RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 2: Re-Introducing The Queens
6 min read
You’ve all been asking for it, and now it’s finally here: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is back for its second season! Bringing back some of the fiercest competition from multiple seasons of Drag Race, these fan favourites—with a few old school villains thrown in for good measure—will battle it out to become a part of the legacy of Drag Race, snatch the crown and take it all. Things aren’t quite the same the second time around, though. With the concept of teams used in All Stars 1 thrown out the window, the girls are free to duke it out based on their own strengths, with no one to blame for their failures but themselves.
But what’s a new season of Drag Race without a surprise twist? No longer will queens be lip-syncing for their lives; RuPaul has given the power to the people, and now the week’s top two queens will find themselves in a Lip-Sync for Your Legacy, as they fight for the chance to eliminate a competitor of their choice. With the added task of having to impress their fellow competitors, this race is going to be tighter than ever as the girls give their all to prove that they’re worthy of the redemption that All Stars has to offer.
And with a cast like this, you can expect it to be one hell of a ride. With Todrick Hall joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley at the judges’ table full-time, and a slew of celebrity guest judges ranging from Raven-Symone to Aubrey Plaza, this is sure to be the explosive, star-studded season that fans have been clamouring for over the past four years. In the lead-up to this long awaited event, let’s take a look at the queens and their careers after their time on Drag Race.
Adore Delano
Adore’s been busy on her way to stardom since here time on season 6. With her debut album Til Death Do Us Party charting high on the Dance/Electronic and Billboard 200 charts and the sophomore follow-up After Party topping the electronic charts, she’s received a level of attention most participants in this relatively niche community—barring RuPaul herself—could ever hope to achieve. She’s well on her way to becoming a true pop star, even without the crown.
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Alaska
If Adore is the mainstream pop star of Drag Race, Alaska is the alternative take that isn’t afraid to get a little dirty. She’s found success as one of the most recognisable queens from Drag Race, and a big part of this is the sheer quality of the music she’s released; from her iconic lead single Your Makeup Is Terrible to the entirety of her hilariously endearing debut album Anus, it seems like Alaska can do no wrong. If there’s any queen that’s guaranteed to become a legend in the future, Alaska’s your safest bet.
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Alyssa Edwards
Few queens find a post-show redemption as satisfying as Alyssa Edwards’. While her performance in the perfume challenge on season five of Drag Race drew much criticism, the name of her fragrance—Alyssa’s Secret—led to an incredibly popular web series with World of Wonder and another catch phrase all of her own, complete with tongue pops. And that’s without mentioning the booming popularity of her collective Haus of Edwards with Laganja, Shangela and Gia. She’s come a long way since her season, and it truly shows.
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Coco Montrese
She was a Las Vegas fixture and performer in Frank Marino’s Divas before her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and she continues to be a major player in the industry to this day. You had a taste of her performance skills across her season of Drag Race, and now as she continues to improve, she shows just how strong a contender she is for the All Stars crown. While she may have taken more to the clubs than the internet or musical spotlight, the fact that she continues to prove her worth at venues around the world says enough.
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Detox
They may have broken up, but there’s no denying that Detox was an important part of DWV’s success, alongside Vicky Vox and Willam. With their singles reaching the higher end of the US Comedy charts and the accompanying videos often going viral, their parodies of songs were the type of hilarious that had you laughing as much as it did offending your sensibilities. This is all on top of being one of the defining members of the southern Californian drag scene.
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Ginger Minj
From a one-woman show to an upcoming album, there isn’t much that Ginger Minj hasn’t tried to tackle. The success of her solo venture Crossdresser for Christ is a testament to the hilarity and wisdom that she carries, and while her album isn’t quite out yet, it’s sure to stand out for all the right reasons as she offers her take on some styles not often covered by Drag Race alumni. She stands out for all the right reasons.
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Katya
Season seven may have been considered a low point by fans of Drag Race, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone that didn’t instantly fall in love with Katya. Following the show, her influence has become even more apparent; from her own web show UNHhhh with fellow season seven contestant Trixie Mattel to the videos on her own channel and her popularity on the touring circuit, her off-beat sense of humour has proven to be a hit with Drag Race fans everywhere. She may not be the most conventional queen, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t one of the most talented.
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Phi Phi O’Hara
She was against “freaky drag” during her time on season four, but there’s no denying that Phi Phi has managed to embrace the weird and elevate her drag to a whole new level in the years that followed. 2016 has been an especially hectic year for her, thanks to her 365 Days of Drag challenge; a new look posted on her Instagram account every day of the year, with cosplay theme weeks occurring regularly. It’s a massive undertaking, and one that truly shows off her ingenuity as an artist. And with four months left to go of her challenge, as well as her stint on All Stars 2, who knows what the rest of the year has in store for Phi Phi fans.
Roxxxy Andrews
Her season may have left her with a bad reputation at first, but that doesn’t mean that Roxxxy is shying away from the spotlight. As another queen that finds herself immersed in the club and ballroom scenes of drag in her time after the show, she may lack the media presence of queens like Alaska and Adore, but more than proves her worth on the stage.
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Tatianna
As the only queen from before season four to participate in All Stars 2, it’s almost as if Tatianna has an advantage of her own. While she faced plenty of criticism about her age and experience with drag during season 2 of the race, there’s no excuses this time, and she’s been using the past six years to hone her talents and step it up to the next level in the club scene.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 2 starts Thursday, August 25th; be sure to tune in and watch the madness unfold!
