Pride

RuPaul’s Drag Race may not be dedicated to presenting the news of the day, but the latest episode of the series served up Diane Sawyer realness with ease.
Last week’s episode (aired Friday, Mar. 3) saw the queens getting to ask the tough questions in “50/50,” the show’s spoof of classic interview shows like 20/20. Splitting off into three groups, the remaining contestants got to partake in a series of interviews with a trio of celebrity guests, before offering up their best Sasha Fierce interpretations on the Night of 1000 Beyoncés runway.

Sasha Colby once again wowed the judges with her spot-on Bey look as well as her hilarious cooking segment with flamenco icon Charo, earning her third challenge win of the season. Meanwhile, Salina EsTitties and Malaysia Babydoll Foxx found themselves on the chopping block after failing to impress in their interviews of Love Connie and Frankie Grande, respectively.

Tasked with lip-syncing to Beyoncé’s forever iconic “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Salina managed to pull out just enough moves to win her fourth lip-sync of the season, meaning Malaysia was asked to sashay away.

Billboard caught up with Malaysia following her elimination to talk about fans critiquing her runway silhouettes, making good television with some on-camera drama, and why she feels Sasha Colby’s theory about Beyoncé’s alter ego might be a “delusion.”

I want to say thank you for not being afraid to bring some drama this season — what was the experience like on set of going through the little tiffs you had with folks?

I mean … I didn’t plan on being the drama, but when you feel some type of way, it’s kinda hard to hold those emotions in. Honestly, after the first day there, you just get very comfortable, and you don’t even really care about the cameras being there — you’re just kind of being yourself. I’m a very expressive person when it comes down to it. 

Just because I’m checking you or letting you know how I feel doesn’t mean I hate you or dislike you — I’m just letting you know. We can move on from it, which, in every situation on the show, I clearly moved on from it, I just needed my moment. Unless you did something extremely disrespectful, we’re good. 

Right, arguing over who got to be in the fake metal group on national television is not a friendship-ending fight. 

Completely. Also, I could’ve done anything in that challenge, but I’m not gonna back down from a good fight!

I have to tell you, I love that you have been trolling fans of the show right back when they comment on your silhouette. What has it been like dealing with that running commentary since joining Drag Race?

I mean, honestly, I thought there were many other things about me that would be talked about after being on the show. I never knew that wearing a dress would be the hot topic. I was shocked and appalled — but also, for me, I’m strong-minded in everything that I want to wear. So even when I work with designers, they can tell me that I should do this or that, but the final decision is mine. I treat the people out there who critique it the same exact way; there’s nothing you can say or do that will change my mind from what my vision is at the end of the day. It may be the same silhouette, but the idea and concepts are totally different. If you don’t have the imagination to go past the silhouette, then that just goes to show that you are a very close-minded person. I owe them nothing, I owe them no explanation, and I will forever troll people. I do drag for me, and that’s all that matters. If you love it, then thank you. 

Also. wearing a similar silhouette each time worked great for Bianca Del Rio, why shouldn’t it work for you?

Right? We’re in a new era of Drag Race, where every little detail has to be commented on by the fans, I swear. If you let it get to you, it will bring you down to the lowest. If you love what you do, then you’ll be fine.

Let’s talk about the challenge this week — as someone who interviews people for a living, I understand the difficulty of what you were being asked to do in this episode. What was going through your head when you were on the cooking show set with Frankie Grande?

So, here’s the thing, it was forever ago, so I barely remember [laughs]. I was probably nervous! No, I was trying to focus on making sure I was doing everything right — we had cue cards, we had questions, we had all of these things — while also wanting to be as natural as possible. You don’t want to come across as a robot! All that is easier said than done. So that’s what was going through my head, just me saying, “Be natural! Be fun! Make a pizza! Ask a question!” 

We get to the runway — your Night of 1000 Beyoncés look was one of my favorites! This 2018 Global Citizen look was spot-on, and it looked fabulous on you! What was it about that look that made you want to do it?

I think that I could relate to that one the most — being a queen of color, I knew it would be great to bring this look she wore in South Africa to the runway. And I knew there were a lot of looks from Beyoncé that … wouldn’t be appropriate on some of the girls, let’s say. So I was like, “Let me be the one to take this route and not take something that a typical person could do.” Plus, I like drag! I love all of the feathers and the patterns on this outfit. Also, it was a change of silhouette!

You changed your silhouette, and look what happened. 

Exactly! As soon as I changed the silhouette they were like, “Nope, you’re out.” I knew I should’ve worn that damn gown.

I don’t know if you were listening in the work room, but I need to know your thoughts on Sasha Colby’s theory abut being the inspiration for the persona of Sasha Fierce.

Oh my god. Listen, I think queer people have inspired a lot of people when it comes to fashion, hair, makeup and art. We are very inspiring people. That being said, I think that was delusion [laughs]. No, no, no, I love Sasha! And maybe it is true — after all, Sasha’s old! [laughs] `

Not to bring the mood down, but I know this has been a hard week for queens around the country after everything that’s been going on in Tennessee — how have you been dealing with the news?

I … don’t indulge in the news if I can help it. I know what’s going on, but when you indulge in things like that, you’re making yourself a part of that. They [Tennessee lawmakers] are saying this is a problem, and what I love to do is not a problem. I love to spread love, and it sucks that we are being targeted as a community and as people. But we have to continue to do what we love to do, and I hope we can stand up to this and make a change where it counts. 

Well said. What can we expect to see next from you, Malaysia?

Well, a lot of the same silhouette, of course. No, but listen, I don’t think I took a loss, I think I took a win. Like I said in that talent show, “I’m a queen, I’m a queen, I’m a queen/ I’m the fattest and the baddest on the scene.” This is just the beginning.

The thing about Drag Race is that it’s only a glimpse that the audience gets to see. But now that they’ve gotten the glimpse, they’re gonna want to know more. I’m excited to show folks everything that they didn’t get to see.

The category is … 200 episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race eleganza!
Last week’s installation of the hit reality show (aired Friday, Feb. 24) marked the series’ 200th episode! To celebrate such a milestone, Drag Race decided to throw a good, old-fashioned ball, tasking the remaining queens to showcase three distinct looks — a racing suit, an outfit inspired by one of the past ball challenges, and a crystallized look they had to make in the work room — in the first-ever Crystal Ball.

The front-runners of the season managed to stun the judges yet again, with Sasha Colby earning her second challenge win, while Anetra and Mistress Isabelle Brooks achieved high marks. Meanwhile, the judges remained unimpressed with the looks turned by Salina EsTitties and Spice, locking the pair into a Lip Sync For Your Life to Lil Nas X’s “That’s What I Want.” Salina managed to wow with her emotional performance, meaning Spice was sent packing to reunite with her sister, Sugar.

Billboard caught up with Spice following her elimination to talk about performing as a solo act for the first time on the show, how she approached the competition as a “producer,” and why she “never really cared” about Michelle Visage’s critiques regarding her iconic runway trot.

Congrats on making it this far into the season! How are you feeling about your time on the show?

I’m loving it, and I’m cringing, and I’m crying, and I’m laughing — it’s a full rollercoaster, for sure. I’m sure it’s not as weird for me as some of the other girls, because I’m just so used to watching myself back on camera and editing videos and all of that. But, of course TV’s different because you’re not in control of all of that, so it’s more like, “Oh, what are they gonna use?” I feel like me and Sugar gave them truly so much material, that there’s so many moments that ended up getting cut that made us go, “No, that moment was amazing!” But, it’s not the Sugar & Spice Show. 

With this being a massive milestone as the show’s 200th episode, what was the vibe like on set? Were there any big celebrations or anything?

Yeah, it was really fun! Before we all did the runway, they came out with this cake and we all got to take a picture. It was giving birthday bash extravaganza realness. I don’t think I even got to have a piece of the cake, but it looked cute! 

Let’s rewind for a little bit and go back to the moment that Sugar got sent home — while you were competing against one another, you two clearly had plans for the rest of the season together. What was the biggest challenge for you with Sugar not being there?

It was truly just feeling bad that she wasn’t there — we’d be doing the girl group challenge, and I was like, “Oh my god, Sugar would be slaying right now.” Or we’d be doing the design challenge, and she sews, and I was like, “She would be eating these girls up right now.” It was a lot of FOMO for her end. When she went home, of course I was sad that she left, but I was mostly the angry upset fan for her; I’m her biggest fan, so I was like that mad fan on Twitter riding for their fave. 

There was a lot that went down after she went home that no one needs to know — I had a little bit of a breakdown. Now, there were rumors that I shut down the set for three days, and I was like, “Babes, that’s hilarious, no one on cast has the power to do that.” But I did have a little breakdown, for sure, but we had a three-day weekend, I got refreshed, and we picked it back up. 

Last episode also saw the iconic moment where Anetra spared you in the final Lalaparuza lip sync, saying she didn’t think it was fair to lip sync against you. How’d you feel when you saw that?

Oh, I was absolutely living for it. I told Anetra and I told all of the girls, “I am not offended if you want to lip sync against me — this is what y’all do, this is not my wheelhouse.” Like, all of those girls were going to beat me in a lip sync. If they didn’t, that would be very embarrassing for them — and I’m not gonna lie, I actually came kind of close to winning some of those, so that’s … that’s saying a lot. [laughs] That’s when you know. But we all have different areas of expertise, and I love and respect what the girls do. 

When Anetra saved me, I was so gagged. And her saying that it was unfair to lip sync against me? I completely agree! Look at what she can do — I can’t even bend down and touch my toes! I feel like she was like, “We are giving her one more life.” Sugar said in her song “A bimbo never dies,” and she was right, I guess … well, eventually she died … wait, no, I didn’t die!! 

In the last design challenge, you mentioned that Sugar was the seamstress amongst the two of you, and you had planned on designing the looks while Sugar would actually construct them. How did you imagine that strategy working?

That was 100% our plan from the beginning. We were being little producers, Ms. Sugar and Spice — we were saying, “Oh, that would be hilarious, let’s lean into it; I’ll design, you’ll make it, and it will get all of the other girls mad that we’re working as a team.” We wanted to kind of start a little drama by doing all of that, and I feel like that would have been so fun. God, there were so many moments that could have happened with Sugar being there more.

Well, in the great tradition of the ball challenge, there are occasionally some seamstress queens who like to help out with those who might be struggling — did anyone come to your aid during this challenge?

Oh yeah, for sure. Especially for that first design challenge, I was kind of doing it all by myself, but Luxx finished quick — my “barely there” skirt I had, she helped me sew those pieces together. So, if you’re reading, thank you Luxx. 

When it comes to the runway, did you ever find yourself getting annoyed at Michelle’s fixation on your little trot? 

Honestly? No shade to her, but I never really cared what she said about the trotting. It just went in one ear and out the other, I was like, “This is just fodder, she’s getting her soundbite for TV.” I fully planned to trot off the stage regardless of what happened. I was like, “Baby, don’t give me more material, because I am definitely going to do it now.” 

If you had the chance to go back into season 15 and do it all over again, is there anything you feel like you’d want to do differently?

No, I wouldn’t change a thing  — it was meant to be how it was meant to be, it was already done, it was already in the cards. Especially on something like reality TV, you’re not in control, so you just sort of have to roll with the punches. I feel like I made the best out of every situation. I was … very aware of what time it was on this episode, if that makes sense. I easily understood my role, if you will. So, I leaned into that, and had the absolute most fun with it.