Spoilers of this season are included throughout the article. 

The Masked Singer returned this Fall with a fourth season. The series, which is a reality singing competition that includes costumed celebrities singing songs while their identity is kept concealed, has been running since January 2, 2019. The visuals of the show and the introductions of the “characters” add various clues that allude to their identities. During each episode the audience and judges vote for their favorite singer; the one with the least number of votes gets unmasked and voted off. On December 16th, the show’s fourth season came to a close.

Each season of the show typically features 12-18 contestants who have a designated costume to represent themselves. Between three and six competitors perform per episode, singing about 90 seconds of a song of their choice. For the past two seasons, The Masked Singer has used “groups,” in which the large number of contenders is split into three separate groups: Group A, Group B, and Group C. This method is supposed to keep the episodes more organized, so the viewers know who will be performing in the upcoming episode. Each group goes head-to-head until only two contestants are left per group. This season’s semi-finalists include Sun and Popcorn of Group A, Seahorse and Crocodile of Group B, and Group C’s Mushroom and Jellyfish.

There were several well-known celebrities “unmasked” during season 4. The first was the Dragon, who turned out to be rapper and singer Busta Rhymes. The week after was a surprise – instead of getting unmasked from a popularity vote, the Gremlin decided to unmask himself (the first time that happened in the show’s history), revealing himself to be actor Mickey Rourke. Week 4’s competitor was a very hard guess for most of the audience and the judges (none of them got the person right), as the Baby Alien was unmasked to be Mark Sanchez, a former NFL quarterback. Other episodes of the season included well-known celebrities like Paul Anka (Broccoli), Wendy Williams (Lips), and Bob Saget (Squiggly Monster). After ten episodes, the semi-finale aired, with only six contestants, aka the “Super Six,” that included Sun, Popcorn, Seahorse, Crocodile, Mushroom, and Jellyfish.

The finale episode included the last contestants: Sun, Crocodile, and Mushroom. Sun was rumored to be Leann Rimes, famous singer, song-writer, and actress. The audience’s main guesses for the celebrity under the Crocodile mask were Nick Carter or Donnie Wahlberg. Finally, there were numerous thoughts on who Mushroom could be with his unique voice. Some of the best speculations included Billy Porter, Jordan Fisher, Rupaul, and Aloe Blacc. The episode started off with introductions of these contestants alongside a “throwback” that brought back previous unmasked celebrities. Crocodile started off the show with his booming voice singing “Open Arms” by Journey. The song was emotional and brought multiple judges to tears. It was hard to top Crocodile’s performance, but Mushroom managed to do it by singing “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder, specifically dedicating it to his daughter. The final contestant, Sun, showed the true power of her voice through the song “The Story” by Brandi Carlile. All the panelists were moved to tears, giving a standing ovation for her performance. The judges and audience then had to vote for their favorite performer to end the season.

The last three competitors stood on stage awaiting their fate. Host Nick Cannon announced the third-place winner first – Crocodile – who was revealed to be Backstreet Boy’s singer Nick Carter. Only two participants were left – Mushroom and Sun. After an emotional discussion, Nick Cannon announced the second-place winner as Mushroom. The judge’s exchanged the guesses of Aloe Blacc and Pharrell. He was revealed as Aloe Blacc, an American singer. The meant that the Sun was the winner of season 4. Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for her unmasking and to celebrate her victory by handing her the winning trophy. The Sun finally was finally revealed to be Leann Rimes! The Masked Singer season four did not disappoint, and viewers cannot wait to see which celebrities will be revealed during season 5.