Masked Singer season 9 winner Medusa on sharing emotional reveal with Macaw: 'We were kindred spirits'

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the season 9 finale of The Masked Singer.

And just like that, another season of The Masked Singer has come to an end.

It finished much the same way it began, with Medusa slithering her way to victory by wowing the panelists with her high-octane performances. This time around, that included "Elastic Heart" by Sia and "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance.

Hers weren't the only powerhouse vocals to bring the house down, though. Fellow finalist Macaw brought the panel to tears with his performances of "Hold Back the River" by James Bay and "All by Myself" by Eric Carmen.

In fact, the entire finale was incredibly emotional for everyone. After Macaw was revealed to be American Idol finalist David Archuleta (shout out to Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger for getting it right!), Jeong broke down in tears as he told the singer about how, when his wife was pregnant and on bedrest, and their babies were fighting for their lives, he and his wife would watch Archuleta on American Idol. "You were like a ray of light to my family, and it's an honor to see you in this capacity," Jeong told him, "Thank God for you, I love you."

The sweet moment ended with a rare group hug from all the panelists, who surrounded Jeong with love.

Macaw and Medusa both got to share their emotional journeys on the show as well. It was a moment made more special by the fact they actually let Medusa stay on stage for Macaw's reveal, as opposed to awkwardly moving her off to the side as has been done with past winners.

All the feels finally ended with Medusa unmasking. Scherzinger was on fire tonight — she was the only panelist to guess both contestants' identities. In the end, Medusa was revealed to be bestselling singer Bishop Briggs.

Below, EW spoke with Briggs about what winning the show meant to her, why she was "a pest" on set, and her exciting new EP and tour.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: By the end of the season, we got way more performances from you than any other contestant. Did you ever get tired?

BISHOP BRIGGS: I am really grateful for adrenaline. At the time of filming, I was about five or six months postpartum, and I feel like that sort of delirious energy can sometimes be incredible for vulnerability and being present in the moment. And so I really tried to keep all those things afloat.

Tell me about your finale songs — why did you want to sing those two specifically?

Well, I begged and begged for "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance because that's a song that I actually have in my own set. So it really felt like it represents who I am as an artist and performer, and so I really hope that My Chemical Romance feels proud of me. And also, in true Masked Singer incredibleness, if that's even a word, being able to stand on top of a piano with flames behind me… I mean, it was such a dream come true. And then with a song like "Elastic Heart" by Sia — I really felt this as I was performing it — it felt like the lyrics were telling my story on the show, about having a thick skin and leaning in with my heart and soul. And so having the combination of both of those complete my journey, meant the world.

Did you set out to win the show from the beginning or were you there just for fun?

You know, I'm not competitive with others, but I'm very competitive with myself. And so I was really, really, really, really wanting to win. And when I had that moment with Nicole ringing the [Ding Dong Keep It On] bell, and I really saw my journey flash before my eyes, I felt so defeated and deflated. You learn in those moments how much you really want something. And because I was having time away from my son to be on the show, it made me even more determined and even more hungry, and just the thought of being able to show him the trophy made me so excited.

Since you were there more than anyone else, did you figure out who any of the other contestants were?

Oh my gosh, I poked and prodded and asked questions, and I truly got nowhere. I was a pest on set. You can ask anyone that works there. I was asking them for hints, clues, hair color, shoe size, anything I could. But they are very professional and they would just laugh at me.

The finale was probably the most emotional one yet. Walk me through what it was like up there for you in those moments with Macaw.

I'm such a huge fan of, can I say his name [now]? David. Macaw. I'm such a huge fan. And throughout the season, throughout every single round, I had no idea if I would make it to the next step. So to be standing on stage with someone that I admired not only as a vocalist, but as a human being, in that moment, we both were sharing our stories and our journeys of identity and having difficulty wanting to continue on in life. And so to be on stage with him in that moment, I feel like we were kindred spirits. It was really emotional and it felt like something that I will hold on to for the rest of my life for sure.

You just released a new song, "Baggage," and you have more new music and a tour coming up. What can you tell me about all of that, and what about it are you most excited to share with people?

I'm really excited. So my EP, When Everything Went Dark, comes out June 23. And I also just released a new song called "Baggage." And, you know, in terms of what I'm talking about and going through with that EP, it really was a coping mechanism for the timeframe of losing my sister really unexpectedly. And so it's sort of like the past, present, and future. And I hope that when people finish the EP, they feel as though they can continue on and they can keep going and they can live alongside their grief, no matter how heavy it feels. And then with the tour, I can't wait. I'm going to be bringing my son along with me and my husband. They're going to be in the band. No, I'm just kidding. [Laughs] But I'm very excited. They're going to be coming along with me. It's a tour with MisterWives. My main goal as a performer and every single tour that I go into, I want people to leave the show feeling like they are not alone in their pain, that we are in it together, and we will get through it together. So I can't wait for all the things. And I especially can't wait for the Masked Singer finale to air because I am just sweating profusely every time I get a text from someone that knows me, or someone that knows my mannerisms, and not being able to respond to those texts, has been very difficult. Not even with an emoji, which is just devastating for me.

Tonight, you can just send out a bunch of snake emojis.

Yeah. God, I can't wait to send snake emojis.

What did your time on The Masked Singer mean to you?

It meant everything. It was such an interesting chapter in my life, and I also think it was a really big learning experience of just knowing that the emotion that I feel every time I sing, that it does translate to the people in front of me. I feel like that means so much to me, just because my goal is for people to feel less alone. So in doing the show, I felt that energy exchange, and I think that meant the most to me.

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