On “The Masked Singer” finale on May 26, the last three celebrities in the competition will perform one more time as the Black Swan, Chameleon and Piglet. At the end of the hour, one of this talented trio will be named the winner of season 5 of this hit reality series. We’ve rewatched every one of the 10 episodes that led up to this final one and are absolutely convinced that we know who is hiding inside these costumes. Keep reading if you dare for all of “The Masked Singer” spoilers for the season 5 finale, including the real name of the Black Swan.
Forget all those misleading guesses by the four judges (Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke). We are 100% certain we know the real identity of the Black Swan who delivered a rollicking rendition of “Tequila” by Dan+Shay on the May 19 semifinal. That capped off a string of standout performances on the show beginning way back in Week 2 with her cover of the Heart classic “Barracuda.
We do think that the judges are on the right track with their reasoning that the Black Swan is a singer who got her start in showbiz when she was just a kid. But she isn’t Demi Lovato or Ashley Simpson. Instead, we are certain that the Black Swan is JoJo, who was all of 13 when she topped the charts in 2004 with “Leave (Get Out).”
That single propelled sales of her self-titled first album over the million mark, thus earning JoJo a coveted platinum record. As a group, the season 5 contestants have 25 gold and platinum records. In Week 2, the number five was featured prominently: JoJo has recorded five albums which have sold 5 million copies, and she was the opening act for Fifth Harmony. In 2006, JoJo made Billboard history when her single “Too Little, Too Late” had the biggest jump in one week, shattering the record set by Mariah Carey with “Loverboy”; the Black Swan bragged of besting this diva in Week 8.
The Finals Spoilers
Black Swan | Chameleon | Piglet
Just as the Black Swan revealed in Week 8, JoJo was raised by a single mother in New Hampshire. (JoJo’s father has French Canadian heritage; in Week 10 there was a shot of the maple leaf flag.) JoJo began singing professionally at age 6 (that number was referenced in Week 4 when we saw a nickel and penny pictured together). A year later, she appeared on “Kids Say the Darndest Things: On the Road in Boston” and performed a Cher song; in Week 9, the Black Swan spoke of a strong connection to this music icon.
In Week 10, the woman inside the Black Swan costume reflected on the mistakes she’d made along the way in her career; JoJo has been equally candid about the many missteps she has taken since her sudden success thrust her into the spotlight. And in Week 2, the Black Swan admitted that her fame caused a rift with a close relative.
JoJo’s mother had been managing her until Hollywood came calling. Without her mother there to guide her, JoJo says she made many mistakes, such as turning down the title role in “Hannah Montana” (referenced in Week 6 with the word Montana on a knapsack). And she became embroiled in a battle with her record company that prompted a petition from her fans (alluded to in Week 2).
The Black Swan told us then that she had appeared in a fantasy film; JoJo starred in the teen fantasy flick “Aquamarine” in 2006. In Week 2, the phrase “Reward Voucher” (with an emphasis on the first letters on the Wanted poster) referred to JoJo’s role in the Robin Williams comedy “RV.”
That episode was packed with other clues that point to the Black Swan being JoJo: the “X” signals her stint as a guest judge on “The X Factor” and the red card used by referees in soccer refers to her one-time boyfriend, soccer star Freddy Adu. That was also the week that Cluedle-Doo told us that “Black Swan has covered a monster.” In 2008, JoJo recorded a version of T-Pain‘s song “Can’t Believe It.” Remember, that rapper won season 1 of “The Masked Singer” disguised as a Monster.
Do you think we nailed the name of the Black Swan? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.
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