Top 10 Most Iconic RuPaul's Drag Race Verses

“All Stars” 6 put a unique twist on the songwriting challenge, asking the queens to inspire with a positive-message pop song. Trinity K. Bonet rose to the occasion with her standout verse. After introducing herself, she opens up about coping with depression and the importance of knowing your health status. This calls back to when she bravely spoke about being HIV-positive on Season 6. TKB delivers powerful lyrics from the heart in a complete 180 from her rap performance on her original season. Her verse on “Show Up Queen” is arguably one of the most meaningful in “Drag Race” Herstory, and it represents an incredible “All Stars” glow-up.

When the winner of “Drag Race” Season 1 returned for “All Stars” 3, she didn’t even need real words to craft an iconic verse. Have you really lived until you’ve shouted “Ra-Ka-Ka-Ti-Ti-Ta-Ta” at the top of your lungs? BeBe’s verse only racks up the brilliance and absurdity from there, transitioning into a French interlude punctuated by on-beat smacks. By the time the Season 1 winner ends with five more non sequiturs and some manic laughter, you’ll want to rewind and experience the magic again. The impact of this “All Stars” verse is undeniable, as it was referenced in the Season 14 Rusical, Moulin Ru.

Season 11’s winner clinched the title with only one challenge victory, but she certainly deserved a second for her verse on “Queens Everywhere.” Yvie Oddly brings the lyricism with a triplet flow, standing out from the four-count rhythm of typical “Drag Race” verses. She also highlights her impressive contortionist skills and her tendency to pick fights in “Untucked.” Her best line comes at the end, though, mocking the idea that a drag superstar need ever be “humble.” Yvie’s performance enhances her verse even more, though eagle-eyed “Drag Race” fans will note that Sasha Velour had similar choreography for her Season 9 finale verse. The winning formula for “Drag Race”? Apparently crawling up fiercely from the edge of the stage.

Season 12 gave us one of the best “Drag Race” songs in the first episode with “I’m That Bitch.” Nicki Minaj herself was the guest judge, and even she gave her stamp of approval to Widow Von’Du’s epic verse and live performance. Widow’s jump splits and mid-backbend-rapping make her verse an all-time great across the series. The bars hold up on their own, too, with clever lines about being a big queen that don’t fall into the usual clichés. While Widow Von’Du gave in to her inner saboteur and ultimately left in 7th place, there’s no denying that she ate the first rap challenge.

Lines about RuPaul, crowns, and runways are expected in “Drag Race” verses, so Trixie Mattel threw fans a curveball, literally. Her witty “All Stars” 3 finale verse uses a trio of baseball metaphors, calling herself the MVP of the season and making a crack about going to third base. From there, the seasoned country songwriter only amps up the wordplay, showcasing her lyrical genius by cleverly rhyming the name of fellow finalist Shangela with “Pamela” [Anderson] and “tarantula.” Trixie’s verse on “Kitty Girl” begs the question: In addition to her makeup line, luxury motel, and DJ-ing career, could she put a rap-country fusion album in the works, too?

“Canada’s Drag Race” has given us some amazing verses, but none can compare to Season 2 winner Icesis Couture’s performance in “Canada vs. the World.” Her frosty lyrics and delivery on “Bonjour, Hi” don’t merely stand up to repeat listens — they get better and better. After a straightforward first line, Icesis launches into a set of intricate four-way rhymes. The verse really shines when she puts a pop melody over the song’s bubbly backing track. “Fashion, beauty, runway, pose” is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. This performance is a crystallization of Icesis’ hyper-polished energy, showing exactly why she won “Canada’s Drag Race” Season 2.

Bing bang bong. Sing sang song. The United Kingdolls girl group from “Drag Race UK” Season 2 transformed these nonsensical words into pop perfection. And it is Bimini’s closing verse that serves as the lynch pin, bringing the Eurovision-inspired bop together. Right from the first line, the queen promises to “release the beast,” and undoubtedly delivers. Throughout the verse, Bimini addresses gender bending, challenging the “cis-tem,” and enjoying lentils, a callback to when they started the season by declaring “I’m vegan.” The performance is one of the best in “Drag Race” herstory, with gravity-defying stunts and the cheeky closing quip: “Someone do a death drop or something.”

When it comes to raw talent, few “Drag Race” contestants can compare to “All Stars” Season 5 winner Shea Couleé. Her rap verse on Season 9’s “Category Is...” is a master class in serving confidence with the skill to back it up. Shea switches up her flow multiple times, including an impressive speed-rapping section. You’d think the lyrical highlight of the song would be the Tina Turner reference, but just a few lines later, Ms. Couleé outdoes herself. Her final line runs seamlessly into the chorus, allowing RuPaul to finish the verse for her. Icon behavior.

“Read U Wrote U” was the first finale diss track in “Drag Race” Herstory, and arguably no other megamix has topped it since. Alaska’s opening is everything a verse should be: snappy, funny, and vicious. Her verse spawned dozens of imitators, with “snatching the crown” and RuPaul quotes becoming clichés in later seasons. Nothing compares to Alaska’s delivery on the original, though, with aggressive growling and her signature vocal fry. The sparse beat of “Read U Wrote U” serves as a backdrop, allowing Alaska’s lyrical prowess and captivating performance take center stage. It’s no surprise that she clinched the crown shortly after delivering such an iconic verse.

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

Detox, “Read U Wrote U”
She Made Everyone Shout “Hold It... X!”

Mo Heart, “London”
There’s No Denying That Mo Raps Like a Pro

Denali, “Phenomenon”
She’s Icy, Spicy, but for You She’s Too Pricey

Gottmik, “Lucky”
Mik Became a Rapper Just in Time for the Finale

Roxxxy Andrews, “Read U Wrote U”
She Proved That a Bad Verse Can Be as Iconic as a Great One

Uniqueness defines Katya’s iconic verse on “Read U Wrote U.” Most “Drag Race” verses begin with an introduction, but only Katya’s intro doubles as the best joke of the entire song. The rest of the verse follows suit, with unexpected gags about being a Russian hot mess that only Katya could deliver. Who else could conceive of combining the dictator Vladmir Lenin and the novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky into one utterly perfect bar? Katya embodies every word of her verse during the performance, hoisted up in a split by backup dancers and exaggerating her rolled R-s. After hundreds of original verses, no “Drag Race” queen has ever managed to top that of Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova.

Which queen’s verse lives rent-free in your head? Let us know in the comments!