‘The Masked Singer’: UFO Details Why Experience Was ‘Really Liberating’

Meredith Jacobs May 3, 2023, 9:01 pm

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UFO in 'The Masked Singer' — Michael Becker/FOX

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 12, “Quarter Finals.”]

And then there were three.

The Masked Singer surprised the panelists in the quarterfinals of Season 9 when UFO was unmasked and revealed to be model and cellist Olivia Culpo. And now, heading into the semifinals, all that is left are California Roll, Macaw, and Medusa.

Culpo tells us about her experience on the Fox hit.

What made you say yes to doing The Masked Singer?

Olivia Culpo: I really thought it was going to be fun, first and foremost. I grew up playing music. I would say it was my first love in life, honestly. It took the most amount of my time. I started playing the cello when I was six and then from there when I wasn’t in quartet or orchestra or band camp, I was in chorus, I was in musical theater. I feel like music is a huge part of my foundation.

Talk about that costume.

Moving and singing in the costumes is so much harder than I anticipated. I had heard from prior contestants that it was really heavy and you’re really hot, and it’s hard to move around, but I was like, this is fine, I’m used to wearing heels and walking around on weird platforms and whatnot. This was so hard because obviously, you have to project your voice and perform, but [while] having a humongous apparatus around you that’s heavy, and also your face is far from the mic. There were just so many things I hadn’t thought about before that were really challenging.

What went into your song choices?

We had themes for every night, so that helped. I had a producer on set who was really helpful, so I leaned on him a lot for suggestions, and then also the coaches were really great. Everyone’s really involved, so you never feel like you’re at it alone.

Did you ever think about choosing a song in which you could play the cello on stage? Or did you not want to do that for any reason, whether it might have given away your identity or something else?

Yeah, I feel like if I had played the cello, I feel like it would’ve given too much away. Also, there’s no way I would’ve been able to sit with my UFO. [Laughs] It was very large.

Michael Becker/FOX

Talk about the panelists’ guesses. No one figured you out!

I know! I was really happy that they weren’t making any guesses because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to keep a straight face. And then, when I went on Twitter, people started tagging me in random things. I was shocked that so many fans had gotten it, but the panelists had no clue. They were so far off.

Did you come into this expecting anyone from the panel to figure you out?

Not really, honestly. It just kind of depends. Sometimes they’re really on it, sometimes they aren’t from what I’ve watched, so I really was just keeping an open mind about that.

Did you have any songs in mind if you’d continued on or had wanted to but couldn’t for any reason?

There were a lot of songs that were difficult to clear. That’s another part you don’t really think about. That was a challenge because you had to work around what you could get cleared in time.

Was there a genre you’d wanted to cover but couldn’t for any reason?

I would’ve loved to sing country, but I wasn’t there for Country Week, which is sad. I love country music. And I wanted to sing Adele, [but] another performer was. That’s another part: You also have to make sure it’s not too similar to any of the other performers.

You said that this was the most authentic you’ve ever been able to be, so how has that impacted what you’ve taken away from the entire experience of the show?

I feel like with The Masked Singer, the reason why it’s so great for people to watch and be a part of is because the most important thing is having fun, and you can’t say that about every job that you ever take, so that was liberating. And it was just different, which I appreciate.

Will we be hearing more music, say singing, from you going forward?

Probably. I’m always doing little cello things here and there, but they don’t hit mainstream press; I don’t know why. Maybe classical music needs a revival. But as far as singing goes, probably. It’s always going to be a part of my life, for sure.

What surprised you the most about being on The Masked Singer?

Definitely how difficult it is projecting your voice in the costumes while dealing with the weight of it. And nerves — it’s so scary when you’re up there performing. The nerves are absolutely crazy. It’s a nervousness I had never had in my entire life, and I’ve played the cello my whole life, I’ve performed on stages my whole life, I’ve talked on international television. This is just unlike anything else, so I have so much respect for vocalists. It’s hard to control your voice when your heart rate is so high from being so nervous.