Masked Singer Semi&Finals Reveals Closest Vote Ever Before Frontrunner's Shocking Elimination

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour may be over, but the friendship bracelets were flying all over The Masked Singer semi-finals as the panelists learned of personal connections they share with the three remaining finalists. Buffalos, Strawberry Shortcake, and Wasp have all belted out incredible performances all season long, leaving audiences breathless with heartfelt moments of vulnerability and window-shaking moments of pure power. And yet, they somehow all managed to save their best performances yet for this semi-finals show. No matter the results, the stage was set for an incredible finale. And while Rita Ora missed the episode due to feeling under the weather, she will be back for the big finish! Unfortunately, after the tightest voting margin in the history of the show -- with Nick Cannon revealing there was less than one percentage point difference -- one of these masks was going to fall just short. Who gave it their all only to go home one week before the finale? And did anyone on our illustrious -- ahem -- panel of experts make the right guess? There's only one way to find out! 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, and Ken Jeong first. We do this because we love ... to torture you. ("Some Nights," Fun.) The night kicked off with a rollicking show piece from the remaining singers -- and with five of them on the stage, it was a very full sound. Strawberry Shortcake held her own as the only female in a field of male voices, while Wasp proved more than capable as a solo male artist. Buffalos are already a powerhouse group with killer harmonies, but we saw that solo moment from one of them. And collectively, there was talent to spare, setting the stage for a night of stiff competition -- and one heartbreaking reveal. ("Lose You to Love Me," Selena Gomez) Strawberry Shortcake may have had a slightly tilted mask tonight, but that performance was straight heart. It was palpable and heartfelt from the first note. We felt her emotions through each line of pitch-perfect note delivery. It's not an easy song to cover because there's nowhere to hide vocally, but Strawberry Shortcake was out in front of it proudly, boldly, and beautifully. Clues & Guesses: Sometimes you have to step away from the dream to relearn how to appreciate it, because most dreams come with a lot of drag. That was Strawberry Shortcake's experience in her semi-finals clue package, where she opened up about feeling disenchanted through pressure, rejection, and self-doubt. She said she was triggered by her early fame, leading to a long break. Now, she's found the love and fun again. When asked what she's learned on this journey, she shared, "I have learned that I am resilient, strong, and I'm just so happy to be on the stage." She thanked the panel for their kind words, saying this experience back in the spotlight showed her "this is where I'm supposed to be." Her on-stage Friendship Bracelet revealed a connection to Ken with the message "Press Tour." She explained, "One of the highlights of my career was the press tour we did together. You made me laugh all day." In the quarterfinals, Strawberry Shortcake made it clear that she usually doesn't do this sort of thing … alone. She's proud of herself for taking time for herself, even if her family and friends being busy doing their things was part of her motivation for taking this chance. She said she's been part of a "package bunch" her whole life, so this was all very exciting and new. "Hey sis, you are absolutely crushing it, I'm so proud of you," came her phone call clue. "It's been so amazing to see you grow over the years and just get better and better all the time. And remember, I'm always with you, no matter what, so go out there and show the world you're capable of anything, 'cause I know you are. And me and your nephew are rooting for you." Last week's clue package was all about her connection with her mother, sharing that they used to sing at the tops of their lungs for the holidays while baking. Now, though, stage fright has stolen her mother's voice, and it's Strawberry Shortcake's hope that this journey will inspire her mother to sing again. She also mentioned having had an opportunity to appear in a Thanksgiving parade, while we saw a pen with musical notes on it, a cow in a ballet costume, and a stagecoach with horse. Her on-stage clue was novelty mouse ears, to which she explained, "Mouse ears were instrumental in how I got my start." And of course, you can't say "mouse ears" without thinking about Disney. Last week's package was all about her connections to Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus, including that they shared the same dreams, attacked them the same way, gre