'The Masked Singer' judge Nicole Scherzinger thinks the show is as trippy as you are

When celebrities hang out with Bustle editors, we want to give them the chance to make their mark. Literally. So we handed them a pen, a piece of paper, a few questions, and asked them to get creative. This time, Masked Singer judge Nicole Scherzinger will be leaving her mark on the buzzing booth.

The first time Nicole Scherzinger saw a contestant perform on "The Masked Singer," she thought she was on drugs. "We all felt like someone had stuffed something into us," she said of the judges' initial reactions. "I don't do drugs and I don't need to watch the show. I was like, 'What's going on?'" It was not unlike her reaction when she first pitched the idea for "The Masked Singer." “People either love this or they hate this,” she recalled thinking. "It's going to be amazing, or just a bust."

The gorgeous, full-body costumes conceal the singer's identity and truly make the experience surreal, and Scherzinger teases that season two will be even crazier. "The more, the merrier," she said. "We're embracing the craziness of the show." Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25, with one performer dressed as an egg and another as a silver Christmas tree — and if that's not "there," So what is it?

Michael Becker/Fox

As the stakes on the show continue to rise, so do the stakes for the judges. Scherzinger joked that this year's judges came in with their best performances — no outlandish guesswork this time. "I think we all put on our detective hats," she said, "and it was more of a tactic." Although a moment later she admitted, "Somehow Ken [Zheng]'s speculation got worse."

But despite all the pageantry, Scherzinger says The Masked Singer is really about dispelling assumptions and encouraging people to be their authentic selves. "I think the irony of the show is that even though these people's faces are covered, we are really able to connect with them in the most authentic way. The masks give them a kind of superpower shield and make them feel more comfortable "Be brave enough to tell their true stories and be their true selves," she said. "Even though they're wearing masks, they're finally able to bare it all." "

The contestants participating in the second season of "The Masked Singer" are definitely ready to give their best on the stage. Why else would Scherzinger draw exciting emojis in her bustle booth to describe what happened next? Check out the rest of her answers below.