With RuPaul’s Drag Race bringing back their Rate-a-Queen system for season 17, Billboard decided to rate each of the new queens every week based on their performance. Below, we take a look at the latest design challenge to see which queens crafted up a winning look. Spoilers ahead for episode 9.
Part of the aim of RuPaul’s Drag Race is not only to provide and hour-and-a-half of highly entertaining reality TV shenanigans each week, but to pay homage to important figures within the LGBTQ+ community. In last week’s episode (aired Feb. 28), the show managed to pull off yet another excellent tribute to longtime LGBTQ+ ally and iconic fashion designer Betsey Johnson.
For the challenge, the remaining nine contestants were tasked with creating their own high-fashion runway looks inspired by Johnson’s own eclectic collections. With categories ranging from edgy vintage items to elegant ball gowns, each of the queens were expected to bring both their own sense of style and Johnson’s impeccable vision to life through their fashion show.
The results of that challenge were, across the board, about what you would’ve expected. After weeks of striving, Jewels Sparkles finally took home her first challenge win, while Lexi Love and Arrietty both earned top marks for their looks. Sam Star produced a very clean, polished outfit. Onya Nurve finally slipped up a found herself in the bottom three.
But it was Kori King and Lydia B Kollins who found themselves in the most hot water this week. After failing to impress the judges with their outlandish design decisions this week, the lovebirds of season 17 ended up in a Lip Sync for Your Life to Lita Ford’s 1988 heater “Kiss Me Deadly,” the pair provided a high-octane, exceedingly campy performance that exploded into a hot-and-heavy on-stage kiss. Ultimately, Kollins was granted another week in the game, while King’s hopes for the crown were dashed.
Below, Billboard takes a look back at episode 9 and ranks where our remaining contestants lie based on this episode and the season as a whole:
ELIMINATED: Kori King
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Hubris, thy name is mini-dress. After hemming and hawing over what she should do with her designed look this week, Kori King elected to do what she does best — create a slinky mini-dress that shows off her figure. The problem is, this is the same silhouette that she has shown to the judges over and over and over again throughout this competition, and this one was far and away the worst version she’s shown yet. Kori needed to go big or go home this week, and unfortunately, she wound up with the latter.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 9
Track Record:
Safe Placements: 4
Low Placements: 1
Bottom Placements: 3
Lydia B Kollins
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
For the second time in this competition, Lydia Kollins skated by this week thanks to an excellent lip sync performance. Her commitment to the bit during the “Kiss Me Deadly” lip sync was a sight to see, and she delivered during every beat of that showdown with the other half of her showmance. But that doesn’t change the fact that Lydia’s kooky couture is just not making the impact she wants it to on the judges. Without any wins or high placements under her belt yet this season, Lydia is in serious danger of getting the chop soon, unless she can blow her competitors out of the water in an upcoming challenge.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 6
Track Record:
Safe Placements: 6
Bottom Placements: 2
Lana Ja’Rae
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Siri, play “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret — because it might as well be my theme song for talking about Ms. Lana Ja’Rae. Each week, I keep hoping that we’re going to see this clearly talented queen step up to the plate and knock it out of the park in a challenge. Yet every week, she either gets outshined or straight up bombs. While this week represented more of the former category, it’s still clear that Lana is struggling to make her mark in this competition. The dress she created was cute and well-made, especially with its intricate ruching — but “cute” is not an adjective this queen should be aiming for when she’s been told, time and time again, that she’s fading into the background.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 8
Track Record:
Safe Placements: 6
Bottom Placements: 2
Onya Nurve
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Yes, this was a bad week for Onya. Her prom-inspired tube dress didn’t provide much inspiration at all to the judges’ panel, and she very nearly wound up in the bottom two (I actually think she deserved a bottom placement more than Lydia, but I understand the desire to see two lovebirds lip sync). But here’s the deal — Onya has so clearly cemented her place in this competition that there was simply no way RuPaul was going to send her home this week. Had she wound up in the bottom, to paraphrase season 9 scene-stealer Aja, she could’ve walked out there in a f–king diaper and the judges would’ve said, “Onya, your smile is beautiful!”
This week was little more than a slap on the wrist for Ms. Nurve, and I have no doubt she’ll find her way back to the top soon.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 1
Track Record:
Wins: 2
High Placements: 3
Safe Placements: 2
Low Placements: 1
Suzie Toot
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Design challenges are never going to be Suzie Toot’s bread and butter in this competition, so seeing her skate by with a perfectly fine look feels about right. Her punk-rock aesthetic was a welcome switch up, especially considering how she could have easily slipped into another 1920s-inspired outfit in her couture category this week. Was it the best look on the main stage? Most certainly not. Was it bad? Most certainly not. Consider this a holding week for our resident theater queen of season 17.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 4
Track Record:
Wins: 2
High Placements: 2
Safe Placements: 4
Sam Star
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Unlike Suzie Toot, Sam Star had an opportunity to win big this week. In both of this season’s previous design challenges, Sam impressed the judges and wound up in the top, even winning her first challenge thanks to her garment-making skills. So, a safe placement might feel a bit disappointing for the pageant queen of season 17. But I’m not concerned for Sam — her Madonna-inspired ’80s look, as with her past runway creations, was incredibly clean and polished, proving once again how good at drag Sam is. It also showed off a new silhouette for the seamstress, accomplishing the simple goal of continuing to show the judges just how versatile this queen can be. I see no immediate danger for this shooting Star in the coming weeks — this week, “safe” is a good place for Sam to be.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 2
Track Record:
Wins: 2
High Placements: 2
Safe Placements: 3
Low Placements: 1
Arrietty
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
Last week, I said that if we got another sewing challenge soon, Arrietty would excel. And just like that, the elven queen proved me right — her black-and-white, reverse tuxedo look this week was truly exquisite, with the detailing making it look like like it took weeks to craft rather than just one day. The judges cannot seem to get enough of Arrietty’s inventive style, which gives the queen plenty of leeway when it comes to challenges she doesn’t necessarily excel in. She may not have taken home the win this week, but Arrietty is in an excellent position to continue on in the competition at this rate.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 5
Track Record:
Wins: 1
High Placements: 2
Safe Placements: 2
Low Placements: 2
Bottom Placements: 1
Lexi Love
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
In the everlasting words of CeCe Peniston: “Finally!” After weeks and weeks of early favorite Lexi Love coasting by, this queen nailed her runway presentation and earned her second high placement of the season. It’s easy to see why; her bride-meets-jellyfish runway look was executed with perfect precision, managing to look both simple and exceedingly campy in one fell swoop. Every detail on this fit felt absolutely right, and even if she didn’t nab that win she was aiming for, Miss Love managed to claw her way out of the middle of the pack this week, proving why she is still a threat in this competition.
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 7
Track Record:
Wins: 1
High Placements: 1
Safe Placements: 5
Jewels Sparkles
Image Credit: Courtesy of MTV
For the last couple of weeks, Jewels Sparkles has been talking a lot about the importance of trajectory on Drag Race — and this week, she was proven right when she finally took home her first challenge win. This queen has been consistently amping up her performance every week, gaining favor with the judges over time before she could finally cash in with this design challenge. The outfit she created was simply stellar, from its mutli-colored fur stole to the intricate rivets and metal pieces sewn into the bodice. Everything about this look just felt correct, which made it that much more satisfying to see one of the hardest-working queens of the season finally earn her long-sought first win. Kudos, Jewels, and welcome to the winner’s circle!
