The Masked Singer Season 14 Runner-Up Phillip Phillips Reveals How Performing As Pugcasso Compared To American Idol & Discusses His New Single

The Masked Singer season 14 runner-up Pugcasso was unmasked during the finale, and he was revealed to be multi-platinum singer and American Idol season 11 winner Phillip Phillips. Phillip placed second to winner Ashlee Simpson’s Galaxy Girl, after a finale that also unmasked America’s Insider and third place finisher, Kylie Cantrall (Cat Witch), and fourth place finisher, Normani (Crane).

Throughout The Masked Singer season 14, Phillip had so many spectacular performances as Pugcasso. They included “Ordinary” by Alex Warren (Premiere Night), Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead (Clueless Night), “Too Much” by the Spice Girls (Spice Girls Night), “Dreams” by The Cranberries (Care Bears Night), “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims (Semi-Finals), and “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper and “Sussudio” by Phil Collins (Finale). Phillip concluded his incredible Masked Singer run with a triumphant version of his iconic song, “Home.”

Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was the only one who guessed Phillip correctly before his unmasking during the finale, as the panelists made last-minute changes to their guesses when they realized that Pugcasso was an American Idol finalist. The other panelists’ final guesses were Justin Guarini (Robin Thicke), Bo Bice (Ken Jeong), and Kris Allen (Rita Ora). However, during the season, they weren’t even close to figuring out Phillip’s true identity, as they guessed Dan Reynolds, Darren Criss, Ryan Tedder, Jack Johnson, Rob Thomas, Pat Monahan, Jason Mraz, Charlie Puth, Gavin DeGraw, Michael Bublé, Shay Mooney, and Vance Joy.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Phillip discussed what it was like to become Pugcasso, how The Masked Singer compared to American Idol, his favorite arrangement, what having former American Idol judge Randy Jackson present his final clue meant to him, what he thought of the panelists’ wrong guesses for him, how he thinks his son will react to seeing him unmasked, whether he figured out his fellow contestants’ identities, his favorite thing about appearing on the show, and what’s next for him.

The Masked Singer Season 14 Runner-Up Phillip Phillips Loved Performing Under His Pugcasso Mask

ScreenRant: Congratulations on being the runner-up on The Masked Singer!

Phillip Phillips: I appreciate it!

ScreenRant: You were so phenomenal as Pugcasso. What was it like to become him?

Phillip: Oh, I thought it was cool. I’d never watched the show. It’s kinda like a similar story with Idol. I’d never really watched the show, so I had to do some homework before I said yes. I said, “Let me see who’s been on it.” And I saw Lil Wayne was on it, and T-Pain. So I said, “Those are pretty top-level cool people,” so I said, “Maybe I can maybe up my coolness factor by doing that and being a part of their history.” But I thought it was just a cool, different experience. I thought it was a cool thing to not have to show my face and just sing the songs. And even the songs I changed up, it didn’t matter what I looked like.

Still to this day, when I play shows or TV or whatever, I get scared to death because it’s now everybody recording everything. Like if I do something bad, everyone will just point and laugh at me. And then, so this was like, “Oh, if I do something bad, they won’t point and laugh at me” [smiles].

Phillip Found The Masked Singer To Be Much Less Stressful Than American Idol

ScreenRant: You won American Idol season 11. How did that experience compare to this one?

Phillip: Oh, totally different. Idol was super-stressful because I was young, and I didn’t know anything about cameras and live TV or anything like that. I was just a kid who lived out in a small town, and super-stressed the whole time. This was, like, no stress at all. I literally didn’t take anything serious. Barely warmed up. Even the songs I changed up, I would listen to a few times. Like, “I like the way that changed that. I’ll remember that.” And then didn’t really rehearse. I would hear so many people warming up all day. And it would just blow my mind. And I was just losing my mind too.

And I would make friends with everyone else behind the scenes, the crew and everybody. They were really amazing. And they have a budget for you that you can get food. And I would use the budget sometimes to get a bunch of desserts, and I would just share it with whoever wanted to come into my trailer and get desserts ’cause I love desserts. So that was just a totally different experience, and I enjoyed it. Most of the time, it was superlong days because you’re just in this trailer alone until they say, “All right, come on.” So that was the hardest part of it all: just sitting there waiting.

Phillip Didn’t Know Any Spice Girls Songs Before He Performed “Too Much”

ScreenRant: You were talking about changing up some of the songs, and you were famous for doing that on American Idol too. You came up with the arrangements for The Masked Singer?

Phillip: Yeah, most of the songs. Not all of them. “Too Much” by Spice Girls, I changed up. “Dreams” by The Cranberries. I think the songs that are played in the finale I changed up. Yeah, I did do that. “True Colors” … that’s one. Yeah, I changed that one up a bit. Phil Collins’ “Sussudio” … I didn’t change it up, but I love Phil Collins. Super funky. I think there might have been another one or two maybe I changed, but I can’t remember. But those two or three kinda stood out.

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The Masked Singer Season 14’s Rachel Platten Reveals Her Favorite Pangolin Song & Whether It’ll Be On Her Future Concert Set Lists

In an interview with ScreenRant, singer-songwriter Rachel Platten discusses her incredible journey as The Masked Singer season 14’s Pangolin.

I really loved how the Spice Girls turned out because I did not know any Spice Girls songs. I did get a little stressed about that. I was like, “Well, I don’t know what the heck I’m gonna do.” But I like it.

Phillip Was Happy To Have Randy Jackson Deliver His Final Clue

ScreenRant: What did it mean to you to have Randy Jackson deliver that final clue?

Phillip: Oh, I think he was great. I mean, I’m glad. They kept asking me if I knew any famous people to make a video for me, and I just kept telling them no. I wasn’t gonna tell them who I have in my numbers, in my phone, as famous people. And they kept asking, and I said, “Nah, no, no, no,” even though I could have asked some of these people that they were telling me.

And then I think I mentioned, like, “What about Randy?” I was like, “Randy’s an awesome guy.” I mean, he’s super nice, and I’m glad he did it. What a legend, just a super cool dude.

Phillip Had Fun With The Masked Singer Panelists’ Wrong Guesses

ScreenRant: I feel like that was when it finally clicked for the panelists that you were from American Idol, because I feel like they didn’t give too much of that until that moment, and then they all quickly changed their guesses. What did you think of all of the wrong guesses throughout the season?

Phillip: You know, I don’t think they’re gonna air any of it–and I’m not a very funny person, to be honest with you. Like, my wife is the funniest person in our family–but I was being really funny. When you get offstage, they ask you how you felt about it, whatever. That was some of my funniest stuff I’ve ever said in my life, I feel like. Maybe they’ll make a little bundle package of it. Because they would ask, like, “What’d you think about the judges? What’d you think?” And I would just be like, “I’m really offended on who they said I sounded like.” Just stuff like that. And I was crying. Everybody else was just dying laughing. Maybe they were laughing to make me feel good. I don’t know. But I thought it was just so funny.

And they haven’t showed any of it. I was like, “Come on” [laughs]. That was, like, the funniest stuff, what I was saying. But maybe it wasn’t. Maybe. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know. But it was hilarious. Hopefully they can release some of it.

Phillip Thinks His Son Knows He Was Pugcasso

ScreenRant: I know the finale hasn’t aired yet, but you mentioned your children. I know that you have a baby daughter, but how do you think your son will react when he sees you?

Phillip: I think he kinda knows, ’cause I think one of the last performances he said, “Sounds like you, Daddy. How you sing.” I was like, “Oh, you think so?” And then he was scrolling through my phone one day at dinner. And he was scrolling through my pictures, and he saw something, maybe the mask or something, and he kind of [makes surprised face]. And I was like, “Oh, crap.” So I think he’s kinda put it together, but he’s kinda nervous to say anything. ‘Cause he’s been into the show anyway. He loves costumes and all that. I think he’s still gonna be like, “What the heck?”

Phillip Didn’t Know Who His Fellow Contestants Were

ScreenRant: Throughout the season you competed against some incredible stars, like Normani, Kylie Cantrall, and Ashlee Simpson. When you were doing the group numbers with all these different people, were you, in your mind, guessing who they might be or, or trying to figure it out in any way?

Phillip: No, not really. My wife was asking, and I was like, “I don’t have a clue.” I’m so bad with all that stuff. So I just don’t even try. But I would ask some crew that would walk by. I’d be like, “Hey, you know who that is?” And they’re like, “Stop. Stop asking me that.” I’m just trying to get ’em in trouble [laughs]. But no, I didn’t really try. I can’t. I’m horrible at guessing people like that.

Phillip Enjoyed Not Feeling Pressure During The Masked Singer

ScreenRant: What was your favorite thing about being on the show?

Phillip: For me, the whole experience was a really cool thing because it kinda goes back to what I said: they don’t see your face. It’s all about the voice. And I was just making the best of it. I was honestly just trying to have a good time when I wasn’t just waiting. And just trying to make people laugh or get to know people, hear their stories. And then when you sing, there’s no pressure, man. Like, if you mess up, you mess up. It was just like there was zero pressure at all.

And that’s what made it a lot easier, too. It wasn’t like I needed to do it for any other reason except for, like, “Well, let’s just see what the experience is like.” I mean, I’m glad I did it. It was cool, and I got to make some new friendships out of it. And I thought it was a really cool thing.

Phillip Released A New Single, “Homesick”

ScreenRant: Your single, “Homesick,” was released April 1, and you have an EP coming out later this year, and a tour. What can you share about that?

Phillip: “Homesick” … I love the song. I wrote it when my little boy was doing some quiet time one day. We were kinda making him, like, “Hey, you gotta go have 30 minutes to an hour of quiet time.” He could play in his room or take a nap or whatever. And during that time, that’s when I could play guitar. And I was just starting to write the song, and the melody started coming.

I have those voice recordings on my phone because it was a lot faster, how it was all moving. Then finally I started figuring out how it was supposed to take shape. So it’s really cool to go back and listen to that. But the song was just about missing the people you love, and the places that make you. And it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written, and it’s about my whole family and the places that I grew up around. And I’m already hearing, seeing people … how they connect with it on social media. I love seeing that, or people sending me DMs saying what it means to them. And I love that. And, hopefully, people keep sharing it.

I love the song, and a lot of these songs that I’ve been writing are kind of about that … in the place of I’m having to go away, and I’m missing things. I miss changing the diapers. I wanna be changing the dirty diapers when I’m home. When you’re away, it’s like it might be fun for a day or two, but then you’re like, “Nan, I want my daughter to spit up all over my shirt,” you know? Or I want my son to talk my head off the entire time when he’s in the backseat or beside me or go practice some baseball drills or whatever. I wanna do that. And that’s really what it’s about.

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, The Masked Singer/YouTube, Phillip Phillips/YouTube