How We’re Sure The Masked Singer’s Astronaut Is This Cute Country Crooner

The Masked Singer said from the outset of Season 3 that this go-round’s lineup was the most accomplished by far and, judging from the likes of those already eliminated, that’s an understatement. We can definitely put Astronaut in the mega-talented camp; from Day 1, his performances have been…otherworldly, to say the least It’s not far-fetched at all to assume he’s a professional singer, and combined with one very important clue that’s been a giveaway, we can safely wager that this out-of-this-world warbler is none other than country singer Hunter Hayes.

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How can we be so sure? Let’s launch into the facts.

Did #AstronautMask make you proud, @rickastley? 🕺 #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/51RK0C9MHw

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) April 2, 2020

How about his second week, when he called Stevie Wonder a friend before performing “Signed, Sealed Delivered?” It turns out that Hunter Hayes and Stevie Wonder have performed together twice — on Dancing with the Stars and the ACM Awards, where they looked totally adorable hanging out together in the press room. Then there was the time a clue package included a Hawaiian lei — a nod to one his favorite places in the world and where he wrote a song, “Heartbreak.” On another occasion, Astronaut said something about “help from someone from an organized crime family.” Hayes, as it turns out, is good buddies with Godfather star Robert Duvall.

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Of course, Astronaut’s voice shouldn’t be overlooked either. Last year, he released an album entitled Wild Blue, which includes a title track that makes allusions to a love of space. Astronaut has made a number of references to being in the business since he was a kid, as Hunter Hayes has.

The biggest, most telltale clue came not from the show itself. One of the accolades The Masked Singer touted about its performers at the beginning of the season was that one performer holds a Guinness World Record — and Hayes has one for playing a record number of shows (10) in 24 hours. Making it even more of a solid certainty, a recent clue package showed Astronaut holding an actual album that shattered in his hand — a “broken record” that’s without a doubt a reference to that Guinness feat. In Week 11, Astronaut made his connection to Hunter even clearer when a clue package included a reference to the White House and an accordion; Hunter has performed there and includes the instrument in his repertoire. It’s definintely him!

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Fox.