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The Masked Singer Emotional Finale: Who Won, Who Are They, And Why Is America So Bitter?

With tears from both finalists and the panel, it was a heartfelt Season 9 finale for "The Masked Singer" as Macaw and Medusa poured their hearts on the stage across two final rounds of competition before one of them emerged victorious, and both of them were unmasked.

With the last two masks ready to battle it out for “The Masked Singer” Golden Mask trophy, and then reveal their identities to the world, we weren’t prepared for how emotional this silly show’s season finale would be.

We should have been prepared considering both Macaw and Medusa have poured their hearts out with every performance, and shared incredible vulnerability through their clue packages. We know that this experience is a journey of discovery for them, as well as it is about us all discovering who they are.

This week, they delivered two show-stopping performances each. Yes, we’re well aware of the haterade one of them has been splashed with all over social media each week, but we will stand by that statement. Both of them stepped up and delivered emotional performances.

By the end of the night, both of the unmasked celebrities were in tears, along with most of the panel, and probably a good chunk of the audience at home. We’ve heard how the anonymity of this show empowers these artists to be true in ways they’ve never felt able to before, and that was more true here than in a long time.

It left us hoping maybe we could put a mask on to hide our tears while they were taking theirs off. Oh, and we’ll give a pre-shoutout to one of the panelists who had a stellar night with this finale, nailing both of their guesses for who these last two are. And considering how they’ve been pretty stumped all season long, that’s pretty impressive.

Let’s jump right in with this week’s masks. And don’t worry, before we get to the shocking unmasking(s), we’re going to make you power through the terrible (and occasionally good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger first. We do this because we love … to torture you.

ROUND 1

MACAW

(“Hold Back the River,” James Bay) Macaw continues to surprisingly grow stronger each time he’s up here as a performer. Even though he’s clearly been at this for awhile as a professional singer, it’s the fact that he’s so much more authentically connected to himself and each performance that he’s able to deliver such heartfelt and passionate moments like this.

Guesses: Only reaffirming our conviction that we “know exactly who this is,” Macaw opened up in this finale about his nerves being judged again in a format like this, while also noting that maybe if he wins, it would prove that he can actually win something!

Last week, he spoke about how he was afraid of who he was for so long. He even said that he used to avoid love songs because he couldn’t relate and lamented he waited so long to be his true self for fear he’d lose everyone. Without saying it, it seems pretty clear he’s recently come out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Another line that stood out was that he was hoping that with this experience he could inspire others, using the line “come back on TV” to tell others “you’re enough.” That makes it clear that we know him from television, which certainly fits our favorite guess, too. HIs connection is with Nicole. “Not only do we both love to travel, but we both have a special love for the Philippines.”

In the quarter-finals, Macaw said that while he feared he wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure of a big stage like this again, “I’ve had such a fun time after going through a lot of life transitions; I feel like I’m able to spread my wings and show my true colors,” and be his true self. Confirmation, perhaps?!

He also talked about how much it has meant to him the feeling that he’s being accepted for who he is on this stage, from behind his mask. Acceptance is something, he said, he’s struggled with both in his career and in his personal life. His newest “Super Clue” was the word “Leader.” Macaw explained, “Whether in the studio, on the stage, or on TV, I know how to lead.”

In previous clue packages, Macaw revealed that he’s been performing since he was really young, saying that his father used to bribe him into it with quesadillas. He was pushed into performing at a local Mexican restaurant, with his parents a big part of what got him into entertainment.

That said, though, the pressure of trying to please them and “be the good son” left him overwhelmed and having panic attacks. Ultimately, though, Macaw said what started as a way to make them happy ultimately brought him “glee,” with an emphasis on that word. He also said that this is the year he’s decided to be brave both on stage and in his life, with this show a big part of that.

Combining all of the clues throughout the season, Jenny was musing about Zayn Malik as there was a clue about leaving a group, and spinning arrows could have referred to One Direction. With the LGBTQIA+ coming out clues, though, she shifted to Neil Patrick Harris, who fits the “triple threat” clue.

Nicole brought up Hoobastank frontman Doug Robb based on the voice, but pivoted with the silver medal back to “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta. His mention that he was connected to her through the Philippines, had her thinking about Darren Criss, but with the final clue about possibly finally winning tonight, she shifted back to Archuleta.

All of these clues line up with just one possibility for us (and Twitter), “American Idol” runner-up, David Archuleta. By the way, he is quite popular in the Philippines, Nicole, so it’s nice to see her circling the right answer — at least, as far as we’re concerned.

Archuelta has spoken before about the tremendous stress he endured going on “AI” show at 17 years old; and he fell just short of winning, coming in second to David Cook. Archuleta “struck gold” after that with a gold record. And all of that came after he won “Star Search” five years earlier, encouraged by his father … and even promised Mexican food for his efforts.

His talk about being brave in his personal life and on stage could be a reference to the fact that he’s only recently come out as gay, which has created challenges in his relationships with several conservative family members.

MEDUSA

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(“Elastic Heart,” Sia) Medusa didn’t lean quite so much into her shrieking without keeping the musicality right in line with it, which is when she’s at her strongest. As such, we were never fully pulled out of this vocal, as happened to us so many times last week. Instead, we found ourselves enjoying the different layers of her voice she portrayed. This song is no joke for any singer, with only the best being able to tackle all of its pieces. This was one of her strongest performances to date — and just in time!

Guesses: Giving clues to her real identity, Medusa spoke about how “cheeky reptilian enchantress” is basically her aesthetic. The use of “cheeky” suggests she may be British, or have British connections. She also said those who know her would not at all be surprised by this vibe for her.

She confirmed she’s a professional artist by saying she had grown to love her costume so much, she worried she wouldn’t take it off when she goes on tour. She then name-dropped Queen of Hearts (Jewel) as a winner she’d love to rank among at the end of this.

Last week, Medusa spoke about the loss of her “other half,” her biggest cheerleader, who passed away in 2020. This is also when she found out she was pregnant, creating a connection between the two.

In a prior week, she’d revealed, “I have experienced devastating loss in my life and I think my goal as an artist was for people to feel less alone. That’s what music has always done to me, so just the fact you guys are feeling what I’m trying to portray, it means more than you’ll ever know.

Medusa also shared that she has a connection with Robin. “Both of our voices have taken us on a journey, one that put platinum on our walls.” The week before, she talked about trying to manifest this run for herself, lighting a candle, rehearsing and even talking with her therapist.

A big onstage clue was the word “Mom.” She explained, “Being an artist is my greatest passion, but being a mom is my favorite job.” During her wild card round, Medusa talked about how she’s always felt like an underdog and how she had to prove herself often in her career. Before that, she described herself as a “dancer in the dark” who grew up far away from the spotlight.

She said she learned to embrace her oddities, and the weirdness of this stage is what drew her to the show. But the most tantalizing clue was when she said she’d “technically” been here before, only now she was here to compete. Her “swag bag” clue was a DVD of a fake movie, “Medusa: Snakes on the Astral Plane.” It also touted $340 million sold! “Sometimes success comes in the grayest of places,” Medusa responded to this clue.

Another onstage clue was the word “Alias.” Medusa explained, “Here, I’m known as Medusa and at home known by name, but to the world, I go by something completely different.” In other words, she has a famous stage name different from her real one.

Jenny brought up the DVD clue, which first pointed her to Ellie Goulding and the “Fifty Shades” soundtrack, and admitted she tuned in to Twitter (so this was taped after at least the first episode) and saw that there was a lot of love for Fergie, who performed at the Super Bowl.

Robin went through his previous guesses of Goulding, Kesha and Grimes, offering nothing really new this week at all. Nicole, though, had been fixated on Lorde, but recent clues (including a Scottish terrier) had her thinking maybe Shirley Manson.

Tonight, though, the Queen of Hearts clue took her back to Jewel’s run on the show, and one particular song she sang. That song, which was considered one of the best of the whole show’s run, was Bishop Briggs’ “River.”

For us and the majority of Twitter that isn’t fixated on Fergie based on nothing but the voice, we’ve been on that connection for weeks and are convinced this is Bishop Briggs. Bishop was born Sarah Grace McLaughlin (which is very close to Sarah McLachlan’s name, a visual clue in one of her packages), and ties in to her using an alias.

For Bishop, the chess pieces could be as obvious as the bishop piece, while “the grayest of places” could refer to her song that featured on “Fifty Shades Freed,” which grossed … you guessed it, $340 million. As for ties to the big game, Bishop’s “Wild Horses” (another chess piece) was used in a 2016 ad.

Later clues included a shot of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who Bishop has toured with, and a ticket to Tokyo, which could refer to her family moving there. Her mention of ties to this stage could refer to when Queen of Hearts (Jewel) sang her song “River” back in Season 6 on her way to winning the crown — and then she name-dropped that exact artist this week!

Oh and Bishop is a new mom, announcing the birth of her first child last August. As for her heartbreaking story of loss, Bishop shared that she lost her sister Kate to ovarian cancer in 2020, so this journey would be a fitting tribute to her.

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ROUND 2

MACAW

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(“All By Myself,” Eric Carmen) Macaw has been laying his heart on the stage with each performance and he couldn’t have picked a better song to tell his story. This was a heartbreaking and triumphant moment for him. On top of that, he nailed the incredible range of this song effortlessly. It was a beautiful performance, palpable through the mask and the screen.

This is even more remarkable because he revealed in his final clue package that he suffered a major injury last year that left him silent for three months. So not only was he questioning his identity and if he would ever be deserving of love, he was also questioning his chosen passion and career. This show is an awakening for so many reasons for him.

Oh, and for the record, David Archuelta had vocal cord surgery last year and in an update in March 2021 noted that he hadn’t spoken since the surgery. Archulet has suffered from vocal paralysis issues since he was a teen on “American Idol.” Ironically, the same doctor who saw him then did the surgery.

After his performance, a clearly emotional Macaw said, “I had a lot of anxiety before coming onto this show because I was afraid to show myself. It’s been a difficult last couple years and I’m truly humbled, so thank you.”

MEDUSA

(“Welcome to the Black Parade,” My Chemical Romance) Medusa asked through her song if she would defeat the non-believers. At this point, we already know this was taped after at least the first round of competition — was she seeing all the Medusa haters online yet?

Her stage presence remains so singularly unique, frantic and kinetic and even a bit jarring, but there’s no denying she has a great vocal capability. This song was the perfect showcase for the edge in her voice, as well as that softer side, and her power. Once again, she restrained the shouting that fueled so many of her haters (was it in response to that?).

In this final clue package, she talked about how hard her journey was to this spot, having been eliminated only to have to fight her way back through the Ding-Dong-Keep-It-On Bell Wild Card bracket.

She also said she hopes her performances help people to feel less alone and that she hopes her son hears Medusa’s message “that we are capable of being so many different things all at once, that with great loss there is always still joy, and more than anything, it’s worth fighting for.” She wrapped by saying she hopes she makes him proud.

“This means so much to me and the fact that I got to end my journey with my sister’s favorite song,” Medusa said after her performance, tearing up. “Sadly she’s no longer here. It means so much. Truly for my spirit and soul, I really needed this, so thank you.”

2ND PLACE – UNMASKING 20

We know the Medusa haters are ready to have her go home already, but there’s no denying she really brought her A-game tonight, and she’s put on some powerhouse performances along the way. We’re not sure she was as consistent as Macaw, but she is definitely all heart.

That said, Macaw has been on a spiritual awakening of his own on this show. Both of these finalists have paired great vocal performances with moving and personal stories, making them evenly matched (hush, haters!) on both fronts. We say that especially after tonight.

You have to consider that this audience has possibly only seen this one episode of the show, so this might be their only experience with either Macaw or Medusa. Based on what they just got, it’s not easy to say who’s more deserving to win this season — it really is one of the strongest finales ever (and we’ll throw California Roll into that as well to say it was a powerful Semi-FInals, too).

That said, since we make ourselves do this, we’ll go ahead and say that Macaw was more consistent over the season, but there has been a powerful momentum that we’ve sensed in the room with Medusa each time she’s been on the stage since her return. We’d say Macaw is deserving of the win, but suspected he’d have to settle for a second second-place finish.

That’s exactly what happened, too — cue internet outrage (we’ll share some of it at the end) — as Medusa took home the Golden Mask trophy. But that still left the unmaskings, with a very worthy runner-up in Macaw going first.

• Robin Thicke: Jason Mraz
• Jenny McCarthy: Neil Patrick Harris
• Ken Jeong: David Archuleta
• Nicole Scherzinger: David Archuleta

In aligning with Nicole’s guess, Ken shared a heartfelt story about his connection to their pick, which he continued after it was revealed to indeed be David Archuleta.

Ken got emotional sharing that during a time when his wife was on bedrest and they were worried about losing their child, they were tuned in to Season 7 of “American Idol,” calling Archuleta “a ray of light.”

The “Idol” runner-up then opened up about how liberating this experience was, just as coming out was. Having grown up religious, “I believed that if I lived the way, like, being queer, that I was going to be evil. So I worked really hard to be anything but that,” he said.

“It got to the point I thought, ‘Maybe it’s better if I’m not here,'” he shared. “But I realized I can’t change this. So if anyone else that grew up feeling that they were bad just because of who they were attracted to, who they loved, I want you to know that it is worth taking the courage to show your true colors. It’s scary, but you’re worth it, you matter, and it’s so beautiful.”

WINNER – UNMASKING 21

• Robin Thicke: Grimes
• Jenny McCarthy: Fergie
• Ken Jeong: Susan Boyle
• Nicole Scherzinger: Bishop Briggs

Ken had made it clear before that he had no idea, so he just went wild and fell back on his most ridiculous guess of the season … which we can weirdly respect. The audience was getting behind Jenny’s Fergie guess, but Nicole made it two for two as this season’s winner is Bishop Briggs.

She was proud to have had the opportunity to sing an emo anthem because she said hearing David’s story had her thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, look at us, a couple of emo kids here on this stage unsure of who we are, not knowing if we wanted to continue on, and we made it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (just dial 988) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.

And now, as promised, here are the internet’s reactions to these reveals, and this season’s winner! Let’s just say, this might be the bitterest responses to any winner so far.

YES IT’S ME!!!!!!! I AM #MEDUSA AKA YOUR SEASON 9 WINNER OF#THEMASKEDSINGER THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME @MaskedSingerFOX pic.twitter.com/dyWiWDtGd9

— Bishop Briggs (@bishopbriggs) May 18, 2023@bishopbriggs

??SQUAWK!! It was me behind the #MacawMask! I had an absolute blast on @MaskedSingerFOX Thank you for an incredible experience! #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/kqQQTQw1tF

— David Archuleta (@DavidArchie) May 18, 2023@DavidArchie

David Archuleta coming in second place AGAIN???? He DESERVED ? #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/AJKvgOM7ub

— marianella (@osomarianella) May 18, 2023@osomarianella

David Archuleta gave a clean, powerful vocal performance. He should've won tonight! I feel like this season was kinda set up for Medusa to win tho…even when others clearly out sang her, they kept her on. Sumthin is not adding up….#Themaskedsinger #Maskedsinger pic.twitter.com/CKFy4mZUvb

— Wilmer (@W1lmerSarmiento) May 18, 2023@W1lmerSarmiento

.@DavidArchie absolutely amazing speech #TheMaskedSinger

— Lea Black (@LBlackATX) May 18, 2023@LBlackATX

The one time i watch masked singer and im crying… #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/eV4bm3WEvE

— ur internet fav (@eatmyassideways) May 18, 2023@eatmyassideways

the club of elite vocalists who SHOULD NOT have finished runner up and were completely robbed of winning #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/wITe3qYxP9

— alexandra²⁸❯❯❯❯ // FAN ACCOUNT // 16 days ? (@stylinsonpayno) May 18, 2023@stylinsonpayno

Everyone knows the macaw was the better singer but the panels been pulling for Medusa all season. This show is rigged! #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/ssquvWpzlb

— Kendrick Clarke (@KendrickClarke7) May 18, 2023@KendrickClarke7

Everyone send @DavidArchie some love tonight for his courage & authenticity. And to all of you, YOU MATTER. I’m glad you’re here. #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/4BvJvnwd5p

— Kelly (@KellyClinger) May 18, 2023@KellyClinger

FOX really had the audacity to deny David Archuleta yet another singing competition win…it’s 2008 all over again #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/4bn5w5GrtH

— ✿ (@thatsrach) May 18, 2023@thatsrach

Not me listening to David Archuleta speak #TheMaskedSinger #MaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/RgXbEHuVNL

— Diana is my Queen (@britishwestindi) May 18, 2023@britishwestindi

This was my reaction to @DavidArchie not winning ? #TheMaskedSinger This is pic.twitter.com/7OrrdDqWc6

— Saúl Alejandro (@SaulAlejandr00) May 18, 2023@SaulAlejandr00

medusa is literally the least deserving winner throughout all 9 seasons. all she does it get on stage and yell. absolutely unbelievable that THAT won over david archuleta #TheMaskedSinger

— Cassie Styles (@cassie_styles) May 18, 2023@cassie_styles

if I had a nickel for every time David Archuleta was robbed of winning a singing competition, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s a CRIME that it’s happened twice #TheMaskedSinger

— ale (simp era) (@stillnewangel) May 18, 2023@stillnewangel

The winner The real winners#TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/G3RI2Kv1MF

— manda (@mandyahhh) May 18, 2023@mandyahhh

“The Masked Singer” will return for Season 10 next fall on Fox.

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