The Masked Singer returned on Wednesday and introduced fans to the four new contestants of Group C, who duked it out from inside costumes for a shot at the coveted Golden Mask trophy.
Meanwhile, new panelist Rita Ora was joined by stalwart panelists Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy as they tried their hardest to figure out the secret identities of the fresh batch of costumed characters.
On this week’s “Billy Joel Night,” The Clock, The Lizard, the Poodle Moth, and Spaghetti & Meatballs all did their best to wow the panel with renditions of the iconic artist’s most beloved hits.
The Poodle Moth (which, surprisingly, is based on a real creature that has only ever been spotted once) was the first performer to take the stage, and she set the bar particularly high with a soft, skillful and joyous rendition of Billy Joel’s 1977 single “Just the Way You Are.”
“That was one of the best vocals I’ve ever, ever heard,” Ora marveled. “It was so graceful and so hypnotic… it was just such an unbelievable performance.”
The vocal talent showcase continued with a show-stopping performance from The Clock. The stunning, Broadway-quality songstress behind the mask left the panel floored with her interpretation of what many consider to be Joel’s most iconic hit, “Piano Man.”
“Wow! I have a message to all the other contestants on this show. It is time to be scared!” McCarthy declared. “Because this queen has arrived on The Masked Singer!”
The next contestant to hit the stage got everyone feeling hungry — Spaghetti & Meatballs, a chef-inspired character featuring a head made up of spaghetti with meatball eyes. The surreal costume was made even more disorienting by his surprisingly impressive voice, which he showed off with a cover of “Only the Good Die Young.”
“It was so good! It was giving every ingredient, honey,” Ora said. “That was a great performance! You’re a superstar.”
The final performer of the night — and one of the most energetic and charismatic — was The Lizard, who already won over the audience from the first moment he took the stage, and just kept the party going with his fun and engaging performance of “Uptown Girl.”
“I absolutely loved it that! I don’t know, man. I thought [you were] someone, now I don’t. Your voice was amazing,” a baffled Ora shared. “That was really great. It was great.”
After all the songs were sung, it was time for the audience to vote on who should move on to the next round and who would be facing off in the Smackdown Round. When the votes were cast and counted, The Poodle Moth and The Clock came out victorious.
That meant The Lizard and Spaghetti & Meatballs would go head-to-head, singing verses from Joel’s 1977 hit “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song).” Both Spaghetti & Meatballs and The Lizard belted out impressive performances, but ultimately, it was The Lizard who managed to earn the win.
This gave the panel one last chance to guess Spaghetti & Meatballs’ identity — and, as usual, no one really came close, although they were in the right neighborhood with their guess that it might be a celeb chef.
When Spaghetti & Meatballs eventually unmasked, it turned out to be restaurateur and MasterChef judge Joe Bastianich!
“Singing is a passion for me my whole life, so when I got the opportunity to do this and share it with you all, I jumped on it,” Bastianich shared. “Thanks for everyone who has supported me and my music, and thank you guys for having me.”
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
