Top 10 Solo Lip Syncs on RuPaul's Drag Race
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Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Solo Lip Syncs on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most iconic one-sided or solo lip syncs featured on the franchise’s shows. Spoilers will be mentioned, so consider this is your official warning. Which “Drag Race” queen has your favorite lip sync performance? Let us know in the comments below.
From the very beginning of Season 14, Willow Pill proved she was a force to be reckoned with. From her unique talent show performance to her inventive and couture looks, she showed that she had the creativity and wit to go all the way. She displayed all of those qualities in her finale rendition of “I Hate People”, a hilarious number with biting lyrics and an addictive beat. Adding to the impressiveness was her gorgeous costume – a golden dress, with a headpiece that resembled a lion’s mane. She eventually removed the latter, revealing two mannequin heads. To make it extra campy, she then lifted up her gown to reveal yet another face. Needless to say, it was everything fans were expecting and more.
Peppermint is considered a legend in New York City, and this lip sync proved why. When she found herself in the bottom against Cynthia Lee Fontaine after the Snatch Game, she wasn’t worried at all. Once we saw her perform, we understood her confidence. As soon as Madonna’s “Music” started, she embodied the song, delivering a mix of impressive and campy moves. She had the judges rolling before she even pretended to eat her earring! But the game-ending move was when she mimed taking out Cynthia – proving that she’s quite literally a lip sync assassin. The fact that she looked so glamorous throughout only added to the affair’s excellence, and it was obvious to viewers everywhere that Peppermint was the one staying.
The pandemic began while Season 12 was airing, which meant that any planned finale had to be scrapped. So they did things virtually instead! Jaida Essence Hall chose “Get Up” by Ciara for the solo lip sync round, and proceeded to bring the house down – from her house! While her concept was simpler than her competitors – choosing to perform in her living room without an elaborate set– it was incredibly authentic. Indeed, it was reminiscent of what an actual drag performance at a bar might look like. She utilized the space perfectly, keeping the focus on her and her talent. This performance – along with her other ones – proved why Jaida deserved the crown.
No one knew what to expect when Monét took the stage in her lip sync against Dusty Ray Bottoms. Rusical aside, we hadn’t seen her truly perform in that capacity yet. Of course, we soon realized we were in for a treat. She was stellar from the jump, but really kicked it into high gear after her fake-out jump split, delivering some intense moves. All eyes were on her – nobody wanted to miss a thing. Plus, the judges went crazy when she actually did a jump split near the end of the song, proving that queens don’t have to use their tricks all at once. While Dusty put up a fight, it was crystal clear that Monét was taking the win.
You know a lip sync is good when the guest judge has trouble staying in their seat. Vanity Milan had already proven she was an amazing lip syncer against Elektra Fence and Veronica Green. So when the time came for her to go up against Scarlett Harlett, we were pumped to see her turn it out again. Her performance looked practically effortless, with spins and splits that left us speechless. Guest judge Alesha Dixon was probably the most excited, getting everyone hyped for the drop in the song. As soon as Vanity hit those beats, it was evident Scarlett didn’t have a chance. The former finishing things off with a high kick into a split was just the cherry on top.
Some songs were meant to appear on “Drag Race,” – “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” is one of them. It’s a powerful and moving ballad, and fans knew that the late Chi Chi DeVayne was going to slay her lip sync of it. Slay it she did, pouring endless emotion into the battle against Thorgy Thor. When the beads came off her dress at the most climactic moment, the judges were left breathless. We were right there with them, awe-struck as Chi Chi commanded the stage, letting everyone know she wasn’t going anywhere. She was so amazing that she essentially blew Thorgy out of the water. The performance was truly iconic, and has remained an important part of Chi Chi’s legacy.
What happened in this lip sync was completely unprecedented. After the “Morning Glory” challenge, Sister Sister and Ginny Lemon were placed in the bottom. It was business as usual – until it wasn’t. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" had only just started playing when Ginny suddenly walked off, and you could tell she wasn’t coming back. That didn’t phase Sister Sister, though. She took over the stage, confidently using the whole stage to her advantage. Despite winning by default, she still put on a show, as if she wanted to prove that she would have emerged victorious regardless of Ginny’s decision. She impressed the judges, the queens, and fans everywhere. The fact that this performance is still fondly remembered despite Ginny’s self-elimination says it all.
This lip sync is truly timeless. When DiDa Ritz ended up in the bottom alongside The Princess in Season 4, it was like she had something to prove. And sure enough, she threw her all into Natalie Cole’s "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)", with a lively display that had us gagging. The fact that Cole herself was there made it even more special. The extraordinary singer’s adlibs complemented the affair, and based on her reaction, she approved. DiDa Ritz’s performance has only gotten better with time, and is often used as an example for what a lip sync for your life should be. The queen still performs the song, with the same energy and passion from all those years ago.
Denali didn’t have to go this hard in her lip sync against Kahmora Hall, but she did and we sincerely thank her for it. While she had lip synced for the win in the previous episode – and gotten the chop in the premiere – this was her first time in the bottom two. And she was determined to stay. Those opening notes started, she whipped off her train, and it was clear we were going to be fed. Indeed, the queen didn’t disappoint – she hit every beat, dancing circles around Kahmora. Afterwards, Ru praised her, and it’s easy to see why! When Denali recreated the lip sync with several drag artists – including Kahmora and other “Drag Race” stars like DiDa Ritz and Detox – we went wild.
This performance proved that Silky Nutmeg Ganache embodies “charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent” to the max. When it was revealed that her competitor A'keria C. Davenport wouldn't be performing, Silky asked to lip sync solo regardless. Ru said yes, and what followed was one of the most iconic showings in “Drag Race” herstory. The queen had split her makeup and outfit into two parts – with one half being masculine, and the other being feminine. She then utilized this to act out both roles in Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”. She complemented this with a high energy performance that had the queens, judges, and us LIVING. It was campy and over the top in the best way possible, and nobody could get enough.
#10: Willow Pill
Season 14From the very beginning of Season 14, Willow Pill proved she was a force to be reckoned with. From her unique talent show performance to her inventive and couture looks, she showed that she had the creativity and wit to go all the way. She displayed all of those qualities in her finale rendition of “I Hate People”, a hilarious number with biting lyrics and an addictive beat. Adding to the impressiveness was her gorgeous costume – a golden dress, with a headpiece that resembled a lion’s mane. She eventually removed the latter, revealing two mannequin heads. To make it extra campy, she then lifted up her gown to reveal yet another face. Needless to say, it was everything fans were expecting and more.
#9: Peppermint
Season 9Peppermint is considered a legend in New York City, and this lip sync proved why. When she found herself in the bottom against Cynthia Lee Fontaine after the Snatch Game, she wasn’t worried at all. Once we saw her perform, we understood her confidence. As soon as Madonna’s “Music” started, she embodied the song, delivering a mix of impressive and campy moves. She had the judges rolling before she even pretended to eat her earring! But the game-ending move was when she mimed taking out Cynthia – proving that she’s quite literally a lip sync assassin. The fact that she looked so glamorous throughout only added to the affair’s excellence, and it was obvious to viewers everywhere that Peppermint was the one staying.
#8: Jaida Essence Hall
Season 12The pandemic began while Season 12 was airing, which meant that any planned finale had to be scrapped. So they did things virtually instead! Jaida Essence Hall chose “Get Up” by Ciara for the solo lip sync round, and proceeded to bring the house down – from her house! While her concept was simpler than her competitors – choosing to perform in her living room without an elaborate set– it was incredibly authentic. Indeed, it was reminiscent of what an actual drag performance at a bar might look like. She utilized the space perfectly, keeping the focus on her and her talent. This performance – along with her other ones – proved why Jaida deserved the crown.
#7: Monét X Change
Season 10No one knew what to expect when Monét took the stage in her lip sync against Dusty Ray Bottoms. Rusical aside, we hadn’t seen her truly perform in that capacity yet. Of course, we soon realized we were in for a treat. She was stellar from the jump, but really kicked it into high gear after her fake-out jump split, delivering some intense moves. All eyes were on her – nobody wanted to miss a thing. Plus, the judges went crazy when she actually did a jump split near the end of the song, proving that queens don’t have to use their tricks all at once. While Dusty put up a fight, it was crystal clear that Monét was taking the win.
#6: Vanity Milan
UK Season 3You know a lip sync is good when the guest judge has trouble staying in their seat. Vanity Milan had already proven she was an amazing lip syncer against Elektra Fence and Veronica Green. So when the time came for her to go up against Scarlett Harlett, we were pumped to see her turn it out again. Her performance looked practically effortless, with spins and splits that left us speechless. Guest judge Alesha Dixon was probably the most excited, getting everyone hyped for the drop in the song. As soon as Vanity hit those beats, it was evident Scarlett didn’t have a chance. The former finishing things off with a high kick into a split was just the cherry on top.
#5: Chi Chi DeVayne
Season 8Some songs were meant to appear on “Drag Race,” – “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” is one of them. It’s a powerful and moving ballad, and fans knew that the late Chi Chi DeVayne was going to slay her lip sync of it. Slay it she did, pouring endless emotion into the battle against Thorgy Thor. When the beads came off her dress at the most climactic moment, the judges were left breathless. We were right there with them, awe-struck as Chi Chi commanded the stage, letting everyone know she wasn’t going anywhere. She was so amazing that she essentially blew Thorgy out of the water. The performance was truly iconic, and has remained an important part of Chi Chi’s legacy.
#4: Sister Sister
UK Season 2What happened in this lip sync was completely unprecedented. After the “Morning Glory” challenge, Sister Sister and Ginny Lemon were placed in the bottom. It was business as usual – until it wasn’t. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" had only just started playing when Ginny suddenly walked off, and you could tell she wasn’t coming back. That didn’t phase Sister Sister, though. She took over the stage, confidently using the whole stage to her advantage. Despite winning by default, she still put on a show, as if she wanted to prove that she would have emerged victorious regardless of Ginny’s decision. She impressed the judges, the queens, and fans everywhere. The fact that this performance is still fondly remembered despite Ginny’s self-elimination says it all.
#3: DiDa Ritz
Season 4This lip sync is truly timeless. When DiDa Ritz ended up in the bottom alongside The Princess in Season 4, it was like she had something to prove. And sure enough, she threw her all into Natalie Cole’s "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)", with a lively display that had us gagging. The fact that Cole herself was there made it even more special. The extraordinary singer’s adlibs complemented the affair, and based on her reaction, she approved. DiDa Ritz’s performance has only gotten better with time, and is often used as an example for what a lip sync for your life should be. The queen still performs the song, with the same energy and passion from all those years ago.
#2: Denali
Season 13Denali didn’t have to go this hard in her lip sync against Kahmora Hall, but she did and we sincerely thank her for it. While she had lip synced for the win in the previous episode – and gotten the chop in the premiere – this was her first time in the bottom two. And she was determined to stay. Those opening notes started, she whipped off her train, and it was clear we were going to be fed. Indeed, the queen didn’t disappoint – she hit every beat, dancing circles around Kahmora. Afterwards, Ru praised her, and it’s easy to see why! When Denali recreated the lip sync with several drag artists – including Kahmora and other “Drag Race” stars like DiDa Ritz and Detox – we went wild.
#1: Silky Nutmeg Ganache
All Stars 6This performance proved that Silky Nutmeg Ganache embodies “charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent” to the max. When it was revealed that her competitor A'keria C. Davenport wouldn't be performing, Silky asked to lip sync solo regardless. Ru said yes, and what followed was one of the most iconic showings in “Drag Race” herstory. The queen had split her makeup and outfit into two parts – with one half being masculine, and the other being feminine. She then utilized this to act out both roles in Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”. She complemented this with a high energy performance that had the queens, judges, and us LIVING. It was campy and over the top in the best way possible, and nobody could get enough.
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