Top 10 One-Sided RuPaul's Drag Race Lip Syncs
#10: Shangela vs. Carmen Carrera “RuPaul-a-Palooza”
“Believe” is a gay anthem if ever there was one, and it takes some serious stage presence to fill Cher’s legendary shoes. In this Season 3 lip-sync, Carmen sadly proved not up to the task in a thoroughly underwhelming performance. With little movement and even less emotion, it would be easy to forget that Carmen had a hand in other iconic “Drag Race” numbers. Thankfully, Shangela was there to turn up the heat, and she infused her take on the hit club song with passion and hopefulness. And Shangela’s dip - then a rare dance move on the show - was so flawlessly executed it gave Michelle a shock. While this isn’t one of the show’s most memorable lip-syncs, it’s one that Shangela carried all by herself.
#9: Monét X Change vs. Dusty Ray Bottoms “The Last Ball on Earth”
Precious few queens earn the title of “lip-sync assassin,” but it was clear from this showdown that Monet had what it takes. While neither of the queens excelled in this week’s last ball on earth challenge, only one truly turned out this performance of “Pound the Alarm.” From the moment that Monet ripped off her skirt, she was channeling Nicki Minaj’s over-the-top rap persona. While she perfectly mimed the lyrics as they flew by, Dusty understandably looked tongue-tied. If that weren’t enough, Monet’s pretend jump into a split will go down in “Drag Race” history as a moment of pure genius. It only made it more satisfying that she had the killer dance moves to back up her obvious comedic instincts.
#8: Aja vs. Kimora Blac “Draggily Ever After”
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This Season 9 battle pitted one of the show’s highest-energy performers against one of its weakest. Kimora Blac deserves credit for giving it her best, but she clearly struggled with the wordy song. To make matters worse, she threw herself to the ground twice in a way that was more awkward than epic. In stark contrast, Aja’s “Princess Disastah” persona and intense facial expressions perfectly suited the high drama of Bonnie Tyler’s ‘80s hit. And from jumps and splits to a dip on the song’s climactic beat, Aja practically pulled out every trick in the book. Their desire to remain in the competition was palpable, and while Kimora went home, Aja went on to slay another day.
#7: Latrice Royale vs. Kenya Michaels “DILFs: Dads I’d Like to Frock”
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Michelle Visage has name-dropped this lip-sync as one of her all-time favorites, and she can thank Latrice for that. Doing justice to a legendary Aretha Franklin tune is no easy feat, and the two competitors took opposite approaches. While Kenya delivered pirouettes, jumps, and splits, Latrice proved that acrobatics don’t always make a winning performance. The joy in Franklin’s voice was visible on Latrice’s face, and she gave the song new meaning by drawing on her maternity-themed runway look. While Kenya’s antics and wig-snatching felt out of place, Latrice gave a masterclass in restraint - and the payoff was huge.
#6: Dida Ritz vs. The Princess “Glamazons vs. Champions”
There’s no doubt that lip-syncing a song in front of the artist ups the ante. Dida Ritz put this pressure to good use in Season 4 with undeniably one of the show’s most uplifting performances of all time. Her connection with guest judge Natalie Cole was obvious, and her stomping, hair-flipping, and perfectly enunciated lyrics completely stole the show. For her part, The Princess did far better than many lip-sync losers, prancing around the main stage with considerable energy. But ultimately, it was Dida’s bright-eyed interpretation of “This Will Be” that had the judges waving their handkerchiefs in celebration.
#5: Kameron Michaels vs. Asia O’Hara “Grand Finale”
In later seasons of “Drag Race,” outfit reveals have become a more common aspect of lip-syncs - particularly at finales. In Season 10’s final episode, one such surprise went horribly wrong for Asia O’Hara and led to a truly cringe-worthy moment. Instead of springing into action, the butterflies concealed in her dress remained in place or plummeted to the ground. While the botched stunt compromised Asia’s entire performance, Kameron continued her track record with yet another flawlessly choreographed routine. The latter queen had always been able to capture a song’s mood, and her flirty attitude and tight moves clearly made her the winner here.
#4: Akashia vs. Tammie Brown “Girl Group Challenge”
Any “Drag Race” fan knows that you don’t have to bust out dance moves to make a great lip sync - but you do have to do something. Tammie Brown’s run on Season 1 was cut short after she threw this lip-sync, admitting in her confessional that she didn’t know the words to Michelle Williams’s “We Break the Dawn.” The fan-favorite infamously didn’t mouth a single word to the track, instead giving the judges low-energy two-step choreography. Akashia survived her second time in the bottom two by channeling the song’s inspiring message, earning a standing ovation from Santino and tears from guest judge Michelle. While Tammie broke down, Akashia “broke the dawn.”
#3: Denali vs. Kahmora Hall “RuPaulmark Channel”
After Kahmora seriously struggled to embody a tree in this week’s acting challenge, she and Denali landed in the bottom - and gave totally opposite performances. While the Bob Mackie-loving look queen remained trapped in a tight floor-length gown, Denali demonstrated inarguably some of the season’s best dancing. From voguing-inspired moves to oddball maneuvers like miming the shape of a house, Denali packed every moment of the lip-sync with eye-catching choreo. Kahmora, meanwhile, was left to stroll around the mainstage and unfortunately disappeared into the background. For giving it her all, Denali earned her place as one of the season’s lip-sync assassins - and it was out of the question that she’d bested Kahmora.
#2: Nina Bo'nina Brown vs. Valentina “Your Pilot’s on Fire”
Season 9 brought us one of the most dramatic lip-sync moments of all time. When front-runner Valentina was made to interpret Ariana Grande’s “Greedy,” she notoriously kept her decorative mask on. After some confusion on the judges’ panel, RuPaul called her out and it was soon revealed that she didn’t have the song down. Valentina was visibly uncomfortable for the rest of the number - and although Nina’s skeleton look was unfinished, she brought a lively energy that her competitor sorely lacked. It was downright shocking to see Valentina not only land in the bottom, but also bomb so spectacularly.
#1: Trinity Taylor [aka Trinity The Tuck] vs. Charlie Hides “Good Morning Bitches”
While many queens who flounder in the bottom two struggle with memorizing lyrics, that wasn’t Charlie Hides’s main problem in this notorious lip-sync. Instead, she refused to budge on stage, completely failing to capture the spirit of Britney Spears’s infectious club tune. To the obvious frustration of her peers, Charlie didn’t offer much, aside from a few handclaps. It was unclear whether her performance was due to an injury or an aversion to lip-syncing altogether - but Trinity blew her out of the water either way. Displaying glamorous hair flips, somersaults, and her famous butt-wiggle, the future All-Star had absolutely zero trouble securing this win.
