Season 5 of The Masked Singer Gets Underway – Here’s What We Learned from the Premiere

A new season of The Masked Singer dropped on FOX on Wednesday, March 11th, kickstarting another run of singing, dancing, and wild theatrics.

The Masked Singer season 5 premiere wasn’t your run of the mill kick-off show, either, as it instantly lived up to the hype of being one of the best seasons to date.

The new season is just one episode in, but viewers already learned a lot. To get you all caught up, let’s break down the five things we learned from The Masked Singer season 5 premiere.

Not that Nick Cannon wasn’t getting it done as the host of The Masked Singer, but the producers decided to spice things up a bit.

This entire season has been labeled as a “game-changer”, and right from the jump, the literal layout and formula isn’t the same.

Cannon (who is relegated to voice over work for the moment) is joined by Niecy Nash, who is perhaps best known for her hilarious role as Deputy Raineesha Williams on Reno 911!

On top of being recognizable and hilarious, Nash also brings hosting experience to the table. If you didn’t catch her in her most famous comedic role, perhaps you saw her on Clean House.

Nash also was nominated for an Emmy for her work in When They See Us.

The show wasted no time taking advantage of Nash’s star power, bringing her out in a palanquin. Nash called attention to the surprise introduction herself.

It certainly was a (welcome) surprise, and it will be fun to see how Nash dictates the tempo of the show throughout season five.

There’s also the addition of the pesky (and informative?) Cluedle-Doo.

? Meet Cluedle-Doo! ?

Any ideas on who this cage-free clue master could be? #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/pGmE6Ieus9

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) March 11, 2021

Dubbed the “cage-free clue master” by The Masked Singer’s Twitter account, this lively chicken will look to assist the audience with extra clues throughout the season.

That’s a brand new wrinkle for season five, while there will likely also be a grand reveal for Cluedle-Doo’s identity at some point.

The Masked Singer has a new host, but as noted, it also has an evolving format.

Throughout season five, these extra secret competitors will wait their turn to enter the competition. If they’re successful, they can ultimately bounce members of Group A and Group B.

Episode one was filled with a lot of new tweaks, but the foundation of the show still continues to be fun, energetic performances.

It’s karaoke in a blender, to be sure, but unmasking the celebrities (following a long line of guesswork) is really the best part.

Snail was the odd singer out in episode out, and he was ultimately unmasked.

Yep, it was none other than Kermit the Frog.

Technically speaking, this was the most famous masked singer in the show’s history, and one of the judges even jokingly suggested it could have been Kermit.

In the end, none of the judges got the reveal right, but it still goes down as one of the best unmaskings ever.

Group A went first in episode one, with Kermit the Frog being the big loser.

There is still a whole second group (and The Wild Cards) to be heard from, but if this first group is an indicator, this season is jam-packed with talent.

Raccoon, Robopine, Russian Dolls, and Seashell all performed for the audience, and they were safe to move on to episode two.

Raccoon probably ranks last of this group, but anyone watching season five couldn’t ignore the singing chops of Robopine.

Seashell also offered solid vocals, but Russian Dolls shocked as a duet, and they were also amazing. See for yourself.

Early predictions suggest this could be Hanson, but all that’s clear is that Russian Dolls may be leading Group A.

Just as FOX had promised before the launch of season 5, this rendition of The Masked Singer Certainly has changed the game.

And we’re just one episode in.

The format is completely different. Your favorites judges are still here, but a lively new co-host has been added to the mix, there’s a special squad of silhouette competitors, and there is a pesky little chicken looking to stir things up.

To be clear, this change all feels like a ton of fun.

The Masked Singer was already zany, over the top, and entertaining. It somehow got better, and after just one episode, it’s clear that The Masked Singer season 5 promises to be a wild ride.

All that’s left for viewers to do – besides try to predict who the masked singers are – is to enjoy the show.