rupauls drag race

04/17/2024

From assassinations to reveals to a lot of breastplates, the lip syncs of Drag Race season 16 gave audiences everything they could have hoped for.

04/17/2024

In the final elimination week of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16, the top four queens were given a crash course in an important part of their post-show lives — the art of branding.
On Friday’s episode (aired April 5), the remaining contestants showed off their personalities by creating covers and excerpts from their own faux memoirs, before giving a series of interviews with Las Culturistas’ Matt Rogers about their books.

For Nymphia Wind, the challenge turned into a triumph, with the judges praising the star’s vulnerability in her interview, as well as her stunning look she wore for her book cover — the queen earned her long-awaited third challenge win and a spot in the finale. Meanwhile, after much hair-splitting from the judges, queens Plane Jane and Q found themselves in the bottom after performances that didn’t quite stack up to those of Wind and Sapphira Cristál.

Lip synching to Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good to Me,” the queens used every weapon in their respective arsenals to try and win the last spot in the show’s grand finale. Ultimately, Plane Jane landed without too much turbulence, leaving fashion queen Q on the tarmac.

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Below, Q chats with Billboard about her time on the show, her approach to making some of the best runway looks on the show, speaking about life with HIV on national television, and how she’s taking online hate from the fanbase “one day at a time.”

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You made it all the way to the top four! How does it feel, looking back on your run, knowing you made it as far as you did?

It felt really great — it’s always been a dream to be on the show. Now, you know what happened, and here I am now, and I guess we’ll see what comes from it in the future.

I did want to check in with you — I know the fanbase was pretty rough on you, and you ultimately decide to deactivate your X account a few weeks back. How are you feeling since making that decision?

Honestly? I’m fine. I’m sort of trying to take all of this one day at a time. I have days where it’s not so great, and then other days where it’s truly not bothering me at all. But it definitely has not been nearly as bad since I left X, and deactivated that account. I don’t know, it definitely has … the online part of all of this has definitely shaped a large part of this experience for me. 

People really have to learn to stop taking this show so seriously. 

Yeah, for sure, I agree. Here’s hoping.

On the show, you got to show off your capability as a seamstress. Your approach to fashion, and more importantly style, feels really refreshing for the show — what do you think makes your skills stand out?

Well first, thank you. I guess, what I see as fashion and style is definitely a lot more theatrical than what somebody else would see as fashion and style. It definitely comes from my background in the theater, and so sometimes, I really try to lean into that, and try to make my costumes that much more grand and costume-y. And that’s where a lot of my taste level comes from, I think.

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Did you have a favorite look you wore down the runway this season?

Oh, man. Yeah, I really, really liked my floral runway. I think that was my absolute favorite I did all season.

This was a very different kind of challenge for this season, where you essentially were tasked not only with branding yourself, but with being really open and vulnerable. How challenging did that feel in the moment?

Honestly, it didn’t feel that challenging — I thought I did good until I hit the stage and got my critiques. But, because there were only four of us left, we literally all thought that we did really great this week before heading to the main stage. When you get there, that’s really the first time that you actually get a gauge on how you did when it’s that late in the competition.

You also had already shared a lot with your sisters already up to this point in the season — how did it feel speaking publicly about living with HIV back in episode 11?

Yeah, it felt really good! I did that because, I figured if I could help one person who felt the way that I felt when I was going through my diagnosis, then it would absolutely be worth it. Having people come up to me now, saying that it helped them, really helped me realize that speaking up about that on the show was really worth it.

What did you think of Plane’s now-viral response in the moment? 

It really didn’t seem like as big of a thing in the moment as it has since become, to be honest. At that point, we had heard a lot more surprising things come out of Plane Jane’s mouth, so that felt like nothing!

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Before we let you go, I wanted to ask — is there any music you’ve found yourself listening to lately?

I mean, I am always the one with Artpop on replay all day since it came out. I’m big on “Venus,” personally.

Dionne Warwick may have once asked of listeners “Don’t Make Me Over,” but the judges on RuPaul’s Drag Race seem to feel differently.
On last week’s episode (aired March 29), the five remaining contestants of RuPaul’s Drag Race were tasked with giving members of the Pit Crew dancers from RuPaul’s Drag Race Live in Las Vegas full drag makeovers. Transforming hunky men into fellow queens — with a strong family resemblance, of course — the girls also had to teach their new drag daughters how to work the runway with a short choreographed number.

Continuing her winning streak, Plane Jane impressed the judges with her drag daughter Lazi Susan, earing her fourth challenge win of the season. Meanwhile, Sapphira Cristál stumbled in presenting her daughter Shakira Cristál, while Morphine Love Dion’s introduction of her protegé La Tina didn’t thrill the panel, putting both queens in the bottom two.

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Lip synching to guest judge Kelsea Ballerini’s “Miss Me More,” Sapphira’s less-is-more approach to the artform paid off in dividends, earning her a spot in the coveted top four queens of the season. Meanwhile, Morphine’s string of lip sync assassinations finally came to end, with the “BBL queen of Miami” finally leaving the competition.

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Below, Morphine chats with Billboard about her time on the show, making it this far in the competition without a challenge win, her viral lip sync against Dawn and her approach to drag makeup that fans have been fawning over since she entered the work room.

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Congrats on making it to top five, Morphine! How does it feel getting to say that all these months later?

You know, while filming I had such a great time — obviously, not winning any challenges or any mini challenges was tough. I was like, “Oh my god, the fans are going to think I flopped.” But, the love I’ve been receiving has been so immense and intense and amazing that, honestly, I don’t think they even care about my track record, I feel like a lot of people just fell in love with my personality. Honestly, my run was perfect — well, obviously I should have made top four, but otherwise I’m very happy with how everything went down. 

We gotta talk about your mug. You have clearly perfected the art of drag makeup — what advice would you give to young queens looking to emulate your look?

So, funny enough, I just posted a photo of myself the first time I was in drag, and girl, it was crunchy. That should inspire everyone that it is possible to go from rough mug to really sickening paint — it does, in fact, get better!

But yeah, it was a lot of practice and watching a lot of YouTube videos of now-cancelled influencers online. I also just grabbed a lot of different inspirations. Like, I will always say that Valentina is my No. 1 mug inspiration, her paint is one of my favorites besides Raven. They both are just … they molded me into my mug. It just took me a while to kind of perfect my own face, and the fact that I’m getting so much love for it is amazing. 

Your paint is so good that Trixie Mattel adopted you on sight via The Pit Stop. 

I know! I want that Trixie Cosmetics sponsorship, honey. But that’s Mother, so whatever she wants to give me, she can put me on her list — she can make me co-signer for Trixie Motel, whatever she wants I will be there for her. Love you, Mom!

But the other you thing you became very quickly known for on this season was your killer lip syncs. Did you have a favorite lip sync you got to do?

Oh, mine is obviously “Body” against Miss Dawn. I literally felt the spirit of Megan Thee Stallion consuming my body; like, she possessed me. I remember Sapphira telling us that she started crying for Dawn before the song even started.

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Oh, Dawn herself told us that the only thing she could think about during the lip sync was which wig she would put in which suitcase once it was over.

You know, the thing was, it would not have mattered who I lip synced against; that song in particular plays in Miami almost as a national anthem. Every morning, I wake up by paying homage to the Hotties by playing that song. It’s literally built into my nervous system at this point. So, when they told us what song was happening that day, I was like, “Oh, okay. I’m safe another week.” 

I mean, I started out doing amateur drag contests competing against other girls, and Miami is known for having some of the best lip sync artists ever. So, coming up getting to watch these queens perfectly execute timing, knowing how and when to do a reveal or a split or punch someone in the face, was crucial. I learned from all of them, and then I ended up using those same tricks on them in my competitions, and won almost every battle contest I competed in in Miami. 

On this episode, you and the other girls were tasked with a makeover challenge, which very much seemed like your exact vibe. When you’re not under the pressure of a reality television show, are you the kind of queen who enjoys giving makeovers?

It is one of my favorite things to do, absolutely. I do it often, and I don’t want to be dramatic, but I can change people’s lives — at least makeup-wise! I have done my makeup on other queens before, and they’ve changed their entire approach as a result. Almost every person that I’ve done looks exactly like me, so I was excited for this challenge, because I thought I was absolutely winning the makeover challenge right at the end. I’ve done weddings, I’ve done quinceañeras, I’ve done it all. 

It’s helpful that your partner Miguel was simply so hot, and you were very aware of that fact.

Girl! Straight up, I think that’s why I lost this challenge, because I was too busy ogling. I was fully ready to leave set and start a new life with him. What’s so funny is he has truly the manliest face. For some, that would have been the hardest challenge, but I was slowly falling in love with him and saying, “I will do whatever it takes to make this man pretty.” And I don’t know, he really just was … I was so lost the whole episode because he was just so fine. 

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Before I have to let you go, I’d love to know — what music have you been listening to lately?

Other than “Body” by Megan Thee Stallion, I have been obsessing over the new Kali Uchis album, ORQUÍDEAS, because it is insanely good. And also, Ariana’s “The Boy Is Mine” is supreme. It’s a bop. 

With only a few episodes left until the grand finale, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 needed to take a short bathroom break.
On last week’s episode (March 22), the top six contestants were paired off into duos and asked to makeover gender-neutral bathrooms for an HGTV-style renovation comedy challenge. Designing a space rather than their outfits, the girls needed to come up with cohesive themes and larger-than-life presentations to make the judges laugh.

Thanks to their 1920s speakeasy-inspired bathroom — and a pair of well-crafted characters — Sapphira Cristál and Plane Jane nabbed a dual win, making them the two most-winning queens of the season so far (Sapphira with four wins, while Plane follows with three). Meanwhile, Dawn’s performance in the Museum of Modern Fart fell short of the judges’ high expectations, while Morphine Love Dion couldn’t find her spark in her her hellish commode.

Finding themselves in the bottom, Morphine and Dawn lip-synched to Megan Thee Stallion’s hit song “Body.” Weaponizing her curvy figure and slick dance moves, Morphine owned every second of the booty-bouncing track, earning her spot in the hotly contested top five. That meant Dawn turned to dusk, and the Brooklyn queen was sent packing.

Below, Dawn chats with Billboard about her time on the show, becoming the unofficial narrator of the season through her confessional clips, her explosive “doo doo clown” fight with Plane Jane, and why she thinks she never stood a chance against Morphine in that Lip Sync for Your Life.

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Dawn, you made it to top six! How do you feel about your run on the show?

Thank you, my greatest accomplishment! Looking back on the whole run, I have nothing but gratitude and happiness. I feel incredible, I could not be happier about how it all happened. Obviously, I didn’t get any wins, I guess I didn’t “make my mark” in that capacity. Like, there was no moment that was “about Dawn,” but even through that, I made it to top six on an incredibly stacked season! I have watched every single episode and been so happy and satisfied with what I was able to provide for the audience.

I hear you, but I wholeheartedly disagree on you not “making your mark” — because not only were killing a lot of these challenges, but your confessionals were maybe the most entertaining parts of every episode. 

[Laughs.] I guess that’s my win — do they give out challenge wins for best confessionals? 

You were the narrator of the season without a doubt, because you were simply unafraid to be unfiltered and occasionally unhinged in those clips. What was the energy you were trying to bring to those sessions?

OK, the keyword there is trying — because let me tell you, I was not trying to do anything! I rolled into that confessional chair and I was just excited, happy to be there, ready to cut up and shoot the s–t. Sometimes, I was definitely a little too comfortable in that confessional chair. But, it worked out for me, because what you are seeing is deeply authentic to me as a person. That’s how I talk to my friends and the people I love. I’m not sitting there timid, scared to say how I feel. 

I mean you really came after us theater gays in that one episode. 

I’m sorry! [Laughs.] There’s one specific moment of that particular confessional that happened — when I was about to start talking s–t, there is a twinkle in my eye, and then suddenly I go, “No, wait, I shouldn’t say that.” It was so funny. 

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You also did one of my favorite things that queens do on this show, where you would walk into a scene, ask the other girls a very pointed question, and then slink back into the background to watch the drama unfold—

That was crazy, because I straight up didn’t even realize I was doing that until I watched the season back! What I like to say is, “I will never start drama, but I will make sure as hell that it never ends.” 

But there was one exception to this trend, which was the now iconic “doo doo clown mess” moment between you and Plane Jane. You really just called her dress boring and she cracked. What was that legendary reading session like in person?

That might have been my favorite moment on this season, just the way that I said something so … benign, honestly! I just said “the dress is ugly,” and I figured she would just say, “Okay, I hate you,” and move on. She cracked so effortlessly! She stands up like a vulture and circles me, and I’m just sitting there cackling, like, “Yeah, girl, keep going!”

What’s so funny is she kept “reading” me, but ultimately she was just stating facts. She said I was dressed like a clown — correct, I was. You’re saying I’m wearing children’s fabric — also correct, and exactly the point of the outfit, thank you, girl. She was not saying anything that hurt my feelings, because I was like, “You understand the concept behind the outfit, amazing! Now please sit down!”

When this latest episode started, you and Morphine were the only girls without wins — how does that factor into your state of mind, especially this far into the competition?

Interesting. One thing I was feeling a lot around that time, probably like episode 11 to 12, was that … I don’t mean this in a pessimistic way, but I’d kind of given up on winning a challenge. My main goal, at that point, was just to have as much fun as I possibly could. In my experience, that is what would translate to the judges and to the audience. I remember thinking that I wasn’t letting go enough. In episode 11, I wanted to let go more, but then I got paired with Mhi’ya, so I said, “We will try again in episode 12.” And then I made it to the next week, and “Body” happened — so what’s a girl to do?

Oh we are going to discuss the “Body” of it all, but before we do, I just want your take on this challenge. I think this bathroom makeover HGTV parody might be one of the strangest main challenges Drag Race has done in a while — do you like it when the show gets a little unhinged with its challenges?

Girl, I haven’t been able to enter a public bathroom since this challenge, the trauma. I mean, I had Nymphia to reign in, who wanted to, like, paint poop on the walls! But there’s something about this show, where they’re sometimes telling us, “Please, let’s not do fart jokes, let’s not do piss jokes,” and then they ask us to decorate a bathroom and make it funny — we’re gonna make fart jokes, girl!

But all of this is to say: As absurd as it was, and as frustrating as it was to go home on this challenge, I also think that one of my favorite aspects of Drag Race is the absurdity of it all! When we get into these kind of challenges, it’s actually iconic.

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Which brings us to the lip sync. Once you were in the bottom, in that tight dress, against Morphine lip synching to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body,” was there any part of you that thought, “I can win this?”

No! [laughs] Are you kidding? What was going through my head was, “Which wig am I going to put in which suitcase?” Like, as much as I want to think and I want to say … actually, no, I won’t even say that! I am never going to beat Morphine to “Body” by Megan Thee Stallion! The BBL queen of Miami? It’s a wrap for me, sis! She could’ve been on her sixth lip sync with a broken leg, and I still would have gone home. I just have to be at peace with that!

Before I let you go, I’d love to know — what music have you been listening to lately?

I have been streaming Eternal Sunshine on repeat, no skips, over and over. It is crazy. My favorite songs are definitely “Supernatural” and “We Can’t Be Friends.” But other than that, I’ve also been listening to a lot of Beabadoobee, and I’ve been getting very into this first new song from Rainbow Kitten Surprise in six years. That’s been my playlist, lately. 

Attention, staff! It’s time for us to circle back to the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where the contestants brought all the corporate synergy they could to the main stage.
On Friday’s episode (March 15), the seven remaining queens of season 16 were tasked with performing in a series of employee training seminars to help the staffers of the world learn how to handle drag in the workplace. Whether they were giving a much-needed history lesson about the art of drag or teaching their corporate underlings what to do (or more importantly, not do) in the presence of a queen, the girls pulled together an informative all-hands meeting for their loyal viewers.

With a hilarious performance centered around teaching employees whether or not they are drag queens, Sapphira Cristál took home her third challenge win of the season, making her the winningest contestant of the season thus far. Meanwhile, after a pair of less-than-ideal showings, Morphine Love Dion and Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige were put under performance review by the panel of judges.

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Lip synching to Donna Summers’ 1979 hit “Dim All the Lights,” Dion and Le’Paige pulled out all of the stops (and in some cases, parts of their own costumes) to earn their employers’ adoration. At the end, Dion kept her spot in the company, while Le’Paige was handed a cardboard box and asked to collect her things by EOD.

Below, the Queen of Flips breaks down the art of lip synching, what it means to be season 16’s unquestioned lip sync assassin, and how it felt being labelled the “quiet” queen of the season.

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You made it to the top seven on this season! How are you feeling about your run on the show?

I’m feeling good about everything. I know I made my family and my friends proud, and Florida. I feel like I could have done better, but you know, it is what it is!

Well, you made history by joining a very elite group of Drag Race queens who won three or more lip syncs, including queens like Jujubee, Alexis Mateo and Coco Montrese, among others. What does it mean for you to be in that esteemed company?

I’m so honored, first and foremost. Yeah, I hadn’t even thought about that, if I’m being completely honest! But the names that you just said, it is an honor to be a part of that group of girls. It’s great to be a lip sync assassin, I’ll be honest. [Laughs.]

Yeah, it felt like the girls were genuinely scared to be in the bottom with you, and rightfully so. 

Yes they were! They even told me, on the show, that they never wanted to go against me in the bottom. Like, with Dawn for example … I kind of told her that if she was in the bottom because of me this week, and we had to lip sync, I said that I was going to beat her. But if the judges said, “Mhi’ya, shantay you stay,” I would’ve refused and asked them to let Dawn stay. I felt like she deserved it more, and it was my fault we were in the bottom. 

I’m always fascinated by the art of lip synching and what makes them so entertaining. So, as someone who nails almost every lip sync you do, what do you think is the key to giving a top-tier lip sync performance, on or off the show?

For me, when I was lip syncing, it was all about selling the song to the judges. Whatever song I was lip syncing to, there were a couple of things I had to make sure I was doing; I wanted to make sure I was on beat, I wanted to make eye contact with the judges, and I wanted to take over the whole stage. That, to me, is what it’s all about, is dominating the stage and pretending like no one is there but you and the judges. 

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Which brings us to this particular lip sync, where you were definitely aware of the other queen on the stage, to the point where you threw your detached train onto Morphine mid-song. Between that, and her throwing her chicken cutlets at you, this felt like peak Drag Race shenanigans. How aware were you in the moment about the iconic moments you were both serving?

Oh, let me tell you, none of that was planned for this lip sync. I knew that the train was detachable, so I knew at some point it was coming off. But when I saw her down on the floor, I said, “Oh, okay, here’s my chance to throw her off her game.” So I spun around and threw that train! It kinda became a little catfight. [Laughs.]

We absolutely also need to talk about that Cher-meets-Kermit the Frog impression you attempted while on stage. After you filmed that moment, did you anticipate fans running with this moment as much as they have since?

I mean, I made literal merch out of it, and everywhere I go, I am asked to do that Cher impersonation. Everywhere I’m going people are asking me to do Cher on the mic, and people just fall out when I do it. So, I’m happy to see it! 

Throughout the season, I noticed you got more than a few critiques, either from the judges or the other girls or even the fans online, about you being a “quiet” queen. Did that ever feel difficult to hear, either on set or online?

Yeah, it was definitely difficult to hear the judges say it as much as they did. But, I will say, there were times when I would try to come out of my shell, and prove to the judges that I’m not as quiet or timid as some people might think I am.

I mean, Snatch Game seems like a pretty excellent example of that!

Yes, I was so proud of myself after Snatch Game. Honestly, before we started filming, I was fully s—ting bricks. I was so, so nervous, and had no idea what I was going to do. But once they said action, something just came over me, and it really felt like I became this other person. It was so much fun. 

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Before we let you go, I’d love to know — what music have you been listening to lately?

Oh, the album I’ve listened to every day for the last few weeks is Doja Cat’s Scarlet. I love it so much. The song, though, is probably “Ouchies” — I am obsessed with that whole song. 

With the massive success of the Netflix series Wednesday, the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race decided to offer its own take on the gothic teenager’s iconic look with another design challenge.
On Friday’s episode (aired March 1), the remaining queens were provided with black fabric and little else, as they attempted to try their hands — or more accurately, their sewing machines — at making neo-goth couture garments.

Proving herself yet again to be this season’s queen of fashion, Q managed to make a massive coat-dress that immediately impressed the judges, earning the star her second win of the season. Meanwhile, the judges told Plasma that her fashion needed a transfusion, whule Mhi’ya Iman LePaige couldn’t flip her way out of a third bottom placement.

Lip synching to a sped-up, TikTok-inspired version of Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary,” the bottom two gave their best renditions of Wednesday Addams’ disaffected dancing. But in the end, the Queen of Flips managed to pull out another transformative performance, sending Plasma packing.

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Below, Billboard chats with Plasma about the difficulties of a design challenge, why she doesn’t think fellow contestant Dawn “sabotaged” her, and how Drag Race is changing Broadway for the better.

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What, to you, has been the most surprising thing about the last couple months of fans getting to see you on the show?

Oh, that people don’t think I’m an absolute flop! I’m serious! The way in which I have been received as the most irritating queen — someone posted a TikTok that said, “Plasma is like if Miss Cracker snorted Jan.” First, I was like, “Ouch.” And then second, it was like, “Wow, what an amazing compliment.” I feel like I’ve been embraced in this warm, self-referential hug from the fandom, and I do really feel fabulous.

I have to say, my personal favorite of those kinds of funny reads was when Megami posted what she would’ve said in the reading challenge, and she said, “Plasma is known for her BFA — Being F–king Annoying.”

Girl! [Laughs.] I mean, “Being F–king Annoying” was brilliant and we were denied an opportunity to see her read me for filth on television. But it’s all good, Xunami really took the cake with that Jan. 6th read. Now, just to clear the air, since that challenge I’ve had a couple of people genuinely ask me where I was on Jan. 6th — I was at home in Texas, watching in shock and despair like we all were. It was definitely red territory, but not as red as a damn insurrection. Anyways, Xunami really ate me up with that one.

There’s been some comparison between you and Abbott Elementary star Chris Perfetti, who has since commented on the comparisons and said how complimented he feels by association. What was that like, seeing him respond that way?

I believe in the power of manifestation, and with those memes, I had been manifesting an opportunity to get in touch with Chris Perfetti and with the Abbott Elementary team. Like, for months, I have been manifesting this idea that I look so much like the gay teacher on Abbott, and I would love any opportunity to perform or to act with these people I respect in pop culture! I had this wild idea of me getting on the show for an episode and playing his brother, and maybe it’s a Drag Queen Story Hour storyline with the school, or some kind of narrative that isn’t so like, “Look at me, I’m a Drag Race girl doing a cameo on a show!” No, I want to be able to go on as a character under Quinta [Brunson]’s vision, that’s the dream. 

So, when he actually spoke about it and said he loved me and gave this very humbling compliment, I fell out. Like, that is the impact of Drag Race! It meant literally the entire world to me, and I would be so thrilled to work with him someday. He seems like an absolute gem. 

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The Drag Race impact is certainly having a much bigger effect lately — I mean this year alone, we have two former girls from the show, Jinkx Monsoon and Marcia Marcia Marcia, set to perform in blockbuster shows on Broadway. What does that tell you about how Drag Race, or maybe even the theater industry itself, is changing culture?

It’s terribly exciting, we love to see all of this happening. But I’m actually really glad you brought up both Jinkx and Marcia. Because Jinkx of course is a superstar, a legend. But Marcia is also making her debut in a queer-focused role, not a drag-focused role — and that’s important, because it tells me that the show is now reaching a mainstream capacity for understanding a queer experience that doesn’t necessarily hinge on drag. That’s incredible, because there’s so much more to the drag experience than putting on your wig and costume and going out and doing your three-and-a-half-minute Barbra Streisand ballad, in my case. It’s cool to see Broadway also starting to reflect a more human experience in queerness. 

So yeah, I’m very excited about that direction, especially for Broadway today, because it feels like for every Cabaret and Chicago we get, we’re also getting stuff like A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Or, as I joked as Patti LuPone on my Reels, “What the hell do we need a Jimmy Buffet musical for?” And all love and respect to the performers in the companies of those shows, a gig is a gig and I respect the hustle! Patti also said “Broadway is an amusement park right now,” and when I see people like Marcia getting Cabaret, or I see Jinkx starting in Chicago, and the going to Little Shop of Horrors, and playing Carnegie Hall, or even Peppermint starring in Head Over Heels on Broadway [in 2018] … it just feels like we’re heading the right way, thanks to all of these girls using the platform to change the narrative on Broadway and in entertainment. 

Well, we should at least talk a little bit about the show. I was a little gagged when they announced a third design challenge at the top of this episode. I appreciated in Untucked when you said that sewing is a fundamental part of drag that you also just don’t like. What is it about designing garments that doesn’t speak to you?

What is it that Violet Chachki quote? “If you call yourself a designer but you can’t sew, you are a fashion secretary.” And girl, I am the proudest fashion secretary out there! I have what I think is really great taste, and a good eye for design — I just do not necessarily have the technique or the background in sewing and creation to make it happen for myself. That said, I have an immense appreciation for everyone who sews.

Now I’m going to get on my soapbox — because on the show, people say, “She’s not a seamstress, so she doesn’t have the talent.” But my perspective is, I actually can sew, and if I had time, I would love to be a seamstress. However, the Drag Race industry waits for no one, so if you’re not coming in with an expert capability to sew and an expert knowledge of the sewing machine, how the hell are you going to make an impressive garment in 16 hours, like we’re being asked to on Drag Race? Like, I’m good at crafting, but crafting and sewing are two households, both alike in dignity, you know? I am proud and thrilled to get to stand alongside fashion girls like Q and Nymphia and Dawn, who killed this challenge. 

Speaking of Dawn, there were some insinuations from the judges about Dawn “sabotaging” you by saying that you should try a different silhouette in this challenge, and you were quick to say that you did not feel that way in Untucked. Where are you at with that today?

Look, for the people who are going to try and claim that she “sabotaged” me, I still do not feel that happened. She just gave me an idea that I ran with. I am not a seamstress, I chose to do something that was different from what I’d done. If I wanted to wear a floor-length trumpet gown, I f–king would have, because I won a challenge in one of those two weeks ago.

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Before we run out of time, I wanted to know, what music have you been listening to lately?

I’m still blasting Jessie Ware’s “Free Yourself” album [That! Feels Good!], I just cannot get enough. My dream collaboration would be recording a jazz cover with Jessie Ware. 

Start warming up your voice with a quick “Do-Re-Mi,” because this week’s epsiode of RuPaul’s Drag Race is bound to be one of your “Favorite Things” — a Rusical challenge!
In an exclusive first look shared with Billboard on Thursday (Feb. 15), the queens of season 16 are gearing up to perform in their very own parody show, The Sound of Rusic. Based around the 1959 Rogers & Hammerstein musical (and its iconic 1964 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews), the annual Rusical immediately begins stirring up tensions between the queens in the new clip.

Tasked by RuPaul to cast themselves in the production, Plasma and Morphine Love Dion both reveal to the audience that they intend to play the lead role of Mariah. “It’s, like, the reason the show has a heartbeat,” Plasma says in her confessional. Morphine quickly jumps in to add that she’s not giving up the part without a fight: “I’m just tired of being safe, so I know from the get-go, ‘B–ch, I need a leading role.’”

Trending on Billboard

But before we get to see their inevitable confrontation over the lead role, two other queens — Q and Megami — begin squabbling over the part of the “Baroness Braun,” described by Xunami Muse as the show’s villain. As both queens refuse to back down from their first choice, Plane Jane finally breaks the tension by calling for a high-stakes game of rock, paper, scissors for the role. In one round, Q covers Megami’s rock with her paper, earning the nefarious part for herself.

Speaking to Billboard last year, Drag Race executive producer Tom Campbell said that the beloved challenge format was originally intended to be “a one and done challenge” for the queens of season 6, before the producers recognized how fruitful an annual Rusical could be. “This challenge, and Drag Race itself, is like a healthy tree that grew through a crack in the sidewalk — it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t fit the algorithm, but it touches people’s hearts and and that’s what’s important.”

Episode seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 premieres Friday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV. Watch the exclusive teaser clip above.