"Better with singing with a mask on" — The Masked Singer star Jana Kramer opens up about her experience on the show

The Masked Singer released an episode on Thursday, November 28, 2024. It saw the eliminations of the Royal Knight and Sherlock Hound. After a round of guesses, Royal Knight was unmasked to be singer, Jana Kramer. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, published November 28, 2024, Jana discussed how putting on a mask allowed her to let go of stage fright and be herself.

Jana was eliminated after the first round, during which she sang Holiday by Madonna. Sherlock Hound and Strawberry Shortcake entered the Battle Royale and competed against each other singing Shivers by Ed Sheeran. As Strawberry Shortcake won, Sherlock Hound was unmasked as former baseball player, Bronson Arroyo.

Although Peanuts Night ended Jana's journey on The Masked Singer, the One Tree Hill star was thankful to be a part of the show. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she discussed how freeing it was to sing with a mask on.

"And if I don't hit a perfect note, that's fine because it's all good. And I feel like I was better with singing with a mask on because I just don't have that insecurity," she explained.

Jana compared her experience on The Masked Singer with her time on Dancing with the Stars in 2016, deeming the former more relaxing. Although she enjoyed the dance reality show, she revealed that she felt more pressure there. In contrast, The Masked Singer allowed her to be herself and have fun without stressing too much about perfection.

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"Such a wild show" — Jana Kramer reflects on her decision to participate in The Masked Singer

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Jana revealed she decided to participate in the show because she thought it would be a "fun" experience. The show's unique concept which allowed celebrities to sing without revealing their identities attracted Jana. She admitted that the thrill of the guessing game made her want to participate.

"It was just one those shows where I just thought, man, it'd be so fun to just go up there and it's such a wild idea, such a wild show, but just have fun," she said.

The Masked Singer contestant mentioned that she also let her children be a part of her experience. She considered their input with costumes or other aspects of her performance to make them feel included.

Then, Jana reflected on selecting Savannah Chrisley as her Masked Ambassador. She explained that the selection happened over text since both were busy with their respective schedules. Jana added she was given a list of people to choose from and decided to go with Savannah, her long-time friend.

"So it's kind of one of those things where it's just a text thing, but I love her and she's a great girl," Jana stated.

While comparing her experience on The Masked Singer to her time on Dancing with the Stars, Jana confessed that the former gave her the opportunity to enjoy herself without worrying much about other things. She explained how the producers of the singing reality show encouraged the contestants to "just go pump the crowd" and "have fun."

In addition, the mask helped ease the nerves, since it concealed their identities, permitting them more freedom to be whoever they wanted. However, Jana claimed that with Dancing with the Stars, "it's all you and all eyes on you," which often made her feel like the audience was picking her apart from the go.

In contrast, The Masked Singer focused more on the entertainment aspect of the performances, as Jana recalled how "some of the best singers" were eliminated because they did not have fun. She also shed light on how freeing the experience could be for a professional singer.

"...with The Masked Singer, I was like, I can just actually go out there and have a good time and not care what anyone thinks," she explained.

It helped her take control of the stage and captivate the audience rather than worrying about executing the notes perfectly.

Lastly, she thanked the show for teaching her not to take everything so seriously. It encouraged her to focus more on "lifting people up" and "putting smiles on people's faces."

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The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET only on Fox.