Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 7 finale. Read at your own risk!
The Masked Singer Season 7 saw a lot of notable names eliminated this season, and finally, on finale night, it was time to crown a winner. The Fox series did just that in a showdown between Prince, Firefly, and Ringmaster, and decided that Firefly stood above the competitors as the definitive winner.
Teyana Taylor emerged victorious over actors and singers Cheyenne Jackson (Prince) and Hayley Orrantia (Ringmaster), and fans of The Masked Singer have a lot of feelings about that. There are some who feel like Taylor didn’t deserve the victory over runner-up Ringmaster, and not being shy about sharing that opinion on Twitter:
Firefly did not deserve to win...Ring Master was SO much better! ALL. SEASON. LONG. 😡#maskedsinger #ringmastermask #riggedMay 19, 2022
There’s a good number of people on the internet who believe that Hayley Orrantia deserved to win The Masked Singer Season 7. Ringmaster felt like a frontrunner from the very start of her time in the competition, and even though she scared the hell out of me, I agreed. Many fans aren’t denying that Firefly is a talented singer but feel like Ringmaster was robbed all the same:
Okay I won't deny, Firefly is very talented at what she does, but how the heck did she win against Ringmaster?????? #MaskedSingerMay 19, 2022
Teyana Taylor did showcase her singing prowess throughout the competition, but it seems like one of her most notable moments is haunting her post-finale. Many people are referencing her dramatic walk off the stage in the early episodes and using that as a reason why she shouldn’t have won.
I don't care who Firefly is or if she can sing after she stormed off stage earlier in the season. #maskedsingerMay 19, 2022
Teyana Taylor isn’t without her supporters, many of whom bring up some valid points. For all the talent Ringmaster showcased throughout the season, there’s no denying that she had one of her worst performances in the finale. In the end, Firefly outperformed her when it mattered, which might’ve been why she walked away with The Masked Singer’s Golden Mask trophy:
For everyone saying Ringmaster should have won, she flubbed the last song. Firefly sang better. Sorry. #maskedsingerMay 19, 2022
It’s also worth noting that Teyana Taylor pulled out all the stops with her final performance and sang “Lost Without U” by panelist Robin Thicke. Flattery will occasionally get you somewhere, and while Thicke didn’t have any influence on the winner, his compliments about the song might’ve swayed the audience to vote Firefly’s way over Ringmaster. I can only speculate, of course, but I’m not the only one who thought that performance might’ve sealed Taylor’s win:
And i think firefly may win it just off the song … #maskedsingerMay 19, 2022
The Masked Singer is no stranger to controversial eliminations, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen such strong online reactions about the winner. Then again, Season 7 was one of the weirder seasons in the franchise with all the controversy tied to it, so in hindsight, maybe a polarizing finale is completely on-brand. Time will tell if this trend continues, as Season 8 is confirmed and on the way.
The Masked Singer just finished Season 7 on Fox, but anyone with a Hulu subscription can check the episodes out right now. The countdown begins for next season, and I can only imagine what celebrities will sign up for the series next after the wide variety we’ve seen so far.
