It’s common knowledge that LEGO is a powerful reflector of culture and visual arts. Folk tales, masterpieces of literature, movies, TV series—these LEGO product lines are always wished for and much-awaited. From time to time, LEGO surprises us with unique and unpredictable themes. Such is the case with VIDIYO, a theme that unites music, extraordinary characters, and augmented reality. Overall, it is a media experiment that is supported by the Universal Music Group and offers an unusual interaction between real-world environments and video special effects.

If the originality of this LEGO product line isn’t evident in the world of art, that doesn’t mean that VIDIYO doesn’t have rich prehistory! So I tried my hand at being a detective to try and find the origins and inspirations in VIDIYO. What I found resulted in an intriguing investigation: there are incredible similarities between LEGO VIDIYO and the TV show, The Masked Singer.

Creative Similarities

(All production images via The Masked Singer and LEGO.)

While the new VIDIYO line is gaining traction, something special and very popular is happening on TV. Perhaps The Masked Singer show inspired LEGO designers to create the bright, colorful and creative characters seen in the VIDIYO line. I have taken a close look at the crazy costumes from the show and suggested a pairing from a character in the initial wave of VIDIYO sets.

The Masked Singer show has interesting origins. Originally in South Korea, a show called “The King of Mask Singer" was launched and then the concept was developed into an international music show with many adaptations all over the world. Today “The Masked Singer” is primarily an American reality competition TV series that features celebrities singing songs while wearing unique, gorgeous costumes and crazy masks hiding their identities while a panel of judges tries to guess their identities based on their singing voices alone.

This popular show has had a significant impact on musical culture and drawn an international audience. Every season becomes an unforgettable adventure for the spectators who analyze the clues presented by the Masked Characters and try to decode them: who’s behind the mask of that awesome robot or the quirky frog?

After studying the costumes and characters from different versions of The Masked Singer in different countries, I was amazed to find so many similarities to LEGO VIDIYO minfigures—so many coincidences! I invite you to pay attention to the overall feel, details of the clothes (ex. waffle suit of the Ice Cream Boy in both the TV show and VIDIYO), the character’s oversized heads and smiles (ex. Sea Creatures), and their overall general color palette (ex. the Cats below).

In my opinion, LEGO VIDIYO and The Masked Singer have one main common feature: style. The TV show embraces different styles of clothes ranging from the baroque to disco of the 80s. So does LEGO, presenting such richness of music genres reflected in the costumes and accessories.

Custom Characters

With as vibrant as the LEGO VIDIYO line is, there are many Masked Singer characters missing from the line-up. So I asked myself, using the LEGO I have on hand, why couldn’t I organize my own minifigure singing show? Recreating your favorite TV or movie character in LEGO can be so inspiring that I just had to try.

The official VIDIYO sets and the characters of The Masked Singer show gave me the motivation for this exciting project—creating a unique collection of singers out of LEGO. I used a variety of customization techniques to bring these singers to life in LEGO form.

Pens, pencils, paper, decorative clay and glue transform into the instruments for my workshop, and all my tiny minifigure friends merrily gathered in the artists’ room. Who knows what they will transform into.

As The Masked Singer features many animal-inspired creatures, LEGO’s retired Legends Of Chima theme helped me a lot in the creation of this collection. If you are looking for the right head for your custom Masked Singer, you definitely can use some Chima warriors as a base for something new and exciting.

Speaking about the characters, VIDIYO is an absolutely fresh mix of ideas. It touches upon both generally understood and abstract concepts at the same time: the product line makes fish walk and turns mermaids into a candy. The biggest similarity with The Masked Singer is that everything is possible. Even this awesome pair of golden boots!

The LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series also has tons of possibilities for custom characters in costumes. Interestingly, both the TV Show and LEGO are fascinated with food-based costumes and edible characters! Also, many LEGO costumes perfectly represent international holidays and can supply a bit of cultural representation.

I would challenge you to create your own custom Masked Singers out of LEGO. Dream, improvise, and have fun! I hope you enjoy this theme as much as I do, and if you would like to see more of my custom minifigure collection, visit my Instagram.

What similarities between The Masked Singer and LEGO VIDIYO have we missed? Do you like to customize minifigures for your photos? Join the conversation, we’d love to hear from you!

Do you want to help BrickNerd continue publishing articles like this one? Become a patron to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more.