Top 30 RuPauls Drag Race Lip Syncs Ever

If there ever was a lip sync that was decided in the first five seconds, it would be this one. Everyone knew once Jessica Wild threw off her cloak and unsheathed her very large assets, she had already fully embodied Kim Petras’ “Coconuts.” Regardless, Jessica continued to show that she is, indeed, a showstopper. She milked this lip sync for all it was worth, and the judges were living the entire time. Jessica matched every move and beat of the song, ensuring that you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Ra’Jah, on the other hand, was the most graceful lip sync loser in herstory. She tried with all her might to make her coconuts bounce, but alas, could not.

Part of the suspense here was due to Laganja clearly having a rough time after the stand-up comedy challenge. This was her moment to split or get off the pot. Unfortunately, Joslyn also hit the split, and what’s more, she turned in a great performance. Joslyn Fox played meek for most of the season. She considered herself the “black horse” of the competition, but when Ru pushed play on “Stupid Girls” by Pink, she turned into a stallion. This was a diva on a mission to destroy. Laganja did well, but she just became the collateral damage to Joslyn’s slayage.

It may have been the COVID season, but season 12 opened with a big bang. Gigi Goode, the super young fashion queen whose mom made her costumes, was not initially seen as a threat. That is until she won the first challenge alongside veteran queen Widow Von’Du. Lip syncing in front of Nicki Minaj herself, the two took very different approaches to “Starships.” While Gigi played up the manic beat and quirkiness of the song, Widow immediately threw off her jacket and got to work. She whipped out every trick, including some contortionist craziness we’d never seen on the mainstage. A queen who can do three splits in one lip sync without boring the audience is a performer with a capital P.

When the person who actually starts climbing the set doesn’t win, you know it was a great lip sync. Alyssa Edwards gave Shea Couleé a run for her money in the second episode of All Stars 5. She tossed off her neon fringe and threw herself into a frenzy to The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance.” She even went as far as climbing the wall at one point. However, Alyssa met her match in Shea, who twirled and whipped it up like a KitchenAid mixer across the mainstage. Jujubee said exactly what we were all thinking. This was a very exciting performance.

Two of the best lip syncers among the “All Winners” cast faced off to this Kylie Minogue song. We don’t think there could have been a more appropriate title than “Supernova.” The amount of talent, creativity, and sheer flexibility on that stage was actually overwhelming. Rather than try to bury each other, the two almost seemed like they were performing a duet. If Shea stormed the stage, Monét was right beside her. If Monét was doing a split, Shea was doing a high kick. And when they seductively hit the floor at the same time, the entire studio went wild, and so did everyone lucky enough to watch it from home.

There are moments when a queen lets everyone know they’re here to dominate the competition. For Denali, this was that moment. The Chicago queen had bombed in the week’s acting challenge, but watching her work her arms to Crystal Waters’ “100% Pure Love” was all the Rudemption she needed. How many queens have pretended to be a clock onstage? She may have looked like a parrot, but Denali was giving 100% pure peacock as she strutted across the stage and wiped the floor with the doomed Kahmora Hall. Granted, Kahmora looked gorgeous, but her cumbersome train hindered any attempt to give a decent lip sync.

Lizzo’s “Phone” is a perfect showcase for the drag queen who can sell sexy and funny. That’s exactly what Ginger Minj and Mayhem Miller served here. At least, their version of those things. If you didn’t tell us who the Lip Sync Assassin was, we wouldn’t be able to tell. Ginger Minj and Mayhem Miller both performed like they had everything to lose, which made their battle far more interesting than it should have been. The two have two very different styles. Clearly, though, they weren’t bothered in the slightest. This was another lip sync where the two worked in tandem to give everybody a show.

Did she just jump from there? Yes, she just jumped from there. When her season 6 sister leapt from a platform onto the mainstage, Trinity had to make sure to let everyone know that the first stunt didn’t count. By the time they got to the actual lip sync to Dua Lipa’s “Physical,” Laganja was owning every bit of the stage. Trinity served attitude before whipping out her own bag of tricks, flips, and twirls, but Laganja had already pulled up in her U-Haul, and stole the win right from under her. In just three short minutes, Laganja became the highlight of the entire season. And to think she was only a Lip Sync Assassin.

While the season aired, judge Michelle Visage was so bold as to say this was her favorite lip sync ever. And it wasn’t just PR. Anetra and Marcia Marcia Marcia left everything but blood on the mainstage. So many queens try to pull stunts that don’t quite go with the song they’re performing. In this lip sync, the tricks were the whole show. Yes, we all remember the iconic Free Willy moment, but don’t let that fool you. This was a true battle. Marcia put up a real fight, and against anyone else, she would’ve had a chance. She probably didn’t think Anetra would upstage her big moment with an even bigger one.

By the end of this season 8 episode, the writing was pretty much on the wall for Thorgy Thor. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Chi Chi DeVayne, the bayou queen, from delivering a lip sync smackdown that shook the entire studio. It brought the drama, the suspense, and all the emotions. Chi Chi’s season-long underdog story was nearing its peak. When her beads broke at the climax of the song, it was a stunning, make-or-break moment of theater. Even RuPaul was visibly shook by it. It’s also kind of hilarious and touching to watch Thorgy accept defeat, and even lift Chi Chi’s hand in victory as the song ends. She rose to the challenge and crushed it.

Every time the season’s Miss Congeniality lip synced, it was bittersweet. No one wanted to see Latrice Royale go, but we always knew we’d get a show when she was in the bottom two. Not only was her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “A Natural Woman” an undisputed masterclass in drag performance, it was one of the most decisive victories in “Drag Race” herstory. Latrice is a top-tier entertainer even when her competition puts up a fight. Her lip sync against DiDa Ritz is a prime example (xref). But here, she was peerless. Latrice completely embodied the song, filling every lyric with pure emotion. Her decision to simply plant her feet and deliver rendered opponent Kenya Michaels’ showy ballet dance ridiculous in comparison.

With such different styles, Jujubee and Sahara Davenport’s lip sync to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” could have gone either way. Jujubee is one of “Drag Race”’s tightest lip syncers while Sahara Davenport’s ballet background made her one of the show’s most unique performers. Thanks to the copious supply of cocktails served during Untucked, Jujubee was just a little bit tipsy during this performance, which comes out in the loose and sultry way she works the stage. Sahara’s delicate spins, on the other hand, make for an interesting counterbalance. But while they were enough to beat Morgan McMichaels earlier in the season, they weren’t interesting enough to save her from elimination this time.

It looked like Adore Delano’s time on Season 6 was about to be over when she landed in the Bottom Two with Lip Sync Assassin, Trinity K. Bonet. Trinity had already sent home April Carrion and Milk but Adore wasn’t going to be her third victim without a fight. The pair had to perform Paula Abdul’s “Vibeology,” and there was some extra pressure from Paula herself being there to judge them. Nobody felt this more than Adore, who’d already been judged by the pop icon previously on American Idol. Though it was a close call, Adore proved her star power in this performance, and went on to become recognized as an Assassin herself.

Death drops have almost been done to… well, death on “Drag Race.” So much so that doing one now usually needs a little something extra added on in order to impress. Case in point: Monet X Change and Dusty Ray Bottoms’ lip sync to Nicki Minaj’s “Pound The Alarm.” The club banger demanded two very high energy performances and Dusty, despite being more at home with musical theater, really gave it her all here. However, she couldn’t compete with Monet, whose fake-out and pre-jump cross sign had RuPaul and Michelle Visage howling with laughter. Death drops just haven’t been the same since.

In a shocking twist on the All Stars formula, the remaining “All Stars 4” contestants had to battle against each eliminated queen in the “LaLaPaRUza” challenge. This is how Naomi Smalls and Gia Gunn locked horns, performing RuPaul’s club tune, “Adrenaline.” Out of all the queens competing in the challenge, Naomi and Gia were probably the most underrated as far as lip syncing. This battle dispelled all of that. From Gia’s voguing to Naomi’s floor crawl, it was electrifying to watch. Should it have been a Double Shantay? Well, we wouldn’t have complained.

While it’s usually only the Top Two that lip sync for the crown, there are some rare exceptions. Season 10 was one such occasion, with Aquaria, Kameron Michaels and Eureka O’Hara all progressing to the final showdown of the live finale after poor Asia O’Hara’s butterfly fail knocked her out of the running. And wouldn’t you know it? The selected song, “Bang Bang” was also a three-hander. Expectations were high given that Kameron and Eureka scored a double-save already in the season, but though Kameron was a lip sync assassin and Eureka had plenty of tricks, Aquaria’s energy stole the spotlight.

As performers, these two couldn’t be more different. BenDeLaCreme is a campy, old school queen whereas Aja is a fashion-forward dancing queen. Nowhere could this be more apparent than in their lip sync to Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” in the first episode of “All Stars 3.” The song was perfect for Aja’s style, playing to all her strengths as a lip syncer and to her aesthetic as a rapper herself. But BenDeLa used her contrasting style to her advantage, playing up just how funny it was for her to be performing to a Nicki Minaj track, of all things. The judges were sent into hysterics.

Sometimes, the right song, the right performers, and the right outfit can make a lip sync that bit more magical. This was very much the case with Jackie Cox’s battle in the Bottom Two against Widow Von’Du in Season 12. The pair’s brilliant twists on the “Stars and Stripes” runway theme combined with the Katy Perry anthem, “Firework,” made for both a powerful statement and a powerful performance. Jackie Cox’s hijab and caftan combination was especially effective in this regard, and you could see from the emotion on her face how much it meant to her to be on the runway wearing it. In fact, celebrity guest judge Jeff Goldblum was moved to tears by her passion.

Speaking of Katy Perry anthems, they don’t come much bigger than “Roar.” In Season 7, Kennedy Davenport and Katya squared off for a place in the Top Four to the track, and the fight was a fierce one. The two are very different performers. While both always bring heart and soul to their lip syncs, Kennedy is known for her slick choreography and Katya her flexibility. Both proved this when the lip sync kicked into high gear: Kennedy leaping into the splits from the stage to the floor, while Katya, not to be outdone, cartwheeled into the splits seconds later. Can we get an amen?

As far as lip syncing goes, it’s hard to find a song trickier to perform to than “Malambo No.1” by Yma Sumac. The vocal range and the constantly changing tempo make the mambo classic a real tongue twister. We already knew that Detox was worthy of rising to the challenge with her infamously flexible jaw, which made it seem like a one horse race from the start. However, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Jinkx was hiding a similar talent. What ensued was a lip syncing tour de force, and Jinkx knocking a powerhouse like Detox out of the competition set her on course for the overall season win.

Every once in a while, a pair of lip syncers realise that together, they are stronger than the sum of their parts. As Raja and Carmen stalked each other up and down the stage to Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” the sexual tension was palpable. But this is drag, and interference is not the name of the game - right, Mimi Imfurst? Cue stripping, mounting, nibbling and what turned out to be the kiss of death from Raja. Nothing says diva like sending your competitor packing and leaving your lipstick calling card on her shoulder to prove you were the one to take her out.

Though Peppermint might have seemed like the underdog heading into Season 9’s grand finale, this performance proved that assumption to be patently untrue. Trinity The Tuck’s sharp dance moves and well-timed reveal reminded us of the perfectionist she is. Peppermint had her own clever reveal, but it’s really her tight lip syncing that snatched her the win in this case. She went on to bring her body-popping A game in the final battle against Sasha Velour. There’s a reason why she was known as THE assassin of Season 9.

As if the pressure of just being on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” wasn’t enough, imagine having to Lip Sync for Your Life in front of the song’s recording artist? That’s what happened to DiDa Ritz and The Princess in Season 4. Soul legend Natalie Cole had a front row seat to the duo’s performance to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).” While The Princess did her best to stay in the game, there was just no competing with DiDa Ritz. There was hair flipping, sequins flying around… DiDa took us to CHURCH - and we, along with Ms. Cole - happily went with her.

You knew it was coming... The most emotional lip sync in “Drag Race” herstory. Raven and Jujubee made for a dream team in the first season of All Stars. Their slip ups in the main challenges were always compensated for in their lip syncs. Raven even took down Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia singlehandedly this way. But the All Star showed a softer side to her ice queen persona when she had to go up against her teammate. Lip syncing to Robyn’s emotional disco song, “Dancing On My Own,” the pair were visibly overcome by the whole thing, and the battle ended up being a heartfelt duet. There wasn’t a dry eye in the studio by the end.

There's an old saying that goes, "If you're gonna snatch your own wig, you better make sure you've got another hidden underneath". OK, that's not a real saying, but Roxxxy's iconic reveal, in all its camp glory, has certainly raised the standard of acceptable reveals. It pretty much set the bar to which all subsequent wig reveals are judged. If it were up to us, Roxxxy would have won this lip sync on wig alone. But Mother Ru, in her infinite wisdom and mercifulness, gave both queens a second chance at the end of this electrifying, whiplash-inducing lip sync.

The joy of this lip sync is how silly these two queens look together. Looking like the world's weirdest amateur dramatics production of “Chess,” Manila and Delta serve high camp, joining forces at the end to deliver a hilarious finale. Manila’s crossed-eyes from fake exertion is one of her trademark tricks, and something we’ve come to expect from her in seasons since. Theatrical, high energy and heaps of fun, it’s everything a lip sync needs to be.

Nothing brings out the big guns like an old rivalry. And these pageant queens with a messy history let rip in a bid to outperform each other. The rivalry between them results in an incredible display of one-upmanship in this Season 5 smackdown. When Coco lip syncs the spoken word segment flawlessly, Alyssa leaps into the splits. And when Alyssa splits, Coco delivers what can only be described as rhythmic gymnastics via the medium of sleeves. While the latter wins the battle, what makes this performance so memorable is the fact that it's a true meeting of equals: “Cold Hearted” rivals in a red hot battle to the end!

Alyssa is already a one woman show when it comes to lip syncing but Tatianna made sure this wasn't one-sided. In a season of incredible lip syncs, this is certainly one for the herstory books: two seasoned queens and one of the most closely fought battles to ever grace the main stage. In the immortal words of “SNL”’s Stefon, this performance has EVERYTHING: tight lip syncing, dancing, hair flipping, coordinating outfits, and a "Shantay you both stay" at the end. What more could you want from a lip sync? Well…

Two words: rose petals. This was the first time we got to see Sasha Velour lip sync and it's a real masterclass: she's emotional, dramatic, and every trick she pulls is in time with the song's beats. Though there have been reveals before and after her, no one has been able to match Sasha for her creativity, timing, and flawless execution. In short, this performance was a game-changer for the show. It's just a shame that Shea Couleé isn't really on the same level here, making it one-sided. If not for that, this might have grabbed the top spot on our list.

Seeing the two frontrunners of Season 11 in the Bottom Two was a shock, and their battle was one of the most intense we’ve ever seen. This was a contest between two queens at the very top of their game: one with a ballet background and the other with a body like a rubber band. They match each other's moves like-for-like in the performance, never letting the other get the upper hand. Brooke Lynn had an amazing reveal earlier on the runway while Yvie matched that in the lip sync with one of the smoothest wig reveals ever. (Sorry Roxxxy!) Naturally, the next time these two competed head-to-head, it was for the crown.

Which “Drag Race” lip sync lives rent free in your head? Sound off in the comments below.