Fans of The Masked Singer got their second wildcard performance with the introduction of Crab. For his debut performance, Crab sang "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, and it was immediately clear Group B was in trouble. Sure enough, the wildcard twist claimed another victim as Crab won his way into the competition, sending Grandpa Monster into retirement. The solid performance led the panelists to guess various talented singers. Ken Jeong guessed musicians Lenny Kravitz or Bobby Brown. Meanwhile, Robin Thicke went with Bobby Brown's fellow New Edition band member, Johnny Gill.
A leaked clip of tonight's upcoming episode showed Crab running off stage after getting overheated in the costume to avoid removing his mask onstage and exposing his identity early. Fans will recall this exact situation lead to the self-evicting of Gremlin when actor Mickey Rourke removed his mask unexpectedly after his performance. With other previous contestants discussing the height and weight of the costumes and the age of many of the celebrities we've seen on the show, it's surprising there haven't been more issues with overheating. Luckily, Crab made it offstage safely and, if his performance last week is any indication, he will likely remain masked for some time to come. Still, fans seem to think they already know who is hiding in the shimmery crustacean costume.
Who Is Crab? Masked Singer Identity Theory
If the pattern of this season is to be continued, we can expect a big celebrity inside the shelled mask. Fans are very supportive of the judges' Bobby Brown guess, with that being the most common guess on the internet. It's hard to overlook the connections to Bobby Brown. A big one came in the mention of the family who came before him while showing Bee, who was Gladys Knight, and Butterfly, who was Michelle Williams. Bobby Brown has appeared on American Soul, a show which follows Don Cornelius and Soul Train, and stars many young performers as the older stars that came before them. Bobby Brown was Rufus Thomas and Michelle Williams appeared as Diana Ross. Her former bandmate, Kelly Rowland, played Gladys Knight. However, we just aren't totally sold on that interpretation of the clue.
Another potential interpretation of the Butterfly and Bee clue, when paired with the taped claws, is that they could be a boxing reference to Muhammed Ali's iconic line, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." This would better fit Johnny Gill, who is close friends with Sugar Ray Leonard and a huge boxing fan. But we have yet another possibility: Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, who not only had a song called "The Ring," where he appeared as a boxer in the video, but also has a song called "Mona Lisa."
Week 4 Crab's Clues
Crab said he dreamed of being a star and the dream came true in a flash. He said everyone around the globe wanted to be like him and he felt like a king crab. He then spoke of how every blessing is followed by tragedy. Visual clues included a broken mirror taped, taped-up claws, a calculator with 2+3 on it, the Mona Lisa painting, and fish. He said his family gives him the strength to stand up and be a star. He mentioned family members who came before him, and Butterfly and Bee from previous seasons were shown.
All Crab's Identity Clues & How They Fit
In addition to the clues of Butterfly and Bee, some of the story clues fit Bobby Brown well too. He was once on top of the world with a successful post-New Edition solo career and his marriage to superstar Whitney Houston. His tragedies were also very public, from drugs and jail stints to the loss of his former wife, followed by the death of his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, followed by the death of his son, Bobby Brown Jr. However, there are a few clues that point to Johnny Gill or Wyclef Jean, including the boxing clues of the taped up claws and Butterfly and Bee. As previously mentioned, Wyclef also has a song called "Mona Lisa."
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on Fox.