Originally posted Thursday, March 20, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Sure, the world feels like it’s coming to an end or at least some horrifying depression. The ultimate diversion is probably Fox’s “The Masked Singer” in all its delightful, over-the-top absurdity.
Part of the appeal isn't so much Jenny McCarthy's antics but the clues that enable viewers to go on Reddit and other sites to speculate on who the masked singers really are.
Of the final 10 singers, fans are thinking the Frog and the Night Angel are Atlanta artists Bow Wow (real name: Shad Moss) and Kandi Burruss respectively.
Both are reality show veterans. Bow Wow stars in WE-TV’s “Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta” while Burruss has been a staple on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for a decade and numerous spin-offs plus an appearance on “Celebrity Big Brother” last year.
Both were also stars as teens, with Bow Wow breaking it big at age 13 while Burruss was part of the 1990s R&B female act Xscape. Bow Wow has also done his fair share of acting.
The key clues for the Frog was a flyer showing a reference to the 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta!) and $106 (Bow Wow hosted BET's "106 & Park.") Later, the letters "CSI" show up: Bow Wow starred in "CSI: Cyber." This site parses out other clues as well.
For the Night Angel, the vocal performance sounds very much like Burruss even though she opted for rock and pop instead of R&B to possibly throw off the scent. Other guesses include Atlanta R&B singer Monica and singer and actor Brandy, who has shot several shows in Atlanta including BET's "The Game" and "Zoey Ever After" and Fox's "Star."
The Night Angel clue packages have been tougher to ascertain than those of the Frog, but sharp-eyed viewers saw some they think tie to Burruss: three men in black with duck bills may reference the fact Burruss co-wrote Destiny Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills." And there is also a scene with "gangsta grandmas," a possible reference to her two Old Lady Gang restaurants in Atlanta. This particular site also noted that a man points at a watch as if she's late, which might be an allusion to a song Burruss wrote for Kim Zolciak on "Real Housewives" called "Tardy for the Party."
Here are the Frog’s performances:
***
Here are the Night Angel performances:
About the Author