Top 10 Fiercest Lip Syncs in the WORST Looks

Even Drag Race legends like Monét X Change have their bad days. She may be an All Star now, but her Martian Eleganza look during season 10’s “Last Ball on Earth” was simply not up to par. In fact, the garment looked homemade! According to Michelle Visage, it was actually coming undone onstage. Yet when the time came to lip sync against Dusty Ray Bottoms, Monét left it all on the stage. After iconically ripping her skirt off, she cracked the judges up with her fake-out split and gas mask accessory. Did we mention she did all of this while delivering some insane dance moves? As if that wasn’t enough, her literal split towards the end had everybody gagging!

Drag Race design assignments often result in some of the season’s most cringeworthy runway presentations. With the queens required to use materials from the 99-cent store, Season 10’s first maxi challenge was no exception. Both Vanessa Vanjie Mateo’s silhouette-destroying fluffy number and Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams’ shoddy bill-filled gown received negative critiques. But the latter queen proved her skills onstage by twerking to Christina Aguilera’s upbeat hit. Even though her outfit was seen as derivative, she made it memorable by throwing fistfuls of cash into the air and executing an energetic split! Fan-favorite Vanjie was fierce in her own right, but Kalorie definitely stole the show.

At Season 11’s Monster Ball, Shuga failed to properly execute the majority of her ideas. Naturally, this resulted in some questionable ensembles. For one thing, her confusing “Trampy Trick or Treater” outfit left a lot to be desired. Plus, her “MILF Eleganza” look was messily constructed, had a costumey appearance, and just didn’t make sense. Her wig didn’t even match her merkin! But none of this stopped Shuga from embodying Whitney Houston’s new jack swing banger during the lip sync. The tongue-twisting lyrics were undeniably a challenge, but she infused each word with passion. While Ariel Versace struggled to recover from a dramatic fall in the middle of the number, Shuga’s intensity made for a winning performance.

Derrick didn’t exactly excel at season 8’s makeover challenge. She seemingly found her own work impressive [SB Derrick: “I’m not a seamstress, but I did sew everything on here.”]. But the judges felt the final result didn’t demonstrate much effort. A combination of lackluster makeup and floppy shoulder cones only made the overall look less appealing. Luckily, Icona Pop’s compulsively danceable track ended up being the perfect outlet for Derrick to finally prove her chops onstage. The queen famous for impersonating Britney Spears appeared to channel her idol, serving face and hair-ography with the help of her long blonde tresses. She slayed the musical number, and more than redeemed herself in the process.

These days, Shangela is Drag Race royalty. But she actually got her start on the show as Season 2’s first lip sync victim. When the queens created garments out of curtains, she sealed her fate with a frumpy gown and corny accessory. Even though she ultimately lost the match against Sahara Davenport, Shangela turned it out in the way fans have since come to expect. With on-point dance moves, an epic dip, and some fierce attitude, it was a wildly entertaining - if chaotic - performance. Although her season 3 rendition of “The Right Stuff” in a mismatched Christmas outfit is also iconic, it’s Shangela’s first appearance that takes the cake for tacky fashion and fierce lip syncing.

While Kandy often looked fierce on Season 13, some of her runway presentations were… “choices.” After a one-note performance in “Henny, I Shrunk The Drag Queens!,” she baffled the judges with a multi-colored, ribboned pocket dress and an asymmetrical bob on the runway. Despite the sartorial mishap, Kandy more than measured up against Olivia Lux in the lip sync. Strutting around the stage to Cher’s disco-infused track, she cleverly used the song’s lyrics against her opponent. And while a handful of glitter doesn’t always rescue a performance, it served her extremely well here. The stage was lit up, and Kandy positively shone.

When the queens were tasked with creating a conjoined illusion with an eliminated contestant, Ginger and Sasha ended up unrealistically - but hilariously - linked at the chest. Despite its outrageousness, the visual gag wasn’t backed up with solid construction. However, the pair made the most of their unconventional look, and gave us one of the funniest lip syncs we’ve ever seen. From the moment Sasha pulled out the scissors, we knew it was going to be a performance to remember. By the end of the number, Ginger was without a wig, and both team members’ chests were completely exposed. Yet somehow, it completely worked. Granted, this messiness might have tanked another lip sync. But in this case, it had the judges howling!

In Season 9, the queens were tasked with creating a fairy tale character. For the aptly named “Princess Disastah,” Aja attempted to channel a volcano theme by wearing chaps and an orange fur coat. It didn’t work, and their makeup only made matters worse. But when put in the hot seat, Aja had no trouble at all defeating Kimora Blac. The Brooklyn queen matched the intensity of Bonnie Tyler’s vocals with exaggerated facial expressions, energetic jumps, and an iconic split. It was one of the show’s most dramatic performances, and Aja’s fantastical but unpolished look only made it more captivating.

Jiggly’s “RuPocalypse Now!” ensemble has gone down as one of the most notorious looks in Drag Race herstory - and not in a good way. With tin foil sprouting from the sides of the outfit and Jiggly herself comparing it to a baked potato in later years, it was couture at its worst. But thankfully, this queen didn’t let the misstep get her down. Instead, she delivered an absolutely jaw-dropping performance of Britney Spears’s mega-hit “Toxic”. With choreography seemingly inspired by the pop star’s live performances - and an epic split - Jiggly hit every beat of the song and kicked her season off with a bang.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Vivacious, “Express Yourself,” Season 6
Despite Her Poorly Received “Game of Thrones”-Inspired Garment, This Veteran Queen Slayed the Lip Sync

Alexis Mateo, “Knock on Wood,” Season 3
Alexis Was Swallowed up by Her “Shortcake” Look, but Proved Herself as a Lip Sync Assassin

LaLa’s homemade look for Season 13’s “Bag Ball” was undoubtedly one of the worst the show has ever seen. With pink and purple gift bags sloppily glued to a bodysuit and a mystifying fluffy headpiece, it was an obvious disaster. Despite the fact that her botched outfit fell apart during the lip sync, LaLa’s performance was one for the books. She absolutely nailed the rapped verses, and brilliantly used Joey’s cash confetti as tips. It goes without saying, but everybody was living. Runway presentations don’t get much worse - but when the lip sync is this good, who are we to judge?