Courtesy of Money
Premiering just a few months after the inaugural season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” the 12th season of the American version of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” revved its engines on VH1 last Friday night.
Production embraced the timing of the episode during an election year, dedicating the theme of the season to America and political engagement. In a callback to season six, only half of the lineup of illustrious queens was introduced for the episode. The first queen to strut into the workroom was Brita Filter, known only on the show as Brita. Following her were Nicky Doll, Widow Von’Du, Jackie Cox, Heidi N Closet, Gigi Goode and finally Crystal Methyd. Immediately tensions rose, as the queens were unsure about Heidi’s personality and Crystal’s aesthetic.
For returning audiences, the week’s mini-challenge should have also been familiar. Each queen was tasked with styling runway looks for both spring and fall that would be modeled down a catwalk, reminiscent of the season seven fashion week mini-challenge. Present to watch were season two and All-Stars season one runner-up Raven, who now works as RuPaul’s makeup artist, Kimora Blac and an out-of-drag Mayhem Miller, who competed on seasons nine and ten respectively, evoking Kim and Kanye realness. Notable looks were Nicky’s black-and-white suit, Widow’s neon neoprene jumpsuit and Crystal’s fall gown, inspired by Freddy Kruger.
In “Drag Race” premieres past, the first maxi-challenge tends to be centered around design and outfit construction. However, season 12 skipped ahead to one of the recurring challenges that fans of the show look forward to the most: the rap performance. Backed by an already-written track with a chorus, the queens were tasked with writing their own verses to introduce themselves to the judges and the world. On top of that, the seven queens were told to choreograph their own group number, which was the catalyst for much of the drama that fueled the rest of the episode. Widow and Heidi had admitted to choreographing successful numbers in the past, so the queens unanimously agreed to let them lead the assignment.
However, Widow quickly began to take the reins from Heidi and barely let her get a word out. Jackie and Brita, two other big personalities, did not hold back from voicing their confusion at Widow’s repetitive choreography and tried to offer their opinions on possible moves. Eventually, Heidi was once again unanimously named the sole choreographer for the group, causing Widow to silently brood for the rest of the episode.
Following in the footsteps of Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera and Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj strolled onto the mainstage and onto America’s screens in an elegant, form-fitting red dress that flowed as she sauntered with a red wig to match. Using the door “where the queen is supposed to come in,” Nicki practically took over the show for a moment as she stood where RuPaul normally addresses the audience before the maxi-challenge begins. RuPaul even jokingly announced it as “Nicki Minaj’s Drag Race.” Nicki’s addition to the judge’s panel was extremely refreshing. Her sheer enthusiasm showed her status as a fan and she was not afraid to read queens like Heidi on the quality of their makeup or their hair.
Her lack of a filter and extremely quick wit has established her as the queen of rap and it translated stunningly on screen. While she did not need to prove herself any further, she graced the rest of the judges and the audience with what her verse for the challenge would have sounded like, bragging that she was sitting with “Queen RuPaul, Carson and Ms. Visage.”
The episode ended with all queens shantaying, as Gigi and Widow lip-synced for the win to “Starships” and Widow clinched the win. It should be interesting to see how the next batch of queens compare to this week’s, especially since there are only six of them compared to the first seven. With a number of celebrity guests and incredibly talented queens, it is definitely worth tuning in to the twelfth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” May the best queen win!
