Top 20 RuPauls Drag Race Lip Syncs

By the time Shangela faced-off against Trixie Mattel for the Top All Star of Week title in this Lip Sync For Your Legacy battle, she’d already performed a sizzling version of Katy’s Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” against BenDeLaCreme. Expectations were high for her to impress once more and she did not disappoint. Performing RuPaul’s “Freaky Money,” Shangela had the judges crying with laughter from another unexpected reveal - quite literally letting it all hang out. Though she didn’t snatch the win, Trixie stayed in the fight, too, with both contestants doing a great job on Big Freedia’s rap verse.

#19: Jujubee vs. Sahara Davenport Season 2

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With such different styles, Jujubee and Sahara Davenport’s lip sync to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” could have gone either way. Jujubee is one of “Drag Race”’s tightest lip syncers while Sahara Davenport’s ballet background made her one of the show’s most unique performers. Thanks to the copious supply of cocktails served during Untucked, Jujubee was just a little bit tipsy during this performance, which comes out in the loose and sultry way she works the stage. Sahara’s delicate spins, on the other hand, make for an interesting counterbalance. But while they were enough to beat Morgan McMichaels earlier in the season, they weren’t interesting enough to save her from elimination this time.

It looked like Adore Delano’s time on Season 6 was about to be over when she landed in the Bottom Two with Lip Sync Assassin, Trinity K. Bonet. Trinity had already sent home April Carrion and Milk but Adore wasn’t going to be her third victim without a fight. The pair had to perform Paula Abdul’s “Vibeology,” and there was some extra pressure from Paula herself being there to judge them. Nobody felt this more than Adore, who’d already been judged by the pop icon previously on American Idol. Though it was a close call, Adore proved her star power in this performance, and went on to become recognized as an Assassin herself.

Death drops have almost been done to… well, death on “Drag Race.” So much so that doing one now usually needs a little something extra added on in order to impress. Case in point: Monet X Change and Dusty Ray Bottoms’ lip sync to Nicki Minaj’s “Pound The Alarm.” The club banger demanded two very high energy performances and Dusty, despite being more at home with musical theater, really gave it her all here. However, she couldn’t compete with Monet, whose fake-out and pre-jump cross sign had RuPaul and Michelle Visage howling with laughter. Death drops just haven’t been the same since.

#16: Naomi Smalls vs. Gia Gunn All Stars 4

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In a shocking twist on the All Stars formula, the remaining “All Stars 4” contestants had to battle against each eliminated queen in the “LaLaPaRUza” challenge. This is how Naomi Smalls and Gia Gunn locked horns, performing RuPaul’s club tune, “Adrenaline.” Out of all the queens competing in the challenge, Naomi and Gia were probably the most underrated as far as lip syncing. This battle dispelled all of that. From Gia’s voguing to Naomi’s floor crawl, it was electrifying to watch. Should it have been a Double Shantay? Well, we wouldn’t have complained.

While it’s usually only the Top Two that lip sync for the crown, there are some rare exceptions. Season 10 was one such occasion, with Aquaria, Kameron Michaels and Eureka O’Hara all progressing to the final showdown of the live finale after poor Asia O’Hara’s butterfly fail knocked her out of the running. And wouldn’t you know it? The selected song, “Bang Bang” was also a three-hander. Expectations were high given that Kameron and Eureka scored a double-save already in the season, but though Kameron was a lip sync assassin and Eureka had plenty of tricks, Aquaria’s energy stole the spotlight.

#14: BenDeLaCreme vs. Aja All Stars 3

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As performers, these two couldn’t be more different. BenDeLaCreme is a campy, old school queen whereas Aja is a fashion-forward dancing queen. Nowhere could this be more apparent than in their lip sync to Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” in the first episode of “All Stars 3.” The song was perfect for Aja’s style, playing to all her strengths as a lip syncer and to her aesthetic as a rapper herself. But BenDeLa used her contrasting style to her advantage, playing up just how funny it was for her to be performing to a Nicki Minaj track, of all things. The judges were sent into hysterics.

#13: Jackie Cox vs. Widow Von’Du Season 12

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Sometimes, the right song, the right performers, and the right outfit can make a lip sync that bit more magical. This was very much the case with Jackie Cox’s battle in the Bottom Two against Widow Von’Du in Season 12. The pair’s brilliant twists on the “Stars and Stripes” runway theme combined with the Katy Perry anthem, “Firework,” made for both a powerful statement and a powerful performance. Jackie Cox’s hijab and caftan combination was especially effective in this regard, and you could see from the emotion on her face how much it meant to her to be on the runway wearing it. In fact, celebrity guest judge Jeff Goldblum was moved to tears by her passion.

Speaking of Katy Perry anthems, they don’t come much bigger than “Roar.” In Season 7, Kennedy Davenport and Katya squared off for a place in the Top Four to the track, and the fight was a fierce one.The two are very different performers. While both always bring heart and soul to their lip syncs, Kennedy is known for her slick choreography and Katya her flexibility. Both proved this when the lip sync kicked into high gear: Kennedy leaping into the splits from the stage to the floor, while Katya, not to be outdone, cartwheeled into the splits seconds later. Can we get an amen?

#11: Jinkx Monsoon vs. Detox Season 5

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As far as lip syncing goes, it’s hard to find a song trickier to perform to than “Malambo No.1” by Yma Sumac. The vocal range and the constantly changing tempo make the mambo classic a real tongue twister. We already knew that Detox was worthy of rising to the challenge with her infamously flexible jaw, which made it seem like a one horse race from the start. However, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Jinkx was hiding a similar talent. What ensued was a lip syncing tour de force, and Jinkx knocking a powerhouse like Detox out of the competition set her on course for the overall season win.

Every once in a while, a pair of lip syncers realise that together, they are stronger than the sum of their parts. As Raja and Carmen stalked each other up and down the stage to Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” the sexual tension was palpable. But this is drag, and interference is not the name of the game - right, Mimi Imfurst? Cue stripping, mounting, nibbling and what turned out to be the kiss of death from Raja. Nothing says diva like sending your competitor packing and leaving your lipstick calling card on her shoulder to prove you were the one to take her out.

Though Peppermint might have seemed like the underdog heading into Season 9’s grand finale, this performance proved that assumption to be patently untrue. Trinity The Tuck’s sharp dance moves and well-timed reveal reminded us of the perfectionist she is. Peppermint had her own clever reveal, but it’s really her tight lip syncing that snatched her the win in this case. She went on to bring her body-popping A game in the final battle against Sasha Velour. There’s a reason why she was known as THE assassin of Season 9.

As if the pressure of just being on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” wasn’t enough, imagine having to Lip Sync for Your Life in front of the song’s recording artist? That’s what happened to Dida Ritz and The Princess in Season 4. Soul legend Natalie Cole had a front row seat to the duo’s performance to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).” While The Princess did her best to stay in the game, there was just no competing with Dida Ritz. There was hair flipping, sequins flying around… Dida took us to CHURCH - and we, along with Ms. Cole - happily went with her.

You knew it was coming... The most emotional lip sync in “Drag Race” herstory. Raven and Jujubee made for a dream team in the first season of All Stars. Their slip ups in the main challenges were always compensated for in their lip syncs. Raven even took down Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia singlehandedly this way. But the All Star showed a softer side to her ice queen persona when she had to go up against her teammate. Lip syncing to Robyn’s emotional disco song, “Dancing On My Own,” the pair were visibly overcome by the whole thing, and the battle ended up being a heartfelt duet. There wasn’t a dry eye in the studio by the end.

There's an old saying that goes, "If you're gonna snatch your own wig, you better make sure you've got another hidden underneath". OK, that's not a real saying, but Roxxxy's iconic reveal, in all its camp glory, has certainly raised the standard of acceptable reveals. It pretty much set the bar to which all subsequent wig reveals are judged. If it were up to us, Roxxxy would have won this lip sync on wig alone. But Mother Ru, in her infinite wisdom and mercifulness gave both queens a second chance at the end of this electrifying, whiplash-inducing lip sync.

#5: Manila Luzon vs. Delta Work Season 3

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The joy of this lip sync is how silly these two queens look together. Looking like the world's weirdest amateur dramatics production of “Chess,” Manila and Delta serve high camp, joining forces at the end to deliver a hilarious finale. Manila’s crossed-eyes from fake exertion is one of her trademark tricks, and something we’ve come to expect from her in seasons since. Theatrical, high energy and heaps of fun, it’s everything a lip sync needs to be.

Nothing brings out the big guns like an old rivalry. And these pageant queens with a messy history let rip in a bid to outperform each other. The rivalry between them results in an incredible display of one-upmanship in this Season 5 smackdown. When Coco lip syncs the spoken word segment flawlessly, Alyssa leaps into the splits. And when Alyssa splits, Coco delivers what can only be described as rhythmic gymnastics via the medium of sleeves. While the latter wins the battle, what makes this performance so memorable is the fact that it's a true meeting of equals: “Cold Hearted” rivals in a red hot battle to the end!

#3: Alyssa Edwards vs. Tatianna All Stars 2

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Alyssa is already a one woman show when it comes to lip syncing but Tatianna made sure this wasn't one-sided. In a season of incredible lip syncs, this is certainly one for the herstory books: two seasoned queens and one of the most closely fought battles to ever grace the main stage. In the immortal words of “SNL”’s Stefon, this performance has EVERYTHING: tight lip syncing, dancing, hair flipping, coordinating outfits, and a "Shantay you both stay" at the end. What more could you want from a lip sync? Well…

Two words: rose petals. This was the first time we got to see Sasha Velour lip sync and it's a real masterclass: she's emotional, dramatic, and every trick she pulls is in time with the song's beats. Though there have been reveals before and after her, no one has been able to match Sasha for her creativity, timing, and flawless execution. In short, this performance was a game-changer for the show. It's just a shame that Shea Couleé isn't really on the same level here, making it one-sided. If not for that, this might have grabbed the top spot on our list. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Joslyn Fox vs. Laganja Estranja, Season 6 Those Perfectly-Timed Splits! Kenya Michaels vs. Latrice Royale, Season 4 Latrice Puts the Soul in Soul Music Chi Chi DeVayne vs. Thorgy Thor, Season 8 Chi Chi Brings Incredible Passion to This Powerful Song Valentina vs. Monét X Change, All Stars 4 Valentina Reclaims Her Legacy Gigi Goode vs. Widow Von’Du, Season 12 Talk About a Knock-Out! Jujubee vs. Monét X Change, All Stars 5 Monét Is a Tangerine Dream

Seeing the two frontrunners of Season 11 in the Bottom Two was a shock, and their battle was one of the most intense we’ve ever seen. This was a contest between two queens at the very top of their game: one with a ballet background and the other with a body like a rubber band. They match each other's moves like-for-like in the performance, never letting the other get the upper hand. Brooke Lynn had an amazing reveal earlier on the runway while Yvie matched that in the lip sync with one of the smoothest wig reveals ever. (Sorry Roxxxy!) Naturally, the next time these two competed head-to-head, it was for the crown.