The Masked Singer Semi-FInals Recap Season 8, Episode 10: Lambs, Harp and Snowstorm

After a weird and disjointed season that eradicated two celebrities every week (most solely performing one evening), we lastly received the winners of the primary three rounds, or “teams” as Nick Cannon has been calling them.

Harp got here out from Week 1 and dominated by means of three rounds earlier than advancing to those semi-finals. The Lambs hit in Week 5, so that they solely needed to win twice earlier than they superior. The identical went for Snowstorm, who simply completed her Group 3 victory on Wednesday evening.

The excellent news for all three of them is that tonight solely one in every of them would go dwelling, with the opposite two advancing to subsequent week’s season finale. It was a heartwarming and emotional Thanksgiving-themed episode with every of the artists sharing what they’re grateful for.

Let’s bounce proper in with this week’s masks. And don’t fear, earlier than we get to the surprising unmasking, we’ll make you energy by means of the horrible (and sometimes good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger first. We do that as a result of we love … to torture you.

Together with the panel’s guesses, we’ll be sharing some web hypothesis, too, so if you happen to do not wish to be probably spoiled (as a result of they’re superb at this), you might wish to skip previous the guesses sections.

(“About Rattling Time,” Lizzo) Harp took on one of many more difficult fashionable artists to cowl and she or he completely slayed each ingredient of this. She’s an unimaginable performer with a mesmerizing stage presence. We have been completely satisfied to see her shake the harp off her again for some time, releasing her to maneuver about and present some dance strikes to enhance her unimaginable vary and energy. What a gifted singer she is, and a present to this present.

Guesses: We’ve missed seeing Harp on this present, as she all the time delivers. New clues for this semi-finals look included a “#1” trophy and a collection of pictures of previous contestants Solar (LeAnn Rimes), Monster (T-Ache) and Night time Angel (Kandi Burruss) — who simply occur to have all received.

Is she associates with them? The images began sliding by as she talked about how she hasn’t instructed her household or associates about being on this present. Even her man thinks she’s off filming a film. Solely her mother was within the know, which was very candy as she received emotional speaking about her mother’s unconditional love and assist.

She additionally shared that she and her mother have quite a bit in widespread, like her mother was additionally a singer, and so they’re greatest associates at this level of their lives. Is she additionally associates along with her on-stage clue, which was an image of Oprah Winfrey?

Harp shared that she introduced her mother along with her when she met Oprah for the primary time, however earlier than she might introduce her mother, Oprah apparently already knew it. “You understand you’ve made it when Oprah is aware of your identify and your mother’s identify,” she stated.

Ken tried to justify his horrible Jennifer Hudson guess by tying J-Hud’s new discuss present with Oprah’s outdated one. Jenny didn’t do a lot better, taking that trophy to “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks. Nicole was additionally feeling that vibe, however switched it as much as Fantasia, who additionally starred in Oprah’s remake of “The Shade Purple.”

“Or, you realize who else has a trophy?” Nicole requested, earlier than answering, “Amber Riley.” The “Glee” alum did a Laurence Olivier Award for Finest Actress in 2017 for her work on the stage manufacturing of “Dreamgirls.”

She’s additionally been Twitter’s dominant guess for Harp because the starting, and actually, there’s no means this may be anybody however Amber Riley. Take heed to her inform that story about her mother, take heed to the best way she sings and strikes and attempt to her and see anybody else? It will possibly’t be performed.

(“Pondering of You,” Katy Perry) Snowstorm was so earnest and candy on this efficiency, it was as if her interior little lady crept out. It wasn’t as assured a efficiency as we’ve seen from her earlier than, but it surely was one the place you possibly can hear her pushing herself as a result of she had one thing to show. She has a pleasant tone, however undoubtedly must put some work and finesse on it to essentially seize the whole lot of the efficiency.

Guesses: Her new clue package deal was each an inspirational piece and a fantastically sensible F-U to 1 sure particular person in her life. She talked about how she’d all the time needed to be a pop star and even took vocal classes when she was in highschool.

However then, her instructor instructed her mother that she doesn’t have that elusive “it,” dashing her hopes and goals. That was the day her dream died, she stated, till now. This is a chance to precise herself in a means she by no means thought she’d be capable to artistically.

As a substitute, the ticket we noticed on her dressing room desk had a laughing-crying-face emoji, suggesting her comedic background. She stated she hopes that her journey conjures up anybody who doesn’t suppose they’ve “it,” telling them that they do, they simply have to unmask it (see what she did there?)

She additionally devoted this explicit efficiency to that vocal teacher, saying, “This one’s for you, dreamkiller.”

Her on-stage clue was a “Maskies Thanksgiving Day Parade,” which concerned a bunch of individuals strolling throughout the stage with silver balloons, with one being the phrase “squiggly.” It was a tribute to Snowstorm’s “pricey buddy” Squiggly Monster, the late Bob Saget, who carried out in Season 4. She stated he received a lot pleasure from the present, that’s why she got here on to do it, saying her performances have been for him, “whether or not he would need that or not.”

Robin took that connection to solidify his earlier Whitney Cummings guess, which is shut. Jenny was everywhere in the proper monitor, sticking with the thought of humorous and comedy to land on “Comedy Central Roast” staple — and the web’s favourite guess, and the appropriate guess — Nikki Glaser.

Ken, nevertheless, took the “Dwell” signal from the clue package deal all the best way to “Saturday Night time Dwell” and Kristen Wiig. The physique sort is shut, however this isn’t her. For one factor, as Robin identified, Snowstorm is significantly taller than 5’5” Kristen. Nikki is 5’9”.

Twitter is not fairly as offered on Glaser as Jenny is, although, with a variety of stray guesses nonetheless filtering by means of (and a few assist for Jodie Sweetin). It is all the time harder when it is somebody who would not often sing publicly since you actually should work these clues.

(“Want You Now,” Girl A) The Lambs proceed to blow us away a lot extra in concord then when singing solo. Don’t get us incorrect, the solo work isn’t unhealthy by any means, however they’re so magical when collectively. It’s the harmonies of years collectively honing their craft. It’s so easy and but so mesmerizing.

Guesses: Talking of years, they instructed us it’s been “a really, very very long time” since they’ve received an award, although they’ve picked up a couple of of their day. In addition they talked about how their relationship goes again to childhood and so they first blew up as younger girls.

Like many who get began younger, the stress and strain of their success and burnout precipitated friction between them, inflicting them to go their separate methods for years. However that solely made their reunion all that a lot sweeter, and like no time had handed — which we are able to hear in these harmonies.

When speaking concerning the friction, they have been tugging a white wreath backwards and forwards, whereas we noticed a “Platinum Class” worldwide airplane ticket, possible indicating platinum-level success as recording artists. All indications are that they loved a stellar profession years in the past within the music trade.

The on-stage clue was a cornucopia introduced as much as Robin with a “Reunion” signal on it. “For a very long time, I didn’t suppose we might be singing collectively on the stage ever once more,” one of many Lambs shared. “However I by no means gave up on the three of us getting again collectively.”

Nicole went a brand new route with all of the group guesses we’ve seen up to now to All Saints, which was a four-part English group from the ‘90s. She tried to justify it with their a number of reunions and the wreath representing … St. Nick? Even Nicole didn’t appear to be she was shopping for her personal guess.

Ken tried to argue this was Spice Ladies (or three of them) due to the worldwide on that airplane ticket, but it surely was a large number. Robin strayed from his Chicks guess to the correct guess the web has identified all alongside, Wilson Phillips. He linked a earlier marriage ceremony ring clue to their “Bridesmaids” reunion.

(“Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson) Snowstorm actually stepped up and made a powerful assertion for herself as the one non-professional singer. She was nonetheless a bit hesitant at first and didn’t totally venture, however she nailed all of the notes and continued to push herself. Harp got here out and was already battling for the trophy with a showstopping tackle the monitor that reinterpreted the melody in delicate methods to make it her personal. She is such a star. The Lambs slowed it down fantastically, however have been nonetheless stronger harmonizing collectively than when singing individually. This was surprisingly uneven in locations, however total they continue to be an unimaginable power once they come at it with three voices as one.

At this level, it actually does look like Harp is operating away with this competitors as she’s been doing because the very first week. She was just about unstoppable all evening lengthy, blowing our minds with each single efficiency. That left it all the way down to Snowstorm and The Lambs.

In the end, despite the fact that The Lambs generally don’t blow us away once they sing their solo work, their unimaginable consistency in concord remains to be stronger than Snowstorm. Whereas the brand new format has not allowed for a lot particular person progress for contestants, Snowstorm has defied these odds and grown in every of her three appearances.

She nonetheless has some work to do to achieve that professional stage, however she’s made enormous leaps and bounds right here, and hopefully gained the boldness she’s been missing and looking for ever since that music instructor instructed her she didn’t have the “it” issue.

All of that stated, she did an unimaginable job making it to this stage and going up in opposition to 4 singers who’ve been acting at a excessive stage for years and years, but it surely undoubtedly felt like she was only a bit out of her league right here.

Somewhat than simply dump her from the present, Nick as an alternative despatched the opposite two acts into the finals one after the other, but it surely was Snowstorm who was disregarded within the chilly. Nonetheless, she has a lot to be happy with even making it this far, dwelling a little bit of her pop star dream on this present.

• Robin Thicke: Whitney Cummings
• Jenny McCarthy: Nikki Glaser
• Ken Jeong: Kristen Wiig
• Nicole Scherzinger: Eliza Shlesinger

It was clearly within the route of the roast comedians, and the Bob Saget clue clinched it — to not point out the tenor of her voice, her physique form and language, and the cadence of her rapid-fire joke deliveries all season lengthy. After all this was Nikki Glaser.

She once more talked about how singing was one in every of her first goals and the way heartbreaking it was to have it squashed at such a younger age by her vocal teacher. Even higher, she stated that the present allowed her to discover her voice and she or he’s trying ahead to persevering with to develop and work on this ardour of hers.

That is a type of uplifting tales that’s on the coronary heart of “The Masked Singer” expertise, form of like T-Ache eager to show he was an actual singer all the best way again within the first season. It’s why we missed these journeys with this season’s new format that noticed so many singers come and go in a single episode.

Hopefully, subsequent season they tweak the format once more (we all know they’ll) to deliver again a few of that ongoing narrative. We get that we’re guessing who these persons are too quick, however you possibly can all the time be stingier with the clues, you realize!

“The Masked Singer” wraps up Season 8 subsequent Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.