Top 10 Most Shocking Reveals on The Masked Singer

Despite being a prominent R&B artist, T-Pain surprised everyone with a number of popular rock and pop songs. These included Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman,” and Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me.” Perhaps this, combined with the lack of his signature autotune, is what made the eventual T-Pain reveal so unpredictable. In fact, none of the judges correctly assumed T-Pain’s identity, with all five guessing someone different (including Jamie Foxx and Michael Vick). T-Pain ended up winning as The Monster, and it concluded the show’s first season on an excellent note. With it, “The Masked Singer” proved that it had the capabilities to shock and surprise millions.

Video game streamer Ninja appeared in one episode of the second season as Ice Cream. He performed Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Old Town Road” and pulled out Devo’s “Whip It” during the smackdown with Ladybug. Unfortunately, both of his performances proved lackluster, and he was the first person of the group sent home. His clue package had various references to gaming, leading Ken Jeong to guess PewDiePie. It was the closest anyone would get, as no one was expecting megastar Twitch streamer Ninja. We’re sure some of the younger viewers were able to identify him, especially with the helpful karate chop clue. But the rest of us were as flabbergasted as the judges.

Despite being the Grandpa Monster, it was very obvious that someone young was underneath the costume owing to their wild energy. In fact, Logan Paul is the second youngest male contestant in the show’s history, being just 25 at the time of his unmasking. Grandpa Monster lasted two weeks, remaining safe with his performance of “Mambo No. 5” but losing with Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation.” Various clues led to Nicole guessing Jake Paul, Logan’s younger brother. Maybe it wasn’t a big shock for her, but the reveal proved hugely surprising to the rest of us. Turns out, Logan Paul really knows how to put on a good show!

Mickey Rourke was the last celebrity we expected to see on “The Masked Singer.” Rourke often plays tough guys on screen and is a bit of a tough guy himself, even going undefeated during his professional boxing career. Rourke appeared as the Gremlin in the show’s fourth season and performed Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” However, Rourke began to feel hot inside the costume and unmasked himself in a moment of shocking unpredictability. We don’t know how much of that was pre-planned, but both the premature exit and the reveal of Rourke made for one of the most memorable moments in “Masked Singer” history.

If nothing else, Busta Rhymes’s Dragon costume was amazing. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see much of it. Rhymes appeared in just one episode of the show’s fourth season, performing LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Both Robin and Nicole were on him from the very beginning, and both made Busta Rhymes their first impression guesses. And then there’s Ken guessing Michael Phelps. Not sure what happened there. While the reveal wasn’t too surprising owing to the confidence of Robin and Nicole, it was still quite a shock seeing Busta Rhymes go home so early. You’d think a 12-time Grammy-nominated artist would have stuck around a little longer. Maybe his voice was just too recognizable...

This is another case of a kickass costume gone way too soon. Appearing in just one episode of the third season, the Elephant performed The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love.” Unfortunately, the performance was deemed lackluster and poor Elephant received the boot. When it comes to “The Masked Singer,” fans are typically guessing the likes of musicians, actors, and internet or talk show personalities - not professional skateboarders. Perhaps this is why none of the judges guessed Tony Hawk. In fact, no one was even close. Despite being a household name, absolutely no one was expecting to see the skateboarding legend behind the mask. Still, it was a welcome surprise.

Is having Kermit the Frog on “The Masked Singer” sort of cheating? Maybe. But it was still a ton of fun. Kermit appeared in the fifth season as The Snail. It was a brilliant bit of costume design, allowing puppeteer Matt Vogel to remain out of view because he stayed inside the shell, in which a motorized wheelchair was reportedly installed. Kermit performed Hall & Oates’s “You Make My Dreams (Come True),” and hearing it now, the singer’s identity couldn’t have been more obvious. But no one had any idea it was him, with guesses ranging from comedians like Seth MacFarlane and Billy Crystal to Ted Cruz. This was one of the most memorable reveals from the show, but guessing a fictional character would have been near impossible.

“The Masked Singer” has scored some big names, but few as big as Lil Wayne. This rapper has released nine platinum albums and 26 platinum-selling singles. In fact, he is one of the highest-selling musical artists in history, having pushed over 120 million records throughout his career. Getting a legend like this on a singing competition is a very rare occurrence, and it made Lil Wayne’s reveal an unforgettable moment in “Masked Singer” history. He appeared in the third season as Robot, but unfortunately didn’t last very long. He finished in last place, having received a poor reception for his rendition of “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

It Was Nice Getting Such a Legend, But Almost Everyone Knew It Was Her

No One Guessed the Famous “America’s Got Talent” Singer

The Poison Frontman Performed Well, but Couldn’t Fool the Judges

Everyone Was Expecting a Professional Singer, Not a Basketball Player

Turns Out, Tom Bergeron Does a Decent Frank Sinatra

Tell us you expected Sarah Palin to be on “The Masked Singer” and we’ll call you a liar. This is perhaps the most shocking reveal in the history of the show - not only owing to the mere presence of Palin, but because she performed - of all songs - Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” It’s an unexpected song from an unexpected guest, and that’s what “The Masked Singer” is all about. Palin also made history from her tenure, including being the first female to rap and the first political figure to appear on the show. It was great seeing her let loose and have some fun, and the audience had a ton of fun alongside her.