Only one mask will move on each episode
As a recent press release touts, for the first time in the show’s history, only one mask will move on by the end of each episode. That means there is truly nowhere to hide and no “warm-up” performances for the stars. Every performance they make on stage could be their last.
There will be mid-episode unmaskings
True to the typical Masked Singer format, the celebs will perform for the audience. The fans will then vote on their favorite singer. The mask with the least votes will then be eliminated and asked to unmask in the middle of the episode. In an additional twist, that celeb will then immediately join the audience to watch the rest of the episode. That’s a departure from previous seasons, where the unmaskings happen at the end of the episode. That also means multiple unmaskings will commonly happen in each episode.
Each episode ends with a Battle Royale showdown
Eventually, the episode will get down to two masked contestants. In the final round, they’ll face off in a “Battle Royale” performance to the same song. It’s unknown whether they’ll each give their own version, or will be trading off like the Battle rounds on The Voice.
The winner will move on to the next episode
The winner of the Battle Royale will be crowned the “King or Queen of The Masked Singer.” They’ll then move on to the next week’s episode and actually face off against brand new masks. This brings the series closer to King of Mask Singer, the Korean series that the show is based on. In that show, the mask who wins the episode faces off against the currently reigning “King” to see if they can unseat them.Notably, the press release says, “The three finalists left standing after each round will compete in the Semi-Finals.” So it’s unknown if this “king of the hill” type of format will end after a certain number of episodes to constitute a “round.” But for those who are not happy with the way The Masked Singer breaks up every round, it looks like we’re in store for more of that.
Brand-new theme nights
The series will have “theme nights.” A la American Idol, it seems like the themes will carry through from the performances to the costumes to the celebrity guests. This season’s theme nights include “Vegas Night,” “Comedy Roast,” “Hall Of Fame,” “Muppets Night,” “Andrew Lloyd Webber Night,” “TV Themes,” “’90s Night,” “Thanksgiving” and “Fright Night.”
The largest Masked Singer cast yet
This new format sets the stage to introduce multiple new masks every single episode. So, naturally, season 8 boasts the series’ largest cast yet with a staggering 22 masks. Their disguised identities include “Bride,” “Avocado,” “Venus Fly Trap,” “Sir Bugaboo,” “Scarecrow,” “Hedgehog,” and “Mummies." And according to the press release, “The Season Eight contestants boast a combined 32 Grammy Nominations, 16 Emmy Wins, 8 Gold Albums, 4 Golden Globe Nominations, 42 Books, 10 Teen Choice Awards, and 5 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.“Next, Ken Jeong reveals why The Masked Singer has been so successful.
