Here’s Why the Best Singer Doesn’t Always Win on ‘The Masked Singer’

After last week’s shocking elimination on The Masked Singer, many viewers were wondering how one of the best singers in the competition finished in 8th place. And legendary vocalist Patti LaBelle at that!

Let’s take a look at why the best singers don’t always win The Masked Singer.

‘The Masked Singer’ Season 1 Winner

After T-Pain took home the Golden Mask, he did an interview with E! talking about how it “didn’t feel good” to beat Gladys Knight. Gladys is a seven-time Grammy Award winner and the “Empress of Soul.” Her voice is legendary and landed her at #51 on Rolling Stone‘s “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list. Yet somehow, she was bested by a hip-hop singer best known for using auto-tune.

‘The Masked Singer’ Season 2 Results (So Far)

So far in season 2, everything was pretty status quo until last week, when the Flower was eliminated. From the beginning of the season, it was clear who was under the mask. And when she was revealed to be Patti LaBelle, no one was surprised by her identity. But many viewers were SHOCKED that she was eliminated in 8th place, behind two comedians and a basketball player (if our predictions are correct)!

Why The Best Singer Doesn’t Always Win On The Masked Singer

So what gives? How are these iconic voices losing early on in the competition? Well, there are a few explanations that could be true here.

One, these older vocalists have aged and aren’t quite up to the standard they once were. I mean, they did sign up to be on The Masked Singer after all! But I would argue that one of Flower’s last performances, her cover of “Alone,” was her best of the season. And she could definitely still keep up with her competition technically and vocally!

Second, the audience and judges are the only ones voting and the audience only sees one episode. So if a singer has an off-week, they could leave even if they’re one of the strongest in the competition overall. At home, we’re basing our winner/finalist predictions on the entire season. The audience only has a song or two to decide who will be unmasked!

Lastly, this competition isn’t only about vocals. Personality and stage presence are a big part of the equation! (And the main reason why we think Fox could win it all.) Also, Leopard’s personality seems to be tipping the scale in his direction too. He beat the “Godmother of Soul” with a Pussycat Dolls song!

So while the best singers might not always win on The Masked Singer, the most entertaining and surprising ones tend to! We only have a few weeks left until we see who will win this time around. Tune in with us for the rest of the season!