
Popcorn proved she had a voice like butter in her last appearance on “The Masked Singer” on November 11. Back then she made it into the final six competing on December 2 by winning her Smackdown against the Snow Owls. After Popcorn nailed her cover of “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams, the Snow Owls were revealed to be country singer Clint Black and his actress wife Lisa Hartman.
Popcorn was in peril on episode 7 when the four judges (Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke) were not won over by her cover of “Domino” by Jessie J. That song was not suited to her powerhouse vocals. Popcorn had shone earlier in the competition with her rendition of the Pink chart-topper “What About Us” on the premiere episode and her cover of the Harry Styles ballad “Falling” on episode 3.
We’ve watched all of those performances by Popcorn again as well as her clues videos. We are now sure that we know who is hiding inside the Popcorn costume. Keep reading as we’ve got all “The Masked Singer” spoilers for season 4, including the real name Popcorn.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s newsletter with experts’ latest predictions
We are convinced that Popcorn is disco singer Taylor Dayne. Don’t believe us? Well consider the way that Taylor’s life fits in with the kernels of truths about Popcorn.
As a group, the “The Masked Singer” contestants have sold 280 million records worldwide. Dayne accounts for a full quarter of that total. Among them, the celebrity singers have 23 platinum records. Each of Dayne’s first two discs — “Tell It to My Heart” and “Can’t Fight Fate” — went double platinum back in the 1980s.
The 17 celebrities on this season of “The Masked Singer” have been nominated for 46 Grammy Awards. Dayne accounts for two of those. In 1988, she contended for both pop and R&B performance.
SEE exclusive predictions: Who will win ‘The Masked Singer’?
In her 2018 bestselling memoir, “Tell It to My Heart,” Dayne detailed her difficult childhood, including some health scares; Popcorn says that as a little kernel she had some tough times.
Popcorn revealed that love has played a big part in her success; Dayne had huge hits with the power ballads “I’ll Always Love You” and “Love Will Lead You Back.”
In one of the Popcorn clues video, we saw some shots of cats; Dayne earned rave reviews for her performance in Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical “Cats” as Grizabella, the frisky feline who sings “Memory.” While Dayne didn’t appear in that hit 1980s show until recently, there were lots of other references to that decade when she launched her career, including a Rubik’s cube and “Sixteen Candles.”
Back then, she often toured with her pal Prince, who is referenced in a clues video by an image of man dressed all in purple and sporting a crown.
Another of the clues videos included a meatloaf with the sign “Welcome to the ‘hood!” Dayne topped the charts back in 1994 with her cover of the Jim Steinman song “Original Sin.” The following year, Steinman’s pal Meatloaf recorded the track for his album “Welcome to the Neighborhood.”
We also saw an image of “Snacks in the City” that made us think of the TV show “Sex and the City.” The second film version of this Emmy winner included a song by Taylor on its million-selling soundtrack.
We will only find out if we are right that Popcorn is Taylor Dayne when she is unmasked. This will only happen when she loses a vote or wins the show. Do you think we are right about the true identity of Popcorn? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.
And click on each link below if you want to know the name of the famous faces hiding inside the other costumes.
GROUP A
GROUP B
GROUP C