Ah, the power and glory of a Whitesnake anthem.

Sara Evans clearly knows all about that, nailing her cover of “Here I Go Again” on the Season 9 premiere of “The Masked Singer.”

The country star — resplendent in black leather as Mustang — wowed the show’s judges and studio audience on Wednesday’s episode, competing against characters known as Gnome (TV legend Dick Van Dyke) and Medusa (identity unknown).

Evans’ rendition of “Here I Go Again” was so impressive, the FOX TV series released a sneak-peek video of her performance two days early as a teaser for the new season. (Episodes of the series are filmed in advance.) Watch the clip below.

On “The Masked Singer,” celebrities compete in elaborate costumes, shielding their identities until they’re eliminated or declared the season’s winner. On Season 9, three celebrities perform on each weekly episode in a knockout format. That means two masked celebs are eliminated each week, and one moves forward to the next episode.

“From the outside, my life may look like a shiny carnival,” Evans said in her clue package for Mustang. “I’ve sold out arenas. I’ve won awards. And even collaborated with Elvis. But this ride has come with its fair share of pain. I’ve almost died more times than I can count. But I’m a survivor. I’m hell on heels. Every time I’m counted out, I come back stronger than before, with my herd right by my side. So tonight, I’m reining in all my horsepower as the sexy, mighty mustang. And after facing death, how scary can singing here be?”

Evans, 52, a former Birmingham resident, is known for radio hits such as “Born to Fly,” “No Place That Far,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “I Could Not Ask For More,” “A Little Bit Stronger” and “A Real Fine Place to Start.” She has 10 studio albums to her credit and awards from the Academy of Country Music, Billboard and the Country Music Association.

With such a powerhouse performance on “The Masked Singer,” it was no surprise that Evans survived the first round of Wednesday’s episode. Van Dyke was unmasked as Gnome — prompting gasps, cheers and tears from folks in attendance — and the actor, 97, was touted by host Nick Cannon as “the most decorated and seasoned entertainer” ever to appear on the show.

Evans moved on to compete against Medusa in a so-called “Battle Royale” that decided the next elimination. The two contestants sang “Diamonds” by Rihanna; Evans was ousted and Medusa advanced to next week’s episode.

Evans’ reveal on “The Masked Singer” was a memorable one; few country stars of her caliber have competed on the show. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag … or the Mustang is out of the stable!” Evans said Wednesday night on social media. “I had such an awesome time being a part of the masked singer Season 9 Premiere!”

Evans lives in Nashville, as many country stars do. However, she called Birmingham home for about 12 years after her 2008 marriage to Jay Barker, a radio personality and former University of Alabama quarterback. The couple had a blended family of seven children, and often were seen at sports events in Mountain Brook, supporting their kids’ school teams. Evans wrote about her life with Barker in a 2020 memoir, “Born to Fly.”

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Evans filed for divorce from Barker in August 2021, but it’s unclear if the divorce has been finalized. Barker was arrested in Tennessee in January 2022, according to police reports, after he tried to hit Evans and a friend with his car. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In June 2022, Barker entered a “best interest” plea to a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment and was given supervised probation.

Evans has yet to make a public statement about the incident, or the divorce, in interviews or on social media.

Let’s not read too much into her song choice for “The Masked Singer,” but the lyrics of “Here I Go Again” could be interpreted as a personal declaration of independence:

“Here I go again on my own/Going down the only road I’ve ever known/Like a drifter, I was born to walk alone/And I’ve made up my mind/I ain’t wasting no more time/But here I go again.”

Evans is no stranger to covers, by the way. Her 2020 album “Copy That” is a collection of cover songs, ranging from “It’s Too Late” to “My Sharona.” Evans also perfomed covers with two of her children, Avery and Olivia, on a 2019 EP for a side project called the Barker Family Band.