I’ve been watching bothThe Masked SingerandAmerican Idolsince season 1, and I think thatThe Masked Singeris the better of the two reality singing competition series.The Masked Singerpremiered in January 2019, and has aired for 13 seasons so far, whileAmerican Idoldebuted in June 2002 and is now in season 23. Over the years, I’ve become obsessed with both shows because of their phenomenal performances and high entertainment values, butI’ve come to enjoyThe Masked Singerbetter thanAmerican Idolin recent seasons.
The Masked SingerandAmerican Idolhave completely different concepts. The former is a mystery celebrity singing competition series, while the latter is a show that searches for the next music superstar. However, at their hearts,they’re both singing competition shows, with many of the same elements. AsThe Masked Singerseason 13andAmerican Idolseason 23 currently air, I’ve come to realize that I’m enjoyingThe Masked Singermuch more for several reasons, and it’s the better show.
1The Masked Singer Has Better Songs Than American Idol
The Masked Singer Feels Fresh & New
As I’ve been watchingAmerican Idolseason 23,I’ve been very frustrated by watching teenagers and people in their early 20s singing songs that are over fifty years old. They might be iconic songs, but they don’t prove that they can compete in today’s pop music scene. Songs such as “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and tunes by Stevie Wonder are classics, but I believe that they’re too old to be so overused onAmerican Idol. In addition, many of these songs have been heard on the show since season 1, so I don’t understand why the show isn’t looking for more modern music after two decades on the air.
On the other hand,The Masked Singerconsistently features newer songs that make the show feel current and fresh. Songs such asMad Scientist Monster’s “There’s Nothing Holdin' Me Back” by Shawn Mendesand Boogie Woogie’s “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors are exciting to hear because they were originally released in the last decade. As Space Ranger, Flavor Flav’s version of “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift was a real treat because she’s so popular right now.American Idolshould take a page fromThe Masked Singer’ssong catalog and feature more current hits.
2The Masked Singer Doesn’t Repeat Songs Like American Idol
American Idol Gets Very Boring
After watchingAmerican Idolfor 23 seasons, I’ve noticed that certain songs have become staples of the show. This is because they showcase the contestants' vocal ranges and their ability to make songs their own, butit gets very boring hearing them again and again. While I love the old classics, I’m so tired of hearing them onAmerican Idol.
We’ve already heard twoAmerican Idolseason 23 contestants, Isaiah Misailegalu and Ché, sing full versions of “A Song For You” by Donny Hathaway, which is an iconic song, butit’s been so overdone. I roll my eyes every time someone auditions with judge Lionel Richie’s classic “Hello” because there’s nothing innovative about it because it’s been done so much on the show, and no one will ever top season 7 winner David Cook’s rock version.
UnlikeAmerican Idol,The Masked Singerdoesn’t allow repeat songs. This is why every episode feels so fresh and unique. By allowing each song to be sung only once,The Masked Singeris always thrilling and not repetitive. While this would be much more difficult on a show such asAmerican Idolbecause there are so many more contestants, I feel that perhaps certain overdone songs should be retired from the show for a while to give viewers a break from hearing them.
3The Masked Singer Has Better Theme Nights Than American Idol
The Masked Singer Is Much More Unique & Creative
BothAmerican IdolandThe Masked Singerfeature theme nights, butThe Masked Singerhas the better themes by far. WhileAmerican Idolrelies mostly on themes that feature genres such as rock, country, and the upcoming songs of faith and inspiration,The Masked Singergets much more specific and interesting. I’ve loved their theme nights dedicated to certain artists, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, ABBA, Billy Joel, Elton John, Miley Cyrus, and Queen.
In addition, theme nights dedicated to specific movies such asThe Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Trolls, Footloose, Shrek, and Ghostbustershave brought back so many memories with their nostalgic songs. Also, other creative themes such as TV Theme, Muppets,Sesame Street, New York, NFL, Girl Group, Boy Band, Rat Pat Tribute, and Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods Nights, among others,have been so much fun to watch.
The fact thatThe Masked Singerdoesn’t repeat themesmakes their theme nights so much more thrilling (with the exception of Soundtrack of My Life Night, which is always different because of the contestants' personal stories), unlikeAmerican Idolwhich presents Disney Night every year, and has featured “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” fromToy Storyin five out of its seven nights dedicated to the Happiest Place on Earth.
4The Masked Singer Panelists Are Better Than The American Idol Judges
Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, & Rita Ora Have A Better Rapport
ForAmerican Idolseason 23, the show added Carrie Underwood to its judging panel to replace Katy Perry and to join Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, which has had mixed reviews.It was hard for Carrie to replace Katy, and she’s struggled a bit with finding her footing as a judge. She’s fallen into the same pattern as Lionel and Luke, in whichthey don’t judge the contestants or offer them any feedback, but instead serve as cheerleaders for them. In addition, I feel that their antics at the judging table, such as singing along or making jokes, have sometimes overshadowed the contestants.
However,The Masked Singerpanelists–Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora–are phenomenal at what they do. Unlike theAmerican Idoljudges, they’re not there to critique the contestants, but rather to put together the vocals and the clues in order to guess who they are, which they’re superb at.They’re entertaining without being overpowering, which I believe is a delicate balance that they’ve mastered beautifully.
In addition, when Rita replaced beloved original panelist Nicole Scherzinger, it was a much more seamless transition than when Carrie joinedAmerican Idol.I also love watching them perform together on the show, like when they sang “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls in season 11.The Masked Singerpanelists are the perfect example of what a celebrity judging panel should be.
5The Masked Singer Has Shorter Episodes Than American Idol
American Idol Has Become Too Much
I’ve been a hugeAmerican Idolfan since season 1. I couldn’t get enough.I voted hundreds of times for Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Katharine McPhee, went to theAmerican Idols Live!concerts and waited outside to meet the contestants at the tour buses, and woke up early to buy the winners' singles at the record store on the mornings after the finales. However, I now allow episodes ofAmerican Idolto pile up on my DVR becauseI just don’t have the time or desire to sit through two two-hour episodes of the show a week, or, worse, a three-hour episode on Easter Sunday.
I feel that, in recent years,American Idolhas become a lumbering mess of a show that’s mostly filler with a few bright spots. However,The Masked Singeris the exact opposite. Because it’s only an hour long, there’s no time for filler, soit’s fast-paced excitement from beginning to end, with clue packages, performances, and the reveal. The season 13 Lucky 6 episode was especially jam-packed as six contestants–Boogie Woogie, Coral, Mad Scientist Monster, Nessy, Paparazzo, and Pearl–performed in one episode.
I believe that, ifAmerican Idolshortened its episodes, it wouldn’t be so tedious and boring to watch.American Idol’ssupersized format is ruining the show, whileThe Masked Singeris thriving with shorter episodes. The thought of watching two two-hour episodes ofAmerican Idoltwo nights in a row is just too much for me sometimes.The Masked Singerleaves me wanting more, while, lately,American Idoljust makes me want to leave.
6The Masked Singer Has Much More Satisfying Reveals
American Idol Is Anticlimactic
The Masked Singer’srevealsare so much more satisfying thanAmerican Idol’s, and I’m not talking about the fact that it unmasks celebrities while the other gives results about unknown singers.American Idolhas too much build-up to its results, which makes them feel anticlimactic, especially when it seems obvious who’s going home based on the performances and the popularity of the contestants. I think that host Ryan Seacrest draws things out too much onAmerican Idol, whileThe Masked Singer’sNick gets straight to the point.
This goes back to the fact thatAmerican Idolhas too much filler, but it’s also disrespectful to the contestants. In the FOX era of the show, eliminated contestants' best moments were shown in a package on the screen after they were told they were going home, and they had the chance to sing one last time, like the triumphant unmasked performances ofThe Masked Singercontestants. In the ABC era of the show, theAmerican Idolcontestants are eliminated at the last moment, and there’s no time for them to be honored in any way.This makes the reveal of who’s going home very unsatisfying compared toThe Masked Singer, which gives great respect to its eliminated contestants.
7The Masked Singer Has Better Twists
American Idol’s Twists Make Things More Challenging For The Contestants
The Masked Singerhas had several twists over the years. One of my favorites is the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell, which allows the panelists to save a contestant from being unmasked. I also enjoyed the season 12 Masked Ambassadors, who were alums of the show who gave clues about the new contestants; season 5’s Cluedle-Doo and season 13’s Lucky Duck, zany characters who gave out clues; and how the show’s format changes every so often, adding Wild Cards, or switching up the groups.
On the other hand, I feel thatAmerican Idol’stwists haven’t been as successful. The platinum ticket was introduced in season 20, and allows its recipients to skip the first round of Hollywood Week, automatically advancing to the next round. However, it’s backfired at times as it puts undue pressure on the contestants who receive it, and gives them one less performance to be judged on.
In addition,American Idolseason 23’s new Head-to-Head roundwas greatly criticized because of how challenging and unfair it was that the contestants' final performance before the Top 24 depended on another person. Also, the judges made their decisions before hearing every contestant sing. Many people felt that there should’ve been a Top 25 instead of a Top 24 because there were other contestants who deserved a place in the next round.The Masked Singer’stwists help their contestants, whileAmerican Idol’sonly make things more challenging for them, and I find this to be very frustrating to watch.
I loveThe Masked SingerandAmerican Idol, but I think thatThe Masked Singeris the better show. It keeps getting better and better, whileAmerican Idolhas slowly been going downhill for the past few years. I hope thatAmerican Idolimproves by followingThe Masked Singer’sexample. I think that both shows are wonderful, but, right now,The Masked Singeris better thanAmerican Idol.
The Masked Singerairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on FOX.
American Idolairs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Sources:The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube,The Masked Singer/YouTube
