Top 10 Hardest Songs Performed on RuPaul's Drag Race
#10: “Call Me Mother”
Season 10
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When season 10 finalists Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka, and Kameron Michaels faced off in a four-way lip sync to RuPaul’s “Call Me Mother,” the results were decidedly mixed. The queens’ relatively stationary performances arguably didn’t do the song any justice, but we can’t fully blame them. The track marked a bit of a departure for Ru when first released, packing more lyrical punch in fewer bars than we’re used to. So it’s an unforgiving lip sync song, because if you don’t catch every word, it’ll show. Maybe the final four were more worried about remembering the lyrics than they were about putting on a show? We probably would be too!
#9: "Oops!... I Did It Again"
Season 5
Some Britney Spears tunes are just harder to lip sync than others. That’s what the series’ first double sashay victims, Honey Mahogany and Vivienne Pinay, found out during the show’s fifth season. Although the performers’ energy is lacking, the song is deceptively paced. It’s not exactly upbeat and uptempo, and not exactly downbeat and downtempo either. As far as Britney songs go, "Oops!... I Did It Again" sits somewhere between over the top theatrics and subtle drama. Now, drag may be many things, but it’s rarely an artform that lends itself to the middle ground. So, unless you’ve got the Britneyisms down as precisely as Derrick Barry or you can stay on beat while being gut-bustingly funny, you’re gonna struggle with this one.
#8: "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia" Monologue
All Stars 7
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This one’s technically not a song, but that’s exactly what makes it so hard. Drag queens have been lip syncing to spoken word for much longer than “Drag Race” has been around. Still, it wasn’t until the “All stars: All Winners” edition that Ru gave us the first spoken word lip sync duel. You couldn’t pick a better pair of queens for that honor than Jinkx Monsoon and Monét X Change. Without music or dancing to fall back on, the queens were forced to serve their best pantomime performances. No flips, no kicks, no splits, just emotion and precise timing. It was never more important to feel every word and pair it with the right gesture.
#7: "There's No Business Like Show Business"
All Stars 1
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This one’s a deep cut for even the most history-minded queens. Not only was this Irving Berlin song already over half a century old when it appeared on the first edition of “All Stars,” but they used the Ethel Merman version. Even if you know the track, the rhythm isn’t easy to master. Plus, it takes a queen with gravitas to embody Merman’s distinctly powerful voice. Let’s just say the learning curve is steep on a number like this. But you know what they say: a queen who doesn’t know her herstory is doomed to lose an Ethel Merman lip sync.
#6: “Glamazonian Airways” (Pts. 1 & 2)
Season 7
The seventh season of “Drag Race” gets a bad rap. Yet it has one of the more memorable and successful casts the franchise has seen. The challenges on the other hand… let’s just say they were interesting at times. This early one was a good indicator of how bizarre things were gonna get. The queens were asked to lip sync a bonkers in-flight demonstration which required them to land some arguably weak punchlines. Many struggled, and even the ones who didn’t are a little hard to watch. It’s safe to say that “Glamazonian Airways” is not what you’d call first-class performance material.
#5: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
Season 8
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Just in case you needed a reminder: this is a list of difficult performance songs, but not necessarily bad ones. Case in point: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from “Dreamgirls.” Many have tried, but few folks out there can pull this one off. The late great Chi Chi DeVayne was one of the talented few to absolutely slay this iconic belting extravaganza in the lip sync. She was so good her opponent, Thorgy Thor, almost appeared to give up at one point. Given how raw and guttural the song is, you can’t rely on anything but pure emotion and acting ability to do it justice.
#4: "Cold Hearted"
Season 5
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Paula Abdul is an artist who can squeeze a lot of lyrics into a short amount of space. And this track includes a rap verse that’s as complicated as anything in “Call Me Mother.” That season 5’s Coco Montrese literally pointed right at her mouth during the rap section just goes to show how difficult it was going to be. Her confidence was well-earned, because she was flawless. Hey, she’s not a lip sync assassin for nothing! Still, we shudder to think how the rapid fire lyrics would throw a less experienced queen completely off her game.
#3: “Malambo No. 1”
Season 5
Given the lip sync song choices, we’d guess the producers were out for blood in season 5. This one is especially difficult. Even if you speak Spanish, the mambo rhythm and the vocalizing Sumac does at various points could catch anyone off-guard. Fortunately, that was not a problem for Jinkx Monsoon. Detox and her signature lip quiver didn’t really stand a chance during the week 11 lip sync. Make no mistake, though. This is not an entry-level song. So if you do decide to go for it, be sure you’re ready to embrace the challenge — especially if it’s outside your usual wheelhouse.
#2: "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)"
Season 4
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Pam Tillis’ “Mi Vida Loca” is a great country song from the ‘90s, cute in the best possible way. However, this is drag. Cute isn’t the adjective we’re usually aiming for. We want big, bold, and gorgeous, which isn’t always easy to channel with this one. Willam and Jiggly Caliente do their best to give it life, but it’s a pretty boring performance all things considered. They’re not entirely responsible, though. The song has no huge moments built-in, no drama, and not many obvious opportunities to play it up for comedy. Of course, therein lies the obstacle, because one must find and foster those things. Jiggly may have said it best, though.
#1: "Kitty Girl"
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The seasoned vets of “All Stars” 3 were shocked to learn that their final challenge would be one of the most ambitious in the show’s history. Not only did they have to create their own verses to RuPaul’s “Kitty Girl,” but they had to film a live musical performance. Pretty standard, right? Except this one was filmed in one continuous take. Any mistake would be magnified. Every move had to be on point. No editing could cover the imperfections. To make things more complicated, this number starts on the lot! The queens had to perform and, eventually, sprint across the entire soundstage before bringing it home on the mainstage without missing a beat. That’s not the kind of thing just anyone could nail.
