Hi all!
Today I am back with a very exciting post! As Drag Race UK vs. The World is airing next month, I wanted to share my top 10 favourite international Drag Race contestants. These are queens that aren’t featured on the U.S. franchise. You can check out that specific post here. I was very lucky to work with an excellent artist on Instagram. Please check out @hannahsgothhaus and give her some love. I am obsessed with her Tim Burton style renditions. A huge thank you to Hannah for collaborating with me. I also want to add, I didn’t include any contestants from Drag Race Thailand or Down Under, because none of them wowed me enough to make my list. However, if I had to pick, I would choose Elektra Shock and Khana Warrior. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Spoilers Ahead!
1.) Killer Queen
Killer Queen is my favourite international Drag Race contestant. PERIOD. She placed runner up to Carmen Farala in season 1 of Drag Race Espana. Killer crept up on me quietly. I didn’t really notice her until the Metal Donnas performance of Divas. She owned the stage and from there, continued to shine. As the competition progressed, she went on to win the first Snatch Game for her country as Spanish politician: Isabel Diaz Ayuso. Furthermore, she wowed the judges week after week with her stunning makeup skills and conceptual runway looks. One of the best outfits I’ve ever seen in the entire franchise was her rendition of Salvador Dali’s “Melting Clocks” (my favourite piece of his). I literally gasped when she walked out wearing a design based on his iconic painting (see image below). I also love that her finale look was an homage to Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Aside from her incredible talent, Killer has a huge heart. She’s a doctor with the sweetest nature. You couldn’t help but love her bright smile and cuddly exterior. This beauty is the full package.
2.) Jimbo
Jimbo placed 4th on the first season of Canada’s Drag Race. She is also set to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World, premiering next month. I am so excited for her return! This queen brought some of the best, most insane looks to the runway. I couldn’t wait to see what she wore next. Described as a fashion clown, this beloved contestant is used to performing in circuses. She won the very first Snatch Game as Joan Rivers for her country and uttered the iconic line: “IT’S MY SPECIAL DAY” in the acting challenge. Out of drag, Jimbo is a nice, helpful and semi-quiet guy. It’s only in the transformation that we see an outrageously sexual and bizarre persona. Say what you want, but she stood out above the rest!
3.) Baga Chipz
Also set to compete on the upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World is the hilarious Baga Chipz. She placed third on season 1 of Drag Race UK. Nobody makes me laugh harder than this quirky queen. She’s known for her trademark line: “MUCH BETTA” and impersonation of Margaret Thatcher on Snatch Game, which secured her a double win alongside fellow competitor and winner: The Vivienne. After the show aired, Baga formed a singing girl group called The Frock Destroyers (which you’ll remember from the season) with contestants Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo. I love Break Up (Bye Bye), Your Majesty and Big Ben. I blast those songs regularly in the car. Her runway looks weren’t super high fashion but her personality more than made up for it. I cannot wait to see more next month!
4.) Lawrence Chaney
Lawrence Chaney is the first Scottish queen to snatch the crown on season 2 of Drag Race UK. From the moment she walked into the Werk Room, I was sold. It was nice to see a bigger contestant win for once. Especially one that didn’t consider herself to be “eye candy.” From her performance of UK, Hun? to her exquisite designs on the runway, this lovable legend proved she was worthy of her reign. You couldn’t help but warm to her every single time she opened her mouth. Sure, she stumbled along the way, but by the finale, she was the whole package. I am such a big fan of Lawrence. To those that feel Bimini was robbed, think again!
5.) Mama Queen
I adore Mama Queen! She placed third on season 1 of Drag Race Holland. She was also crowned Miss Congeniality for her lovely nature. This gentle, non-binary contestant walked into the Werk Room with a baby bump – clearly a reference to her name. It was something I had never seen on the show before. In fact, she stated that it is her biggest dream to become pregnant. She was also the first competitor to makeover her father in the iconic maxi-challenge. It was so touching seeing them connect on stage. I was blown away by her Miss Holland runway look, where she dressed up as a marijuana leaf. She won that episode by a landslide! Furthermore, when I shared how much I loved her on Instagram, she responded with lots of hearts. That meant so much to me. I hope this isn’t the last we see of her.
6.) My Little Puny
Speaking of Drag Race Holland, My Little Puny came runner up to Vanessa Van Cartier on season 2. Similar to Killer Queen, this lovable contestant crept up on me. Once I noticed her, I was so in love. Puny’s father was Dutch cartoonist, Eric Schreurs, to whom she payed tribute on both episodes 4 and 5. She also used to date fellow competitor, Keta Minaj. I could write an entire blog post on why this particular season disappointed me. It was nothing like the first and quite frankly, the judging was awful. So many bad decisions were made. However, Puny was a light in the darkness that kept me coming back. I loved her confessionals and creative runway looks. She really told a story through her designs. I am so happy she made it to the end.
7.) Pythia
Pythia is a Greek/Canadian non-binary queen that placed second or third (it’s not really clear) on Canada’s Drag Race season 2. I knew from the promo that she would be one of my favourites. Her style of drag is what gets me excited. It’s conceptual and artistic but also super refined. Not to mention, she played Hennywise in the Rusical and won for her performance/runway look (see image below). That was enough to make me a fan. She truly fought for her place in the finale in a lip sync battle against the enigmatic Gia Metric. I have no doubt Pythia has an incredible career ahead of her.
8.) Grag Queen
Hannah hasn’t created an image of the next two contestants yet. However, I am sure she will in time, so please be following her on Instagram to check them out. Grag Queen was the very first winner of Queen of the Universe. Whilst it isn’t technically a Drag Race season, it’s still part of the franchise and therefore counts. She was my favourite the moment she graced the stage with her Brazilian rendition of Rehab by Amy Winehouse. This contestant had such a unique way of singing (see below). She scatted and produced falsetto sounds that made her songs stand out above the rest. By the time she reached the finale, I was rooting for her with all my heart and soul. Her performance of Rise Up gave me chills. I know a lot of people were disappointed that Ada Vox didn’t take the crown but Grag was the whole package. She gave us vocals, choreography, incredible looks and vulnerability. I’m obsessed!
9.) Elecktra Bionic
Elecktra Bionic was the very first winner of Drag Race Italia and my absolute favourite the moment she walked into the Werk Room. She was the first queen in the franchise to make it to the finale without ever having a win (aside from mini challenges, of which she won 4!) or being up for elimination. It just goes to show, consistency is key. Her fellow finalist, Farida Kant, seemed like the obvious choice to take the crown (with multiple maxi-challenge victories) but the judges commented several times that she was too arrogant and self-centered. Elecktra had a heart of gold with a penchant for showing her butt on stage. Her Dita Von Teese runway look had me gasping. It was perfection! Her coronation was the ending we needed.
10.) Icesis Couture
Last but certainly not least, we have the winner of Canada’s Drag Race season 2: Icesis Couture. As much as I love Pythia (see above), I wanted Icesis to take the crown after she won the very first maxi-challenge. She was consistently fierce on the runway, sweet to her sisters and a lot of fun. Her finale look was insane. Not to mention, she stole the show with her performance of Queen of the North by Brooke Lynn Hytes. This is a contestant that wanted it so badly and worked extra hard to get it. She exceeded all of my expectations. I’m excited to see what she does with her title and career.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post! Once again, a massive thank you to Hannah for her excellent artwork. Please let me know your favourite international drag race stars!
Peace & Love xoxo
One thought