The Masked Singer season 9 premiere date has been revealed, and it is much sooner than fans thought it would be. The Masked Singer season 9 follows last season's incredible lineup of talent, which included runner-up Wilson Phillips (Lambs) and winner Amber Riley (Harp). The Masked Singer season 8 format consisted of three rounds in which only one contestant was voted through to the next episode. Although the format had mixed reviews from fans, it allowed for a record-breaking 22 contestants to compete during the season.
In an Instagram post, it was announced that The Masked Singer season 9 will premiere on Wednesday, February 15. The caption to the post read, "CRYING, SINGING, FREAKING OUT. #TheMaskedSinger will be back for Season 9 Wednesday, February 15 on @foxtv!"
Fans were pleasantly surprised to see that the show will return so soon after The Masked Singer season 8 finale, which aired on November 30 and was followed by the "Seasonal Sing-A-Long Spectacular," which aired a week later on December 7. The Masked Singer has returned in March for the past two years.
The Masked Singer Fans Want A New Format
Although fans were ecstatic about the announcement of The Masked Singer season 9, many of them expressed their hope that the show would abandon the most recent format. They felt that having two contestants leave in each episode after performing only once in most cases made The Masked Singer feel rushed. Many suggested going back to one of the older formats that allowed singers to stay longer. Not only would this keep great talent on The Masked Singer for more weeks, but it would also give viewers more time to piece together the clues to make correct guesses about their identities.
Although The Masked Singer season 8 has its critics, its format is most likely the reason that the talent was so great. Viewers can assume that stars who could not normally commit to weeks of competition were able to do just one episode instead. Some of the super-talented Masked Singer season 8 contestants who left after just one episode were William Shatner (Knight), Eric Idle (Hedgehog), Chris Kirkpatrick (Hummingbird), Montell Jordan (Panther), Mario Cantone (Maize), Gloria Gaynor (Mermaid), George Clinton (Gopher), Linda Blair (Scarecrow), Ray Parker Jr. (Sir Bugaboo), and Joey Lawrence (Walrus).
The Masked Singer season 9 is a welcome addition to FOX's spring 2023 schedule. It is one of several reality television singing competitions that will air, including American Idol and The Voice. Fans of talent competitions have many choices this spring, and The Masked Singer is one of the best.
The Masked Singer season 9 premieres Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
Source: The Masked Singer/Instagram