Last season, Jewel shocked the world when she was unmasked as one of The Masked Singer contestants.
This was surprising because most people who appear on the reality competition series are older stars or fringe entertainers. It is rare for a big name to appear on the show.
However, in a new interview, Jewel explains why she appeared on the show, what her costume meant, and how it all ties into the unkind treatment of women by the music industry.
Jewel explains The Masked Singer costume
Last season on The Masked Singer, Jewel was unmasked as the season’s winner as the Queen of Hearts.
Jewel dressed up as the Queen of Hearts with a giant jewel on her head, which seemed a little on the mark.
When asked in a recent interview with USA Today about the costume, the Grammy-winning singer explained the costume.
“I really fell in love with it all,” Jewel said. “I got to design the costume based on art I was doing; I got to sing and do the arrangements. I got very invested in the process.”
While many singers say they choose their songs, they are mostly sent out to perform. For someone like Jewel, she has enough experience that she seemingly got a free hand to design her own performance.
It was no wonder she did so well on the show. It went so well that she released an EP of all the songs she covered while competing on The Masked Singer.
However, things are not always that good for women in the music industry.
Jewel says the music business is unkind to women
“It checked a lot of boxes,” Jewel said of appearing on the series. “I’m a mom, and I’m 47, and you never hear women talking about kids and learning how to tour with a child who has nap times and school times. This business is notoriously unkind to women as they get older.”
Jewel just released her new album, Freewheelin’ Woman, her first new music release in seven years.
Her album hiatus was spent with her at home raising her son Kase, who is now 10.
“Cher, Madonna, they’re great. But that’s so not who I am. My heroes, like Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, became recluses,” Jewel said. “My goal was to be here 60 years, and [The Masked Singer] gave me the opportunity to still be home with my son.”
The Masked Singer airs on Wednesday nights at 8/7c on Fox.