Hunter Hayes Revealed as ‘The Astronaut’ on ‘The Masked Singer’

All season long on Fox’s The Masked Singer, rumors have flown about country star Hunter Hayes being the voice behind the stellar-voiced “Astronaut” character — and last night (April 29) it was finally confirmed.

Having wowed the judges and fans once again — this time with a rocket-fueled performance of One Direction’s “Story Of My Life” — the “Wanted” hit maker was unmasked once and for all, the culmination of an entire season of clues. “I didn’t think I was gonna make it this far,” Hayes said later in his first post-competition interview.

Although some of the judges seemed to think they had it figured out, even Hayes was in the dark about some of the bread crumbs producers used to point viewers his way. At various times the constellation Orion’s Belt hinted at Hayes’ first name, while bridges and finally the New Orleans’ staple King Cake were dead giveaways to the star’s home town. But really, it should have been Hayes’ incredible vocals that tipped everyone off.

In the end Hayes said he had accomplished what he set out to do on the show, hoping to challenge himself and reset his passion for making music. But it seems like he learned a powerful life lesson in the process. During the wrap-up interview, he offered some insightful words of wisdom to the audience. “It doesn’t matter what mask you wear, you still function better as yourself,” he said.

Season Three of Fox’s The Masked Singer continues Wednesdays at 8/7c and 9/8c, and Hayes has a new album project titled Red Sky in the works.