‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers: Who is Ship?

Can you believe that “The Masked Singer” is already up to season 12. This edition of the reality competition show kicked off on September 25 and the premiere was packed full of surprises, culminating in the unmasking of the Leaf Sheep. He turned out to be two-time Super Bowl champion John Elway.

While Elway proved to be a good sport when he sang “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw, the other four celebrities on “The Masked Singer” premiere are all hoping to make it through to the finals in December. The best singer of the bunch based on those first performances is Ship.

We’ve watched the Ship cover of  “Pompeii” by Bastille. And we’ve taken another look at her clues package. We think we’ve cracked the code as to Ship’s true identity. Keep reading as we have all your “The Masked Singer” spoilers, including the answer to the question, “Who is Ship?”

We think that the Ship is Paula Cole, who first came to fame in the 1990s and won Best New Artist at the 1998 Grammys. Don’t agree? Well take a read of how the clues line up with the life of Paula Cole, who certainly fits the physical profile of Ship.

Ship’s ambassador is Jewel (Season 6 Queen of Hearts) who revealed that she’s always enjoyed a great relationship with the Ship. This pair of songbirds headlined the earliest editions of the musical festival Lilith Fair.

Ship revealed, “I know how quickly the tides can change from angry to serene on a dime, and my life has been the same. My career set sail at a rapid clip. I had massive hits, made history, but I lost control. I became lost at sea, and at times felt totally forgotten.” That was certainly true for Cole, who was still in her mid 20s when she recorded her first album. Cole has been candid about struggling with her new-found fame.

Among the visual clues are three that point to a pair of Cole’s hit records. The small airplane references her most recent single, “Flying Home.” And we read the “Wanted” sign combined with the TV antennas to mean her tune “I Don’t Want to Wait,” which was the theme song to the long-running show “Dawson’s Creek.”

In week two, Ship sang “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno & Ann Wilson. Again, she sounded just like Paula Cole.

Referencing the star of “Footloose,” Ship reveals, “I’m three degrees away from Kevin Bacon. I’m connected to Melissa Etheridge, who is connected to Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in ‘Destination Anywhere’ with Kevin Bacon.” Cole and Etheridge often tour together.

In her clues package, Ship said, “I was a star cheerleader, class president, and was even voted prom queen.” All of that lines up with Cole’s bio.

Among the visual clues confirming our guess are a piano (Cole’s instrument of choice), white cowboy boots (Cole’s signature look); and a black crow (a line from her hit song “Billy Joe”).

While we think that Ship is Paula Cole, there is another theory that it is Annie Lennox, who came to fame as one-half of The Eurythmics. Like Ship, this Scottish songbird has a voice that soars. We took another listen of Lennox’s performance of such classics as  “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” and “No More I Love Yous.” And while there are some similarities with the sound of Ship, we’re sticking by our original guess.

We will only find out if we are right that Ship is Paula Cole when she is unmasked. That will happen when she loses a vote or wins the show. Do you think we are right about the true identity of Ship? Sound off in the comments section with your best guesses.

‘The Masked Singer’ spoilers
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