The Masked Singer season 9 has the best format in the show's history for several reasons. Since its debut in 2019, the mystery celebrity singing competition series has had many different forms of competition. The Masked Singer seasons 1 and 2 had two groups of contestants who performed during alternate weeks. One contestant was eliminated each week until the groups merged together to compete to crown the winner. The Masked Singer season 3 changed things by having the first group of contestants compete week after week until the top three were determined. This continued with two more groups until a Super Nine emerged. Season 4 had a similar format, along with season 5.
The Masked Singer season 6 introduced wildcards, while season 7 had three groups, The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly. For season 8, they created a new format in which three groups competed, with two singers revealed in each episode. The Masked Singer season 9 had the same format, but introduced the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell, which allowed the panelists to save contestants from elimination for the first time in The Masked Singer history. Although the season 8 and 9 format was met with some resistance from fans who liked the old manner of competing better, The Masked Singer season 9 is actually the best yet for many reasons.
1 More The Masked Singer Contestants With Fast Reveals
The Masked Singer season 1 had 12 contestants. This is a big difference from season 9, in which there are 21 contestants. Although having fewer singers means that those contestants have more performances, it's actually so much more thrilling to have a quick turnaround of masked celebrities every week. It can get boring watching the same people compete week after week, especially when their identities have been uncovered with the clues.
By unmasking one or two celebrities every week during The Masked Singer season 9, the show was able to give viewers instant gratification about who was under the masks. This might've cut back on the amount of clues for each contestant and the time viewers had to piece them together, but it kept the show exciting. It can get frustrating waiting to find out celebrities' identities. Many of the clues for The Masked Singer season 9 celebrities who were unmasked after one episode were so clear, that viewers could figure them out and play along with ease. This makes the show so much more fun to watch every week.
2 Bigger The Masked Singer Celebrities
The Masked Singer used to be a big commitment for many of the contestants. In season 1, winner T-Pain (Monster) had performed in six episodes when he earned the Golden Mask trophy. In contrast, all three season 9 contestants who made it to the quarterfinals from their rounds (California Roll, Macaw, and UFO), have sung in only one episode so far because they were the last of their groups to perform. Similarly, Battle of the Saved contenders Gargoyle and Mantis have also appeared in just one episode. Medusa has appeared in three because she was the first of her group, advancing through two episodes, and being saved in the third.
Similarly, the two The Masked Singer contestants who are unmasked each week only have to commit to doing that one episode. Celebrities who might otherwise have had to turn down the competition due to other obligations, either personal or professional, can now compete on the show without making a huge commitment. The days are gone when celebrities can be dismissed as possible mask identities simply because the stars would be too busy to do the show.
The Masked Singer season 9 has seen superstars such as Sara Evans, Howie Mandel, Debbie Gibson, Grandmaster Flash, Michael Bolton, Lele Pons, Alexa Bliss, George Wendt, Christine Quinn, and Melissa Joan Hart exit the show after just one episode. However, perhaps they wouldn't have competed at all if they had to sign a contract that required more of their time. This is also most likely why the show has seen two showbusiness legends, William Shatner (Knight, Season 8), and The Masked Singer season 9's Gnome Dick Van Dyke, compete at the ages of 91 and 97, respectively.
3 The Masked Singer's Ding Dong Keep It On Bell Was A Great Addition
Although having two unmaskings each week during The Masked Singer season 8 kept things fresh, there was a lot of criticism that some great singers, including Chris Kirkpatrick, Montell Jordan, Mario Cantone, Gloria Gaynor, Joey Lawrence, George Clinton, and Ray Parker Jr., went home too early. Giving The Masked Singer panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger the power to save season 9 contestants brought an element of suspense to each episode, as viewers wondered if they would use the bell. The bell also kept talented singers in the competition longer, by removing the requirement that two contestants go home on every episode.
4 The Masked Singer Theme Nights Are Exciting
The Masked Singer theme nights were introduced in season 8, and continued in season 9. Round one of the competition had three episodes: Opening Night, ABBA Night, and New York Night. These were followed by round two, which consisted of DC Superheroes, Sesame Street, and Country Night. The third round theme nights were '80s, WB Movie, and The Masked Singer in Space Night. These exciting nights featured special guests who presented clues, along with extraordinary performances and skits from the panelists. The Masked Singer season 9 built on the success of season 8 with creative themes that matched each episode's music, costumes, and contestants.
The Masked Singer season 9 has been impressive so far. Every celebrity who competed had a strong voice that blew the audience away. The format of the show helped to keep things intriguing and exciting each week, as viewers knew that they would find out two contestants' identities right away. However, the introduction of the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell made the competition more fair if there were two contestants who deserved to move forward. As The Masked Singer heads into the finals, the Supreme Six are sure to continue to entertain and impress viewers. It was the season 9 format that helped put together such an extraordinarily talented group.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on FOX.