Last night’s finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 was glorious, sparkling, and so very gay. The top four – Brooke Lynn Hytes, Yvie Oddly, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and A’keria Chanel Davenport battled it out in a reveal-heavy, high-energy show for the crown.
But before we got to who would be our new reigning drag superstar supreme, Christine and the Queens sang Drag Race legendary contestants-gone-by up the runway. The French musician, wearing a red, huge-sleeved jacket and bodysuit with one heavy eyelashed eye, did a cover of RuPaul’s “Sissy That Walk” – a totally glorious intersection of queer culture.
“I’m a femme queen, mother of a house of no shame, my pussy is on fire, now kiss the flame,” Chris sings with intense, heart-fluttering compassion.
Legendary queens took to the runway – Coco Montrese, Raja, Alexis Mateo, Eureka, Mayhem Miller, Ongina, Blair St Clair, Monique Heart, Jaymes Mansfield, Pandora Boxx, Kennedy Davenport, Mrs. Kasha Davis, Jasmine Masters, and more.
With later highlights like a Vanessa Vanjie sketch where she attempted to get her face on the lipsync battle wheel, a goodbye to Michelle Visage’s breast implants, and the crowning of Miss Nina West as Miss Congeniality, we got down to the finale lipsyncs we were waiting for. First saw Silky take on Brooke Lynn in Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious”, which resulted in Brooke snatching the win as this season’s lipsync assassin, naturally. The second battle was then between Yvie and A’Keria to Rihanna’s “SOS”, with A’keria doing some mad moves and a sparkling wig reveal – ultimately though, Yvie advanced. The final battle saw finalists Yvie and Brooke take on “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga, with plenty of back bends and ballerina moves. Though it was no “Sorry Not S#TeamYvie then snatched the crown – all hail our weird, guffawing, bendy, glorious Drag Race winner.