Top 10 RuPaul's Drag Race Franchise Moments of 2021

#10: Multiple Queens Quit Various, “Drag Race España” (2021-)

Also in:

Top 10 Actors Who Have Played Multiple Roles on Law & Order: SVU

“Drag Race España” was an entertaining watch, thanks in no small part to some twists that had even the host caught off guard. Inti showed a lot of promise, but decided to end her run after feeling unappreciated and misunderstood by the judges. Despite Supremme de Luxe’s intervention, Inti was determined to leave and took off her makeup and clothes to prove it. The surprising development allowed Dovima Nurmi to continue after performing solo. But this made it all the more surprising when Dovima chose to give up her own spot to former roommate Sagittaria three episodes later. With “Drag Race UK” Season 2 contestant Ginny Lemon also having “BenDeLaCreme’d” herself, it was a year of queens taking matters into their own hands.

Although it usually has its highlights, the perennial “Snatch Game” challenge is hit-or-miss by design. It requires character research as well as an ability to volley with Ru, and if we’ve learned anything from tuning in to “Drag Race,” this is easier said than done. That’s why we were all the more thrilled when Season 13’s iteration of the challenge was hilarious. Rosé was very funny as a heavily accented Mary, Queen of Scots — but there’s no question who truly stole the show. With genius jokes about Paris Hilton’s voice and DJ career, Gottmik’s showing in the challenge was perhaps one of the best ever. However, Bimini Bon-Boulash also deserves credit for her hysterical Katie Price impression in “Drag Race UK” Season 2.

“Drag Race” Season 13 started off differently than others. After the queens shockingly lip synced in pairs in the premiere, the second and third episodes focused on the winners and the losers, respectively. Each group had to write lyrics and dance it up to one of two RuPaul songs, and many of the performers truly excelled. With memorable moments in “Phenomenon” like Rosé’s high note, Denali’s choreo, and of course, “Tamisha Iman is coming for you,” the “Pork Chop” queens more than proved their worth. Although it suffered some minor mishaps, “Condragulations” was also entertaining. Ironically, Elliott with 2 Ts, who lost her original lip sync but joined the winners’ circle due to a twist, had no trouble standing out.

Although she didn’t excel on “Drag Race UK,” Joe Black inadvertently gave us one of the series’s most shocking moments ever. She performed in a lackluster version of “UK Hun?,” and she received particular criticism for her underwhelming outfit. When she affirmed Michelle Visage’s opinion that her dress looked off the rack, Ru got fiery. The host made her standards known in a passionate speech, telling the queens that cheaper pieces still must look fabulous to be seen on the runway. The moment is definitely in the running for the most riled up we’ve ever seen the head judge. Plus, her monologue contained some truly unforgettable quotes.

Ever a generous queen, this dancer extraordinaire gifted us with many iconic moments on “Drag Race” Season 6. From “I feel very attacked” to “let’s get sickening,” the Laganja lexicon is an indelible part of the show. That’s what made it all the more exciting for the talented performer to return in “All Stars” 6 as a guest lip sync assassin. We could have guessed she’d turn it out on stage, but we never saw her surprise entrance coming. While Trinity K. Bonet was a fierce opponent, Laganja truly lit up the stage and delivered thrilling choreography with stunts galore. #

Lip syncs with more than two performers can be a tough sell. They can limit the queens’ movement, and it can be hard as a viewer to give each the attention they deserve. However, the final showdown in the Spanish “Drag Race” spinoff was an incredible exception. The number was set to Rocío Dúrcal’s heartbreaking ballad “La gata bajo la lluvia” and started off low-key. But when Carmen Farala yanked off her train, we suspected something bigger was coming. And sure enough, she whipped off her wig as we heard the title lyric, which translates to “the cat under the rain.” Revealing wet hair was a stroke of genius that perfectly captured the song’s central image of a woman standing in the rain. Understandably, the judges went crazy.

If there’s one lip sync from “Drag Race” Season 13 that we’ll be rewatching for years to come, it has to be this one. By episode four, we’d seen Denali’s dancing talents on display multiple times. But somehow, we still weren’t prepared for how she truly excelled in this performance. While Kahmora Hall was constricted in a tight gown with a heavy train, her competitor kept the energy up for the entire number. From finding funny ways to act out the song’s lyrics to voguing down the runway, Denali had our attention during practically every moment. The fact that she was dressed as a giant, colorful bird didn’t hurt in that department, either. Denali may not have won the season, but she owned the stage.

While there were several promising contenders in “All Stars” Season 6, there was something special about Kylie. When we first saw her in Season 2, she was eliminated in the fourth episode and didn’t get to show off her true potential. At the reunion, however, she showed remarkable vulnerability by discussing her gender transition with her castmates. It was then a full circle moment for Kylie to be crowned the first out trans winner of a U.S. “Drag Race” series some 11 years later. And with serious heart, talent, and lip sync skills, there’s no question that she deserved it. If that weren’t enough cause for celebration, in the same year Vanessa Van Cartier became the first out trans winner of “Drag Race Holland.”

The recurring girl groups challenge on “Drag Race” can be one of the show’s most entertaining, since it combines team dynamics with lyric-writing, dancing, and lip syncing. The United Kingdolls’ number on Season 2 encapsulated everything that makes this task so fun. Tayce, Bimini Bon-Boulash, A’Whora, and Lawrence Chaney each brought something different to the table, and it was incredible to witness. All four verses were incredibly strong and contained zingers like “I like it rough but my lentils tender” and “you read books and I’m on the cover.” On top of that, the choreo was well-executed and even jaw-dropping at times. It’s no wonder their version of the song made it to number 27 on the Official UK Charts. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. "Queens Down Under" Performance, “Queens Down Under,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under” In a Season Not Exactly Acclaimed, This Number Was Genuinely Entertaining Symone’s Powerful Runway Presentation, “The Snatch Game,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2009-) The Season 13 Winner Brought a Moving Statement to the Mainstage Utica Queen Is Put on the Spot, “RuPaulmark Channel,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2009-) The Contestant’s Changing Facial Expressions Had Ru Cackling Vivaldi Breaks the Rules, “Spill the Coffee,” “Drag Race Holland” (2020-) This Queen Was Put in the Bottom For Secretly Using a Cell Phone Utica Queen's Bombed Roast Performance, “Nice Girls Roast,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2009-) This Performance Was So Bad, It Was Great

For most of “All Stars” Season 6, we kept hearing about a mysterious “game within a game” that eliminated queens were invited to partake in. Only in episode ten did we find out the truth. After each elimination, the contestants sent packing were pitted against each other in a lip sync tournament to rejoin the race. This was surprising enough, but no one could have predicted that the Rudemption Smackdown would make Silky Nutmeg Ganache an instant legend. Winning six performances and one victory by default, Silky brought absolutely unforgettable costumes, props, and attitude to the mainstage. Although she sadly didn’t make it back into the competition, she walked away a “Drag Race” icon.