'The Masked Singer': Mermaid Is Legendary '70s Singer

By Daniel S. Levine

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The Masked Singer Season 8's tribute to Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber in week four was totally derailed in the U.S. due to a baseball game. However, Canadian viewers still saw what went down. As a result, we know that Mermaid was eliminated and unmasked at the end of the night. Scroll on to spoil the reveal for yourself. (You can still tune in live via FuboTV if you want to guess along with the judges.) Spoilers ahead!

The clue package for Mermaid was peppered with subtle references to Gloria Gaynor. The legendary disco star suffered from chronic back pain for most of her life, until she had a risky surgery in 2018. That pain inspired her to record "I Will Survive" in 1978, even as she wore a back brace. Mermaid mentioned being "petrified" her career would be over. At the end of the package, Mermaid hinted that she was just as legendary as Webber.

After Mermaid performed "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the panelists had some crazy ideas about her identity. The stage clue was "Mermaid Makes Waves, Enters Library of Congress," which also describes Gaynor. "I Will Survive" joined the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2016. However, Webber didn't think of this and guessed Gloria Estefan. Ken Jeong guessed Cher, which Webber instantly dismissed. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg guessed Roberta Flack, but Robin Thicke guessed it correctly.

Gaynor rose to fame during the 1970s and dominated the disco era. Aside from "I Will Survive," she also had hits with "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Reach Out, I'll Be There," "How High the Moon," and "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)." Her final major hit was the 1983 single "I Am What I Am." She has never stopped working, even collaborating with Kylie Minogue last year for "Can't Stop Writing Songs About You." This season has also seen the unmaskings of Eric Idle, William Shatner, Chris Kirkpatrick, Jeff Dunham, Montell Jordan, and Daymond John so far.

How to Watch

The Masked Singer airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. If you don't have a traditional cable package, FuboTV allows you to watch The Masked Singer live (there's even a free trial available). Additionally, all episodes of The Masked Singer are available on Hulu the following day.  

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