Masked Singer Finale Reveals '90s and '00s R&B Icons After Legendary Battle -- But Who Won?

AJ Michalka was a powerhouse, but she had occasional misfires along her way to a third-place finish. Not so for these clear R&B icons who've delivered one showstopping masterpiece after another, taking on unexpected artists and genres that have stretched them vocally, and really showed off how versatile and incredible they are.

These are both seasoned veterans of the entertainment industry, but even with that established pedigree, they've been putting on two incredible shows throughout their runs on Season 12, culminating in a genuine nailbiter of a season finale.

Last week, Nick Cannon said that the margin was less than a single percentage point, and that's just how tight we expected tonight's results to be. To make it even harder for the last masks standing -- and better for those of us who love good singing -- they each had to perform twice before the final result.

We can't even call a shocker or an upset, because both of these acts are equally deserving of the title and the victory. It really might just come down to who delivers the best night -- and the hope that the other will falter along the way. With covers of tracks by Whitney Houston, Gotye, Bruno Mars, and Sam Smith, they clearly came to fight. But who emerged victorious?

Let's jump right in with this week's mask. And don't worry, before we get to the shocking unmasking(s), we're going to make you power through the terrible (and occasionally good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora first. We do this because we love ... to torture you.

("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," Andy Williams) It felt like we were at a Vegas show hosted by Nick Lachey as he delivered a very straightforward rendition -- with lots of strategic breath pauses -- as the cast of TMS opened presents, knit scarves, and decorated their own Christmas tree. We're not gonna lie, we were kind of hoping for more alums to join Nick, but he did a solid job kicking off the grand finale of an incredibly competitive season.

("When I Was Your Man," Bruno Mars) Wasp managed to really connect and touch the heartstrings through that mask (which only muffled his full vocal potential at one point toward the end). This was the type of vocal presentation you want in a competition show, offering smooth textures, a whole range of not just notes, but emotional intensity. It was a palpable and emotive experience delivered with panache, ease and style.

("I'm Your Baby Tonight," Whitney Houston) Wasp was all about challenging himself and showing off his range on this track. You don't take on Whitney unless you have a lot of confidence, and it was well-earned here. We won't say he was pitch perfect with every note, but the fact he soared as strongly as he did is a testament to his experience, training, and most importantly, his incredible talent. If his mission was to show off what he was really capable of as a singer, boy did he deliver!

Clues & Guesses: Basically giving a recap of his career, Wasp shared that he blew up big as a young musician with Billboard dominance, but has since struggled to shake off the image of "that cute little kid with that song."

He's worked with TMS alums like Lil Wayne, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ne-Yo, but still has felt largely overlooked in the industry, which is why being seen for just his voice and the breadth of his talent on this show has been so meaningful.

When asked what he might say to the younger Wasp, he said, "Your wings are like your intuition. Trust them. Trust your intuition, believe in yourself. When you believe like you don't have the answers, trust your intuition, they are your wings."

Last week, he shared that competing on The Masked Singer has reignited that competitive drive in him that Wasp says was first awakened after his mother signed him up for a talent contest in hopes it might help him find his way out of the hood … and he won it! Even better, an "industry mogul" was in attendance, and the rest is history.

"I want you to remember your power," he told his younger fans. "As you get older, never forget that child that you once were. Always keep dreaming and believe in yourself to the fullest no matter what, how dark it gets, how many times you fall. You can always get up and fly again."

His friendship bracelet was for Robin, with Wasp adding, "I had a blast when we painted the town red in Nashville. We had such a good time, you remember?' That left Robin scrambling to come up with who all he's "painted the town red" with.

Wasp shifted his focus to love for the quarter finals … where he's also struggled. While riding the blue motorcycle that kicked off his performance, he talked about not knowing what love was from any real-world examples, which may be why he flew fast and loose looking for that rom-com magic.

He said he failed more than once along the way, and even had a few U-turns he said should've been illegal, but he's currently in love and hopeful that maybe he's finally on the right track. His on-stage clue was a phone call from a loved one, which for Wasp was his cousin.

"Hey Wasp, it's your best friend and cousin," he said as Wasp got visibly emotional. "You never cease to amaze me. You're capable of so many things it's ridiculous, from putting out hits to live theater to starring in one of the biggest shows of the decade, you are a big star. I know you've got what it takes to win this thing."

Last time we checked in with him, Wasp paid tribute to his mother, who passed away after facing her "darkest battle," that he wasn't equipped to help her overcome. He talked about her as his protector and his hero, sharing that she loved Halloween and playing dress-up -- even saying she'd probably want to wear his wasp costume.

As he talked, we saw an old-timey (treasure?) map, a stethoscope, and a shot of a lava lamp next to a DNA strand behind him. His '60s invention was the ATM, with a $1,000,000 withdrawal triggering bills to fly everywhere. "That's an interesting bill," Wasp said, showing Robin's face on a million-dollar bill. "Just like this bill, I've also hit a million," he added.

For his second performance, Wasp pulled back the curtain on his crowded upbringing, growing up with more than a dozen family members living under the same roof, with Wasp describing them all as "hustlers." The only thing missing was his dad.

He said that when he finally stepped out and made it, though, he returned home to love and support from his whole family, including his father. His dad even expressed how proud of him he was. Clues in the package included a folding ladder, a theater marquee with his name, and a red crab.

His on-stage toy was a Barbie stage with two dolls standing on it, each with one arm raised, one on a bit of a pedestal. "Every minute I'm out there, I take my live performances to new heights," Wasp explained.

The Wasp's Masked Ambassador is Ne-Yo (a.k.a. Season 10 winner Cow), who said, "I think it's about time for my boy the Wasp to enter this game. I've known him since he was fresh on the scene and he gained huge success by taking my words of wisdom. I think he's got what it takes to snag the Golden Mask trophy, just like I did in Season 10."

Wasp then opened up about growing up in a tough neighborhood, saying there's no reason he would have made it out. "But I learned to dig deep and fight," he said, sporting a pair of boxing gloves. He then said that his career blew up to the "biggest screens and stages in the world." Ne-Yo said he had the ladies swarming.

Other visual clues included a shot of Mars and a lightbulb over Ne-Yo's head while talking about his words of wisdom. For Sports Night, the singers brought an athletic shoe from home to represent their life. Wasp's honeycomb themed basketball shoes left him saying, "Fresh kicks help me stay on my game."

The panel then recollected some of their favorite past guesses, like Ken's past guesses including Daveed Diggs and Usher, Jenny's nods for Bruno Mars, Frank Ocean, and Jason Derulo, Rita's considerations for Taye Diggs, Miguel, and Mario, while Robin agreed with the Mario guess before also recalling his Anthony Ramos guess.

Of all those guesses, we're definitely leaning toward Mario. His career blew up when he was just a teen with his remake of "Just a Friend 2002" and his chart-topping hit, "Let Me Love You," among others. But he's struggled to match those heights as an adult.

He was raised by his grandmother in west Baltimore while his single mother struggled with heroin addiction, and he's previously talked about having 18 family members living in his house.

Ne-Yo wrote "Let Me Love You" for him, cementing that connection. He also starred in the TV adaptation of theatrical production Rent, giving us our marquee -- and the ladder, too, while we're at it, for its unique staging.

He also competed on a talent show at Coppin State College at age eleven where he was discovered and signed by producer Troy Patterson, ultimately leading to a record deal with Clive Davis' J Records in his early teens, where it quickly all took off for him.

("Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye) Buffalos really know how to spotlight each of their members as they once again delivered a towering group performance with incredible harmonies and standout moments. The bottom line is that these are seasoned pros who know how to play off of one another, and are fantastic individually, as well. This is a showcase of one of the most versatile group vocals in the business, bar none.

("Too Good at Goodbyes," Sam Smith) Buffalos then took every singer who's ever been on this show to school with their second performance, with each of them again showing they could be contenders as solo artists before coming together for beautifully heartfelt harmonies. The thing with Buffalos is that they're not only impressive when singing together, they can still create that emotional resonance with the audience. This was breathtaking.

Clues & Guesses: Their finale package talked about their three-decade career, as well as all they've overcome from coming out of the hood to losing a pivotal figure in their lives to even having to reconfigure their sound as a group when they lost a member. Now, they're shining and enjoying this journey for their fans, their kids, and those who've stood by them.

When asked how freeing it was as industry icons to hide under Buffalo masks, one of them admitted he was crying -- and didn't even know why -- before saying, "This has made me feel, with these guys, we can do anything."

For the semi-finals, Buffalos paid tribute to their children, who they said sing even better than they do. Do they sing together, though, Robin wondered. They talked about doubters at the start of their careers, but how staying true to themselves helped them achieve their success and allow them to be that example for their children and the next generation.

As they've spoken about their bond together before, Nick asked what they'd say to one another. One Buffalo replied, "Well first I would say, never in a million years would I think I'd even be in a Buffalo mask. But I'm glad I'm doing it with my brothers and the best friends I've ever had."

Their Friendship Bracelet connection was with Jenny, with the word "Donnie," referring to her husband, Donnie Wahlberg. "We go way back with Donnie," explained one Buffalo. "And we also go way back with you."

Their quarter finals package was all about their bond of brotherhood, which had to overcome a huge obstacle when "something happened" to one of their number that "ruined their delicate blend." All of their planned joint everythings were "called off." But they were able to regroup and come back stronger than ever.

Their phone call was from Babyface -- yes that Babyface! -- who told them, "You guys are just killing it. I've never seen you look better or more ridiculous. So keep it up, bring home the trophy." They revealed that after getting the chance to work with him, "It changed our lives."

The trio chose The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" for their third performance because they connected with that bittersweet feeling. In their clue package, they opened up about losing a guiding light that inspired them as they were breaking through after they lost him suddenly.

They said that they sang together while laying him to rest and thought that might be it for them, but they know he'd want them to continue. Visual clues in the package included a Dead End sign, a ringing bell, and camouflage umbrella.

"We've been in this industry for a very long time," one of them said on stage after their performance. "We've gained a lot and we've lost a lot. The beautiful thing is, we're here right now sharing our story with you." The other two circled around him in support as he got emotional.

The on-stage clue was a t-shirt that reads "Halftime Show," with the explanation, "This halftime t-shirt has aged over time, like us, but we can tell you this performance was in front of one of the biggest audiences in the world."

Their second clue package saw the trio describe themselves as rebels who found each other along the way never really cared what other people said about them. It emphasized that they're funny -- while suggesting some might think they take themselves too seriously -- and that they're rich. Like, way rich.

Their bar-set package included an emphasis on three beer mugs, a game of poker, and a black "poison" bottle. Their clue came out as a mini-"Motown" tractor. "We're a little tired right now because we're busy using this tractor to mow lawns all around town," they explained.

Season 5 winner Piglet (a.k.a. Nick Lachey) shared a seemingly singular Buffalo's story in his first clue package, talking about his rough upbringing in "roach-filled beds at night." During the day, he practiced at a bus stop. When Buffalo talked about catching his big break at a cattle call, we saw images of Betty White and Vanna White.

From that auspicious beginning, Buffalo went on to travel the world and star in two of the biggest sitcoms of all time. Nick came back to call Buffalo a "national treasure," as well as the center of attention at his Super Bowl parties. Additional images included a poster of a football player at that bus stop and Buffalo holding up a film reel.

Buffalo's closing line was, "Just you wait," which evokes Hamilton. Their-on-stage clue the first week was a crown.

The panel's journey of guesses for this impressive trio have included Jenny's gut Boyz II Men instinct, as well as B2K, while Robin recalled thinking Jonas Brothers, the non-Nick Lachey members of 98 Degrees, and Big TIme Rush, Ken explored his Bell Biv DeVoe, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Tony! Toni! Toné! Guesses, and Rita worked through her Earth, Wind & Fire guess, followed by Black Eyed Peas, and Blackstreet.

The strongest emerging guess throughout the season, that just keeps hitting with every single clue -- including their challenging journey chronicle tonight, is Boyz II Men. The group was rocked when Michael "Mike Bass" McCary had to leave due to chronic back problems ultimately diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. As he kept the condition secret before his departure, the band members felt he wasn't giving his all, leading to a rift.

Before that, Boyz II Men lost their tour manager Roderick 'Khalil' Rountree when he was murdered in Chicago while they were on tour. They dedicated performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" to him, which turned into a breakthrough song for them.

Oh, and as for Babyface, he only co-wrote and produced "End of the Road," one of the biggest hits of the '90s, which catapulted them to the next level in their career. Oh, and Wanya has six children, four of whom also make up their own R&B group, WanMor, which hints at that next gen.

This was one of the most competitive season finales we've had with two of the strongest singers the show has seen -- and that's not just empty hyperbole like we get from the panel sometimes. Throughout the season, both Wasp and Buffalos have made strong cases for why they should win. We'd even argue they've gone back and forth as to who was the better artist of the season.

As such, it really came down to what happened during this finale for us. Here we saw Wasp really push himself, continuing to show off incredible range and heart. But he missed the mark just a few times, and that might be enough to give Buffalos the edge. After all, they were also pushing themselves creatively and vocally, while managing to make us feel all the feels along the way.

Our vote for victory would go to the powerhouse trio, but did the panel and audience at this taping agree? As it turns out they absolutely did in another "very, very close" vote, sending Wasp into second place and the first unmasking of the night.

Final Guesses:

• Robin Thicke: Mario
• Jenny McCarthy: Jason Derulo
• Ken Jeong: Usher
• Rita Ora: Mario

One of these days, Ken might just manifest Usher into appearing on this show, but this was not that day. Jenny was a lot closer with the reasoning behind her guesses, but if you looked at all the clues and paired them with that voice, there was only one clear answer … and a shocking two panelists got it right.

Mario is in the building and way more than "that cute little kid with that song."

Huge props to Buffalos for making Masked Singer history as the first group to ever win the top prize; so anyone saying they had an unfair advantage because of that need only look at recent history to see the fifth place finish for Russian Dolls (Hanson), the fourth place finish of Queen Cobras (En Vogue), and the third place finish of California Roll (Pentatonix) -- all in different seasons.

Even Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard competing together as Beets had to settle for fifth place, and they took the top two spots in American Idol! Buffalos made history because they delivered that consistent level of incredible each time they hit the stage, and knew how to connect with the audience in all the ways that mattered.

Final Guesses:

• Robin Thicke: Boyz II Men
• Jenny McCarthy: Boyz II Men
• Ken Jeong: Boyz II Men
• Rita Ora: Boyz II Men

It was a clean sweep in the guess territory, with the panel holding hands at this rare moment of absolute certainty. And they were absolutely right, too. One of the most legendary vocal groups of all time, Boyz II Men don't need to do a show like this, but we loved that they did anyway.

We also loved that we got to see such a wide range of musical material from them, proving they've still got every bit of that "it" that made them superstars decades ago, and have kept their lights shining just as bright over all these years.

The Masked Singer will be back for Season 13 on Wednesday, February 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.