Singing reality competition shows are all over American television. But “I Can See Your Voice” adds a unique layer to the format. “I Can See Your Voice,” hosted by comedian Ken Jeong, actress Cheryl Hines, and Singer Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is a perfect blend of singing competition and guessing game show, complete with celebrity hosts and musical guests. On this music game show, the singers aren’t the ones competing. Instead, competitors must use their eyes and ears to determine who among the singers can actually sing and who is tone-deaf.
After the success of shows such as “The Masked Singer” and “The Voice,” mystery singing shows have taken fans by storm. “I Can See Your Voice” is no exception. The pandemic made for a rocky first season, most of which was filmed without an audience — but the show became an instant hit for Fox Network. The second season just finished and brought new guests and increased its prize winnings for contestants, making every episode even more thrilling.
How Does “I Can See Your Voice” Work?
The contestants are presented with six “secret singers.” From there, they must determine who is a bad singer and eliminate them. Guest panelists assist the contestant and offer different clues during each round of the competition. If they correctly eliminate the bad singers from the bunch, they win $15,000 per round and can win up to $100,000 in the end. The catch? The contestants don’t get to hear any singing until the end.
Each elimination round is different, offering different challenges for the contestants. At the end of each, the contestant must eliminate a singer. Here is how they work:
Lip Sync Showdown
For the first two elimination rounds, the secret singers are divided into two groups of three. The good singers will lip-sync to a recording of their own performance, while the bad singers will lip-sync to a different performance. During these rounds, the contestant can use the “Golden Mic” once to hear clues about the bad singers. These clues are given by the celebrity guest. Season two’s Golden Mic guests included Awkwafina, Johnny Wier, and Randall Park.
Unlock My Life
During this round, the contestant is presented with a video clue about one of the four remaining contestants. In season two, contestants could choose between “A Day in the Life,” showing what the singer does in their daily lives, “Super Fan,” which offers a clue about a superfan of one of the singers, or “Secret Snoop” which allows the contestant to tour the singer’s home for 60 seconds to look for clues.
Q&A
During this round, the contestant has 30 seconds to ask the singers about their musical background.
After the four elimination rounds, the contestants have to choose to move to the next level. They can keep the money they have earned in the previous rounds or put it all on the line for $100,000. If they choose to go for the $100,000, then the final singer will perform a duet with the musical guests. If the final singer is good, the contestant wins; if not, they walk away with nothing. Either way, viewers get a spectacular duet or a hilariously terrible performance.
Where Did “I Can See Your Voice” Come From?
While “I Can See Your Voice” might seem unique for American television, it isn’t an original concept for Fox. The show was inspired by a South Korean singing competition of the same name. Created by Lee Seon-Young, the original version of “I Can See Your Voice” aired in Korea in 2012. Seon-Young was inspired by the struggles of singer Kim Bum-Soo, known as a “faceless singer.”
Faceless singers were talented performers who wanted to stay out of the spotlight. This idea gave Seon-Young the idea to pair good singers with bad singers and cast talent regardless of appearances and accessibility. The competition part of the idea came later. Immediately the show was a hit in Korea. “I Can See Your Voice” actually laid the groundwork for the Korean show “King of Mask Singer,” which inspired “The Masked Singer” in America.
After “The Masked Singer’s” success in America, producers Craig Plestis and James McKinlay decided to bring “I Can See Your Voice” over as well. Host Ken Jeong is now on both shows.
What Happened in Season 2 of “I Can See Your Voice?”
Season two of “I Can See Your Voice” included some incredible musical guests to help the contestants. Four contestants managed to take home the grand prize of $100,000. Episode four, “Ashanti,” featured contestant Kenny Sohn who managed to take home the grand prize when he picked out Mimi Sledge as a Ukulele prodigy over Julie Kidd, a palm reader.
However, not everyone takes home the grand prize. During season two, two contestants decided to risk it all and go for the $100,000 but ended up going home with nothing. Others, such as Luan Do in episode eight, “Shaggy,” Margaret Cho didn’t eliminate a single bad singer until near the end! But she decided not to risk big money and left with a cool $15,000. Season two also featured the first holiday spectacular.
About the “I Can See Your Voice” Hosts and Panelists
“I Can See Your Voice” is hosted by three main hosts every episode, including Ken Jeong, Cheryl Hines, and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton. Each week they are joined by celebrity panelists and a musical guest.
Main Hosts
Ken Jeong
Host of “The Masked Singer,” comedian, actor, writer, producer, and licensed physician, Jeong can do it all. His breakout role, Leslie Chow in “The Hangover,” allowed him to focus on his career in entertainment. He is also known for his roles in “Community” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”
Cheryl Hines
A twice Emmy-nominated actress, director, and producer, Hines is known for her roles in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Suburgatory.”
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
After competing in “Masked Singer,” she decided to join the mystery singing reality world as a TV host. She is a singer and actress famous for her membership in 3LW and The Cheetah Girls
Guest Hosts and Musical Superstars
Paula Abdul
Singer, dancer, actress, choreographer, and original American Idol Judge, Abdul’s debut studio album “Forever Your Girl” set a record for having the most number-one singles from a debut album to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Ashanti
Singer and actress Ashanti’s first album won eight Billboard Music Awards. Fans are eagerly awaiting her seventh studio album. Her acting roles include starring as Dorothy Gale in “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” and as Betty in “Resident Evil Extinction.”
Margaret Cho
Stand-up comedian, actress, writer, musician, and burlesque performer, Cho has done it all. She is known for her particular brand of humor and how it closely ties with her political advocacy. Her routines often cover subjects in her lived experience, such as eating disorders, bisexuality, and Asian-American stereotypes.
Joel McHale
Actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter, Joel is best known for his role in “Community” and as the host of “The Soup.” He and Ken Jeong host a podcast called “The Darkest Timeline.”
Yvette Nicole Brown
Brown is known for her role in “Community,” She is an actress, comedian, and writer. She has numerous roles under her belt and has even hosted shows such as “The Talking Dead.”
Shaggy
Musician and singer nominated for seven Grammy awards; Shaggy has won Best Reggae Album twice. He has worked on 17 albums and was recently in 2022’s season of “The Masked Singer.”
Nicole Byer
Actress, comedian, and Emmy-nominated host of “Nailed it!” Byer has worked on a variety of projects. In 2020 she released the book “#VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE: The Fat Girls Guide to Being #Brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-in-the-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini,” part comedy book, part photo book to help others embrace their bodies.
Vanessa Lachey
Actress, model, and television host, Lachey is known for hosting “Love is Blind” with her husband, Nick Lachey, on Netflix.
Robin Thicke
Singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer, Thicke has produced eight studio albums. He is best known for his single “Blurred Lines.” He has collaborated with artists such as Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, and Niki Minaj.
Is “I Can See Your Voice” Season 3 Coming Out?
There is no official renewal or cancellation news yet from Fox. Keep an eye out on BuddyTV for news about a potential season three of “I Can See Your Voice.”
Where Can You Watch “I Can See Your Voice?”
If you want to catch up on season two or binge-watch the entire tv series, there are a few places you can watch online. Fox.com offers a free viewing pass for your first 60 minutes but can also be accessed through your TV provider. You can also watch “I Can See Your Voice” on Hulu.
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