[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the eliminated third-place finisher on Wednesday night’s (Dec. 16) The Masked Singer finale.]

Crocodile put on quite a show during his run on season 4 of The Masked Singer. And while he could only swim his way to third place on Wednesday night’s finale showdown with winner Sun and second-place finisher Mushroom, the veteran showbiz kid made it a wild ride. From a towering “Silent Night” to emotional covers of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” a rocking “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi and a high-energy run through pal Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Crocodile gave it his all. But even his heart-swelling take of Journey’s “Open Arms” couldn’t get him to the winner’s circle.

The judges were all over the place, with guesses that ranged from Broadway/TV/movie veteran Neil Patrick Harris to judge Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg’s hubby, Donnie — which was way closer than they thought — but when the shimmery pink head came off it was none other than Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.

The 40-year-old veteran performer whose new solo single, “80’s Movie,” is due out this Friday, hopped on the phone with Billboard before his elimination to talk about why his pink Croc costume was a dead-on emotional choice and how he thinks his Britney cover was the perfect complement to BSB’s recently released collab with their former Jive Records labelmate on “Matches.”

Crocodiles have a thick skin, and in the clue packages you alluded to the fact that you’ve had to grow one as a child star coming up in the biz. Why did you choose him and why was he so pink?

People who know me, my friends and family and children, know that I’m extremely sensitive and I’m just a lover, and the color pink just popped up for me from the performance side of things. But also the feeling that pink gives me when I look at it… it makes me happy.

You’ve done reality TV before with House of Carters, I Heart Nick Carter and Dancing With the Stars. How did this compare?

This experience was definitely unlike anything because of the secrecy that had we had to have behind the scenes and then had to add on top of it all the [COVID-19 safety] protocols, tests every single day and the masks we had to wear on top of the masks and how careful we all had to be. At the same time, hiding our identity form one another was also definitely a challenge, but was also rewarding. Before I even decided to do the show we had all been on lockdown for three months and I committed to it, but at the same time it was running through my mind, “How are we going to do this? How is it going to work?” Until you get on the set and experience it for the first time filming in this new world you don’t know what to expect.

You came in second place on DWTS. Did that make you want to win this even more?

I say this all the time, but on Dancing With the Stars when I got second place, I was just grateful to be there and come that far. I never set too much of a goal one way or another. I just try to live in the moment and enjoy the experience and wherever it takes me, that’s where I land. I was extremely surprised when I landed at two on Dancing and blown away that I even made it top three on this. It’s probably because I’m very critical of my talent and who I am as an artist. I’m one out of five in my group and we’re a team. I’ve stepped out before with solo records, and they never really did anything, never took off, and part of me feels like I was a failure when it came to being a solo artist. Then I think, “No, did I want to win?” When I look at my children and my wife, I feel like I’m grateful to be here and feel like I’m a winner because I have two healthy babies that I totally live for.

You’re so recognizable as part of the Backstreet Boys. Was there something fun for you about being an anonymous singer for the first time in your life?

I’ve been watching the show as it’s been going and analyzing my performances and I’ll say, “Wow, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.” I’ve been in my group since I was 11 years old and entertaining people and being a part of their lives and giving them an escape has been my job and I love it. I really, really enjoy being part of my group. Now that I’m stepping out and we’ve had the COVID thing going on and we’ve all had to be socially distanced… I’ve had to find a way to blossom and do things on our own. I thought it was a cool opportunity to  grow and learn about myself.

So what did you learn? How did you grow?

One thing I definitely grew from was to not be so critical of myself when it comes to being an entertainer and the joy of it. Putting the mask on and performing so people could only hear my voice and them enjoying it… that got me that far and it gave me confidence to say maybe my talent has matured to the point where I can give it a shot from the solo perspective. That’s why I’m recording another solo record now and getting ready to drop a single.

You’re pals with Britney from way back, was it fun to cover one of her songs?

When I was picking the songs I wanted to perform I was like, “Oh God, I’m very eclectic when it comes to music.” I listen to rap, rock, classic rock, pop, dance, soul, every kind of music. I’ve done it all. For fans of our era of music, Britney and us were partners on Jive Records coming up with *NSYNC and we all did it tougher and broke down that door in America. So I thought that was a way to throw people off a bit… that’s another one of my biggest issues with being a solo artist. With my voice I can sing in a lot of different ways in a wide range and I felt like maybe I could utilize that and try to trick people on the show. I would see people writing [on Twitter] who were like, “You can’t disguise your voice Nick, we know it’s you!” I’d read stuff like that on social media and I was like, “No, you don’t know it’s me!” That Britney Spears song was definitely a way to throw people off. I don’t know, maybe Britney saw the performance and she liked it, but right after that we decided to [release “Matches”]. So maybe it inspired her.

[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the winner of Wednesday night’s (Dec. 16) The Masked Singer finale.]

Well, season 4 of The Masked Singer is in the books, and this year’s winner was crowned in an emotional finale on Wednesday night that featured a final showdown between this season’s top three: Sun, Mushroom and Crocodile.

And when the glitter settled and the masks came off, it was Sun that shone through, taking the crown after an epic run that included a titanic opening-night cover of Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” a fun, throwback “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” moving versions of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over” and Kesha’s “Praying” that nearly brought the judges to tears and a sensual run through Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” that helped make her an unstoppable force on the show. But it was her explosive finale run through Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” that helped write the final chapter in what the singer says was a purpose-driven narrative she tried to build over the course of the socially distanced, audience-less season.

The clue packages for Sun hinted at a performer who started early, along with lots of references to the color blue and Disney. But it was her peerless voice that really made fans think that the woman behind the mask might be a legendary country star whose unmistakable sound has been in our ears for more than 25 years. And after guesses ranging from Madonna to Idina Menzel and Gwyneth Paltrow, when the solar dust settled, it turned out that the odds-on favorite to win this season was none other than “How Do I Live” singer LeAnn Rimes.

The child star, who first rose to national attention at age 8 after appearing on Star Search and broke through at 13 with her multiplatinum debut Blue, was an unstoppable force on the show, and with a win under her belt, she’s back in our ears today with her new single, the uplifting pop anthem “Throw My Arms Around the World.”

Billboard spoke to Rimes before her coronation on Wednesday night to find out how she got her shine back and why Singer was the perfect vehicle for her to burst back into the spotlight.

Choice of costume is key on this show. Why the Sun? What did it mean to you?

The costume team brought some other ideas and they were kind of earth-driven and then we started talking about the moon, which was a bit too on-the-nose with me because of [2000 single] “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.” I thought, “Why can’t I be the opposite and be the Sun?” I loved the idea of being the opposite of what people connect me with with “Moonlight.” It was also part of this huge message I feel is coming through in my music and my chant album [this year’s Chant: The Human & The Holy] and my new song “Throw My Arms Around the World,” this beautiful power of hope and grounded wisdom that has been channeled through my music at this moment. It felt so connected to my message and what I want to bring out and put into the world at this time.

A lot of your clues were about the difficulty of being a child star and how you’ve had a rough time in the spotlight. Did performing anonymously help you relax?

I don’t know if relax would be the word. My favorite piece about being in costume as a woman was there was no hair and makeup and I came on set in sweats with wet hair, I put on my costume and then went back to sweats after. I think it helped for people to hear me and to feel me and especially as a woman we’re judged so much on what we’re wearing and what we look like people sometimes don’t stop there and don’t truly take in what’s coming through. That’s what was so powerful about the costume for me. I felt so connected to what I was doing and what was coming through and I didn’t get stifled by the rest of the package that needs to be presented in this world. That felt really powerful. I’ve joked so many times about doing a sweats tour, because if you’re showing up for anything besides my voice and the music, you’re showing up for the wrong reason.

How did you feel about the guesses, which ranged from Madonna to Anna Kendrick, Gwyneth Paltrow and Idina Menzel?

I was definitely surprised by some of them. At first I didn’t want to do the show, because isn’t the whole point that people don’t know who you are? I felt like people grew up with me and I’ve been in the business for 25 years and there’s no way people don’t know who I am. … I have a very distinctive voice. I thought there was no way the judges didn’t know! After the first performance, I saw my Twitter blow up and I felt like people did know!

You got your start on a reality singing show and you’ve hosted a few, and here you are three decades later winning a show. Is this a full-circle moment for you?

Yeah! I was 8 and I hadn’t been in that kind of competition thing like this for so long. Someone said to me the other day that I owned the whole galaxy now: the stars, the moon and now the Sun. The competition piece was interesting because I don’t love competition, though it lights a fire under me.

The competition was pretty stiff near the end.

I know! The people next to me were so talented and one is a dear friend of mine and I didn’t know it until the very end. Aloe Blacc is a dear friend, we’ve done a duet [“That Spirit of Christmas”] and he was next to me warming up and I thought, “God, I know that voice but I can’t quite place it!” I was singing along to his Stevie Wonder song and I thought, “We should do a duet!”

How much did you want this win? Did you think you had a chance?

Yes. I think I wouldn’t go into it without thinking I had a chance, but you never know with these things. It’s not always about who’s the best singer because some people can be incredibly entertaining and you never know what people will gravitate towards.

Did you have a game plan? What was the story?

I had a specific arc of songs I wanted to perform and a way I wanted to lay it out. I wanted to do the Billie Eilish song almost all a cappella and the music department was so supportive of my ideas. I really thought it out. I thought, “If I put my heart into this I’m really going to go for it.” For me, music has always been boundary-less. As an artist, I’ve never stuck to one thing and you can’t keep me in a box because then there’s the more I want to claw my way out of it. I wanted to hit on every different genre and pay homage to my whole career. Lizzo was the perfect thing to kick that off with… “this will confuse people a bit.” And I love Janis Joplin and I wanted to be able to go there. “Praying” was so beautiful and I love the lyrics to that song. With the Billie Eilish song, there was an intimacy that I really wanted to bring across. And before tonight’s song, “The Story,” I toyed with doing one of my own songs — “can I do something I covered or recorded?” — but I ended up choosing “The Story” because it’s such a powerful song that speaks to my personal story and the power of love.

The judges thought you were a favorite from your opening performance of the Lizzo songs and then fans uncovered a video of you doing it earlier. Were you afraid your cover was blown?

Yes! I cover songs all the time and I had done the Billie Eilish cover and put it up on YouTube, so we had to pull that video down so people couldn’t find it. The only time I did the Lizzo song was during an Instagram Live thing on my bus with my guitar player and someone recorded it, a fan on their phone, and they put it up. We went through everything to make sure there were no videos of me doing anything and I was bummed out about that.

You were literally a ray of sunshine during these dark COVID days, was that part of what drew you to doing the show, knowing that it would make people smile at home during lockdown?

Absolutely. That was one of the main pieces. I don’t think there’s another show on TV that is this joyful, that is truly this fun and you can tell by the fans that they really tune in for the joy of the show. I really took that in and thought about being the sun and bringing light into this world in this dark time, which connected with the message of what I want to put out into the world.

You’ve won your fair share of awards, so where will the golden mask go on your trophy shelf?

It has to go right beside the Grammys. There was as much work and thought that I put into this performance and character as anything else I’ve ever done.

Tell me about your new single and the message behind it. 

I’ve never been more excited about music in my entire career. There are so many ancient percussion sounds on this record… it makes me dance and cry at the same time because the message is so powerful. I know I am only one on my own, but we are so much more as we and we have so much power if we just open our hearts up to love. It speaks to so much of what’s going on in our world right now and what’s possible. I can’t get through the song without bawling and I don’t know how I’m going to sing it live! If it can make you dance and cry at the same time that’s a great thing.

Rocker Eddie Money’s family is suing the University of Southern California’s Keck Hospital for medical malpractice and wrongful death, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Money, whose real name Edward J. Mahoney, died at the age of 70 Sept. 13, 2019. He’s best known for his hit songs “Two Tickets To Paradise,” Baby Hold On,” “Think I’m in Love” and “Take Me Home Tonight.” Prior to his death, Money had been diagnosed and was being treated for stage 4 esophageal cancer.

Money’s family, listed as his heirs to his estate, include his wife Laurie Harris Mahoney and his children Jessica, Zachary, Edward, Desmond and Matthew, filed this 11-page complaint alleging that doctors and medical personnel at USC’s Keck Hospital failed to properly diagnose and treat his condition.

Money’s family alleges that from June 4 to Sept. 13, 2019, he was being treated at the hospital for a cardiac status and other conditions. The staff at the hospital “negligently, recklessly and carelessly examined, diagnosed” the singer’s condition, according to the filing, contributing to his “untimely and unnecessary death.” Among other things, it complaint alleges the hospital staff failed to evaluate, recognize and treat “the fluid aspiration and pneumonia” conditions that made his subsequent surgery inadvisable.

After being released from the hospital, Money’s family says his condition worsened and he suffered from persistent infection and fevers and ultimately had to be readmitted to the hospital’s cancer center. The suit is seeking loss of earnings, medical expenses and other special damages.

Officials at USC Keck Hospital did not respond to Billboard’s request for comment.