The Masked Singer's Joe Bastianich was sent home following the Smackdown round, which I feel might be one of the more controversial eliminations the Fox series has shown in recent seasons. Bastianich gave about as pitch-perfect performance of Billy Joel's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" as one could give but was sent home over The Lizard. I told the MasterChef judge I thought he was robbed, and he reacted to that in addition to telling CinemaBlend why he went with a more traditional performance.
I was thrilled to be speaking to Bastianich about The Masked Singer, as I felt he had no business being eliminated on Billy Joel Night. His performances led me to believe he's sung those songs before, so I asked about that and learned what the singer/songwriter meant to the successful restauranteur's life:
Actually, I have, I grew up in Long Island and Queens, Billy Joel, I actually know Billy Joel. It's kind of a soundtrack of my life in the seventies and eighties. So these songs are near and dear to me, and in my interpretation, I tried to do honor to the Maestro himself. So sing them as he would have sung them, you know, an octave lower. I have a lower voice than him, but it was great because I knew the songs, and they meant something to me.
It's no surprise to hear Joe Bastianich speak so fondly of Billy Joel, especially since he grew up hearing those iconic songs and actually knows the singer. I can also understand it because when Bastianich is not appearing on Gordon Ramsay's TV shows, he's making his own music. Bastianich's music can be found on Spotify, and he'll be touring Europe this summer for any who want to see The Masked Singer's Spaghetti and Meatballs without the costume.
Knowing Joe Bastianich is a singer, I had to wonder if it stung to lose in the Smackdown round considering he lost essentially because The Lizard did a bunch of vocal runs rather than singing the actual song they were tasked with. After a short "No comment," Bastianich said the following about it:
The Lizard took it another way and it was obviously more appreciated than my strict interpretation. You know, you make decisions, you deal with the consequences.
The Masked Singer's contestants live and die by the votes of the audience, who were once deemed so non-essential during the lockdown they were replaced by unsettling fake attendees. I only say this because I think Joe Bastianich was robbed, and after praising the Fox series for Season 11's premiere outshining Season 10, I feel it's time to get a little critical.
That said, The Lizard is still a solid singer. This isn't a case where he was the worst singer The Masked Singer has ever seen; Billy Joel's song catalog just didn't match his vocals. He almost had to try and do something different to try and win, and the gamble paid off.
Ultimately, we'll see if he can give a cleaner performance on another night or if he'll be the next person out of his group. I wouldn't be surprised if he just had an off night, considering The Masked Singer contestants aren't paid well to be in top condition.
Joe Bastianich's early departure wasn't the most egregious elimination we've seen on The Masked Singer, but it was unexpected. The show has gone to such great lengths in the past to combat the occasionally questionable judgment of the in-studio audience that it would be nice to see something implemented earlier in the season. I don't think anyone deserved to go home this week, but of course, that isn't how it works this season.
The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 11 still has yet to deliver a front-runner that I feel confident will take this season, though there are still some wildcards planned for this season that we haven't seen yet.
