Season 13 of The Masked Singer finally came to a close this week, and the end of the season was nothing short of astonishing. At the end of the competition, it was none other than country music legend Gretchen Wilson who was unmasked as the character Pearl and crowned the season’s winner.

Though Gretchen herself noted that she was “floored” to be named the champion of the season, her musical record certainly speaks volumes. Considering her background, it’s no surprise she was chosen as the Season 13 winner of the reality TV show.

Gretchen Defeated Some Tough Competition

This season of The Masked Singer arguably had some of the biggest celebrity names to date. Certainly the cast was not without its surprises, perhaps the biggest of which was the unmasking of director and writer Taika Waititi, who is married to Rita Ora, one of the show’s panelists. Rita herself was amazed that she wasn’t able to determine her own husband’s voice until his identity was finally revealed.

Other major names from this season included a few childhood heartthrobs, such as Candace Cameron Bure and Matthew Lawrence, who divulged that he actually didn’t have any singing experience prior to the competition. One of the final four competitors that Gretchen unseated also included award-winning singer Andy Grammer as Boogie Woogie.

Given the steep competition, it’s no surprise that Gretchen was thrown when host Nick Cannon announced she’d be the season’s winner. Before her unmasking, she shared her shock with the judges:

The Victory Brought Gretchen Some Much-Needed Recognition

Those who weren’t familiar with Gretchen before the show may be more interested in her music now. After all, Gretchen is a highly awarded country singer, including winning 2005 CMA Female Vocalist of the year in addition to several Grammy nominations. One of her best-known songs is her single “Redneck Woman,” which was quick to reach number one on the Billboard country charts.

After her victory, Gretchen noted with gratitude how much the experience had gotten her out of her comfort zone—and how much it had gotten others to view her differently, too. In her final comments on the show, still speaking as Pearl, she described how much winning the competition would mean for her reputation:

“It’s so strange that I’ve pulled off being the bejeweled princess. It’s so unlike me. I’d say the hoodie and sweatpants is more in line with who I am,” Gretchen later recalled, explaining how the show had made her undergo a bit of a transformation. Reflecting on her overall experience on The Masked Singer, Gretchen got vulnerable, admitting that, “After all these years, I think people still don’t know what I’m capable of until now.”

While the judges tried their hardest to guess Pearl’s identity, Gretchen made it all the way to the end of the competition without being found out. The panel had at least narrowed it down to some big country names, including Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Kacey Musgraves. The suggestion of Madonna was even thrown out at one point.

In the end, Gretchen won in a close victory, beating out Andy Grammer, who himself also noted how emotional his Masked Singer journey had been. In reflecting on his own career, Andy (still masked as Boogie Woogie) recalled a time when he had nearly given up a dream due to some harsh words.

“One day I got a knock at the door and a neighbor told me, ‘Your voice sucks, give up the dream.’ Their words hit me hard. It pierced my positivity, but I refused to let them stop me,” he said, a sentiment to which Gretchen herself could no doubt relate.