little rowboat,
- didn't Paula Cole sing that amazing opening... - Woman: Yes!
- ...to "Dawson's Creek"? - Ken: Yes.
I really believe this is the amazing Paula Cole.
Robin: Yeah, I agree with you.
The more I heard her sing, the more I thought it vocally was Paula Cole.
But then tonight's clue, this person won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
That makes me think of Amy Lee from Evanescence.
- My final guess. - Okay.
Well, panel, the votes are in.
Let's see if any of you are correct.
Ship, we need to know, who are you?
Audience, you know the drill. Say it with me.
( all chanting ) Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!
- ♪ Who are you? - Threepeat, threepeat!
- Who could it be? - ♪ Who, who, who, who
( chanting continues )
- Come on! - ♪ I really wanna know
Ken, am I gonna break your streak?
♪ I really wanna know
♪ Come on, tell me, who are you? ♪
- ♪ You, you, are you? - Aah!
Multi-platinum artist
and Grammy award-winning
singer-songwriter Paula Cole!
- Yes! - Oh!
- You got it! - I broke your streak, and I love you for being--
- You got my streak! - We got a true superstar in the building.
You did it. Whoo!
- Welcome! Jenny got it right! - Thanks, Rita. Thank you, Robin.
- You got it right. - Yes.
Whoo!
It's such an honor though, to meet you and have you on the show.
- I'm a huge fan of yours. - Ken: Huge fan.
- I mean, wow. - And we are all huge fans of yours.
- Ken: Big fans. - Robin: Yes.
- You have Grammy awards, multi-platinum records. - Yeah.
Why would you do "The Masked Singer"?
Well, they asked me, and I thought,
this makes me uncomfortable,
but I thought there's so much possibility
when you pick up your bravery and you do something
- outside of your comfort zone. - Yeah, that's right.
- And so I pushed myself, and then it's just fun. - Yeah.
- Yes. - It's just fun.
And I'll get to watch it with my daughter.
- Nick: Yes, indeed. - Yeah!
- The funnest show on television, right? - Yes!
- You know it! - ( laughs )
Well, is there anything you would like to say
to your friends and family and fans watching at home?
Or everyone here? Our panel?
Oh, thank you, everybody on the panel.
- Thank you. - So lovely to meet you. Thank you to the audience.
And my whole family, I love you so much,
and I can't wait to get back home and be in your love again.
- So thank you. - There it is. Amazing job.
Once again, let's hear it one more time for Paula Cole.
The race to the Golden Mask trophy continues next week
when we meet Group B for Sports Night.
- Yeah! - That means five new masks next week.
But right now, put your hands together
for the artist formerly known as the Ship.
- Sing it! - The incomparable, the incredible,
Miss Paula Cole!
♪ Do-do-do-do-do
- ♪ Do-do-do-do-do - She's singing to me.
- Yeah! Yeah! - ♪ She had two babies
♪ One was six months, one was three ♪
♪ In the war of '44
♪ Every telephone ring
♪ Every heartbeat stinging
♪ When she thought it was God calling her ♪
♪ Oh, would her son
♪ Grow to know his father?
- Yeah! - One, three, four!
♪ I don't wanna wait
♪ For our lives to be over
♪ I want to know right now, what will it be? ♪
♪ I don't wanna wait
♪ For our lives to be over
♪ Will it be yes or will it be ♪
♪ Sorry?
Oh, I love her voice so much!
♪ Do-do-do-do-do do-do-do ♪
Jenny: Ah, we love you, Paula!
- Ken: Yeah! - Rita: Wow.