We’ve waited. We’ve anticipated. We’ve theorized and speculated.
And now Drag Race is returning this week with a brand new batch of All-Star contestants!
The first Drag Race All-Stars season, which aired in 2012, had some bumps along the road. With just 6 episodes and rapid double eliminations, the virgin voyage for some of our beloved queens’ victory laps was far from perfect. But the opportunity to see fan favorites like Raven, Jujubee, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, and Nina Flowers was certainly a hit.
Miss Chad Michaels won the crown in Season 1 of All-Stars, setting the bar supremely high for any contender who wants the coveted title. However, this year’s lineup will certainly live up to those first multi-talented queens who got a second chance at Drag Race fame!
From the Bottom to the Top
Drag Race has been criticized for being too redundant and formulaic with its writing and production. The same old taglines, the same team challenge format, the same Lip Sync for Your Life moments—it was time for a change.
But this year is different. Instead of pitting the bottom two contestants against each other in a lip sync battle, saving one of them while eliminating the other, Ru has announced a new format: the top two contestants will be rewarded with the opportunity to “lip sync for their legacy.” It seems the runner-up will be safe while the winner will get to choose who is sent home!
This is particularly juicy since 1.) until now, it has always been Ru’s final decision who stays and who goes, and 2.) with the queens themselves choosing who leaves, alliances may be the only thing that keep people safe, while extraordinary talent may get the cream of the crop sent home early! We can only wait and see what the lip sync winners will do: eliminate those who deserve it, or get rid of the fiercest competitors?
Meet the Queens
Adore Delano (Season 6)
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Known for her spacey personality, her charismatic performances, her great singing voice as a former American Idol contestant, and her vapid catchphrases like “Party” and “I’m a Libra,” Adore has made a big name for herself in the drag world. While she may not have quite the experience and versatility to make it to the All-Stars Top 3, she certainly earned her place in the Season 6 finale.
What She’ll Contribute: burps, censored swears, and charming sleaze
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Alaska Thunderfuck (Season 5)
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Member 2 of the wicked sisterhood RoLaskaTox. After making it to the Top 3 of Season 5 and losing the crown to Seattle’s own Jinkx Monsoon, Alaska’s career exploded. Hilarious music videos, a smash hit YouTube partnership with her brother, and consistent gigs on Drag Race’s live tour series Battle of the Seasons, Miss Thunderfuck is enjoying the highest peak of her fame to date. All-Stars Season 2 will be absolutely robbed if Alaska doesn’t make it to the Top 3.
What She’ll Contribute: dry humor, slow speech, and memorable fashion
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Alyssa Edwards (Season 5)
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Alyssa. Fucking. Edwards. She is every meme that ever mattered. Her back rolls, her overbite, and her tongue-popping will sass up the All-Stars filming studio and help these queens take themselves less seriously. A pageant queen and choreographer, Alyssa won the Miss Gay America and All American Goddess pageants in 2010, but was stripped of both titles after what has been reported as “conflict-of-interest business dealings.” While not destined to win the crown this season, she’s sure to boost her rising career and remain a staple in the drag pantheon.
What She’ll Contribute: amazing looks, choreography, and plenty of (unintentional) comedy gold
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Coco Montrese (Season 5)
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A skilled dancer, a beautiful makeup artist, and a great lip sync performer, Coco is a true talent. After Alyssa Edwards’ crown was rescinded in the 2010 Miss Gay America pageant, Coco inherited the victory as the runner-up. This was of course a point of contention between the two on Drag Race Season 5, but they allegedly repaired the damage to their friendship. Could they team up and form an alliance to give RoLaskaTox a run for their money?
What She’ll Contribute: orange foundation, sly comebacks, at least one epic lip sync battle
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Detox Icunt (Season 5)
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Member 3 of RoLaskaTox. When you cross a no-nonsense 80s business woman with a silicone-injected California club kid, you get Detox. Behind the chest implants and lip injections, she is hilarious, loyal, and brilliant. Her looks are out-of-this-world beautiful, so if there is any justice in All-Stars Season 2, we’ll see her make it to the Top 3. But regardless of how far she goes in the competition, she’ll be sure to let the queens know when she has had it. Officially.
What She’ll Contribute: tea; shade
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Ginger Minj (Season 7)
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The self-proclaimed “Glamor Toad” graced our screens in what was otherwise a boring Drag Race season. Many took to social media claiming she deserved the crown over the vapid Violet Chachki, but Ginger has gone on to become known for her comedy in the drag community. With any luck, she’ll be able to showcase her comedic genius even more and take her career to the next level. Viewers can also enjoy this drinking game: take a shot every time she says, “Flood my basement.”
What She’ll Contribute: shade in Untucked, a reality check, and great one-liners
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Katya (Season 7)
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Everybody’s favorite lil’ Soviet darling, Katya was a gem that sparkled in Season 7’s otherwise chalky cast. And the audience knew it. Fans took to social media to voice outrage that she was not in the Top 3 while sleepier contestants somehow made it all the way to the top. So when RuPaul called our Eastern Bloc princess onstage at the finale, many lost their shit in the hopes that Ru would name Katya the winner in a huge upset. Turns out Ru was just teasing that dry old drama weave and instead asked Katya for water. But with her incredible performance ability, self-deprecating humor, and creative looks, this Miss Congeniality is a strong Top 3 candidate this year.
What She’ll Contribute: orgasmic moans, flexible poses, and at least one uplifting heart-to-heart
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Phi Phi O’Hara (Season 4)
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Infamously known as the “Bitch of Season 4,” Phi Phi was most famous for telling Sharon Needles to “go back to Party City where you belong!” Sharon went on to win that year’s competition while Phi Phi was ridiculed as an insecure pageant queen. But in a remarkable turnaround, Miss O’Hara went on to be one of the most famous Drag Race queens due to her wildly successful Instagram campaign, “365 Days of Drag,” featuring 90s cartoon illusions and cult classic characters. We’ll see if her salty side comes back this season.
What She’ll Contribute: incredible makeup, a performance as a Nickelodeon character, and a filthy read
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Roxxxy Andrews (Season 5)
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Member 1 of RoLaskaTox. Where Phi Phi became the makeshift antagonist in Season 4, Roxxxy took it to the next level and became Season 5’s undisputed villain. After her awkward spats with Jinkx Monsoon and her shady interviews throwing other castmates under the bus, she received tough criticism from the show’s fandom and from the Drag Race judges themselves. Roxxxy has since apologized to Jinkx and others, stating she will try to be kinder on All-Stars Season 2. We’ll see about that, but if her stunning wig-under-the-wig reveal makes a comeback this year, it’ll all be worth it.
What She’ll Contribute: sexy runway, mascara tears, and “That Was the Old Me” moments
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Tatianna (Season 2)
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Depicted as the Mean Girl in Season 2, Tatianna’s beefs with her fellow castmates were what made her stand out in a crowd at first. But her excellent execution of fishy drag and her funny Snatch Game impersonation of Britney Spears—a performance even better than professional Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Berry’s rendition—reserved a spot for her in the Drag Race hall of fame. It’s likely she will have demonstrated some growth out of her young insecurities and will get the chance to showcase her elevated drag performances this year.
What She’ll Contribute: salt, sugar, and fish
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Be sure to catch the first episode of Drag Race All-Stars Season 2 this Thursday, August 25, on Logotv.com. And check back on Jetspace Magazine each Friday for more Ru-minations recaps after each episode!
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