This past year, I have become absolutely, deeply obsessed with the global phenomenon that is RuPaul's Drag Race, which has been at the forefront of queer culture for the past seventeen years, bringing drag culture and LGBTQ-inclusivity closer to the mainstream than ever before. Many a think piece have been written about the impact of Ru's drag dynasty on our wider culture, and I by no means think I have anything new to contribute to that wide-ranging and nuanced conversation, so instead I thought I would dive into one of the most personally interesting aspects of the show to me, the music of RPDR and the queer context in which lives through its inclusion in the show.
My personal favorite part of the show, among many, is the pageantry and electrifying performances of the dreaded Lip Sync for Your Life, the moment in each episode where legends are forged in the fires of the fear of being sent packing, and it is these songs which Ru and her production team curates that I'd like to dissect and talk about, because through being a part of these trials by fire, they are asserted as pieces of queer culture, history, media and joy. Also who doesn't love campy, delightful pop music? I know I do!
So I thought I'd start by taking a look at the first seven songs used by the RPDR franchise, the Lip Syncs of Season 1 from all the way back in the dark ages of 2009 (laugh please).
SPOILERS AHEAD for RuPaul's Drag Race US Season 1
Supermodel (You Better Work) by RuPaul
The first song ever used on the show was Ru's debut single: the song that made her a worldwide superstar all the way back in 1993, when a drag queen taking on mainstream fame was fully unheard of. There's no question why a song as monumental as this one in both queer history of Ru's own personal journey would be the show's first ever lip sync song, and as a lip sync song it is a gem. The song is strutting anthem, radiating charisma from Ru's campy but fierce delivery, halfway spoken halfway sung. There are elements of Diva House here, but instead of a Martha Walsh wailing over the groovy bass and shimmering keys we get Ru's manic laughter and haughty, ballroom delivery. Perhaps the best part of the song, other than the jamming synth line, is the opening monologue where Ru's make believe mama delivers a bit of self-mythologizing intro about Ru's own rise to fame, which is paraphrased in the show's pilot episode teaser. Even at the very beginning Ru was rewriting her own story to make it as dramatic and punchy as possible. She's just a little Black girl from the Brewster Projects after all. That's legendary behavior. Is this a great song? Maybe. But is it a great cultural moment? Hell yes. Can I get an amen?
We Break the Dawn by Michelle Williams
Now this one is less of a defining queer anthem and more of a bit of product placement of the week's guest judge, former Child of Destiny, Michelle Williams. This song, while spotlighting Michelle's lovely voice, is mostly just a run of the mill dancey pop ballad, which Akashia made a meal of on the show. By God it sounds like 2009 in a major way, canny synths and late aughts overproduction making it sound less like a soaring ballad and more like a Black Eyed Peas cast-off. This song was necessary namely to get two of DC's anthems "Independent Women" and "Say My Name" on the show as part of the week's girl group challenge (clearly before Ru had in-house songwriters she could turn to for challenges), both of which are a lot more interesting as gay pop anthems due to their irreverent, ferocious spirit and themes of self-sufficiency, but instead we have a song no one really remembers, but has a semblance of fun due to the lyrics about turning the party at the club tll the sun rises.
The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston
Now this is where we get into the true classics. Whitney Houston is an icon to end all icons and this, one of her first major hits from her 1985 debut album, is exactly why she's still legendary so many years later. This along with her other early gems "Saving All My Love for You" and "How Will I Know" all summitted the charts and became number one hits, but of all her songs from her debut, this one is special due to its immence vocal prowess and emotional lyrics. Few people know that is is actually a cover of a song by jazz-legend George Benson, but Whitney takes it into the stratosphere with her dynamic, emotive performance which makes full use of her range over the soft piano accompaniment. It is a high drama song about loving yourself in spite of whatever else is going on around you, and that seems like a potent theme for queer artists like drag queens, who must maintain their sense of self-love even when the world is against them. This song led to the show's first truly incredible lip sync performance from Shannel who's raw yet polished take on the song made her by far my favorite queen of the season (along with her delusional confessionals and Vegas flair). Her performance is one I return to time and again, as it blends camp and real emotion. I mean there's something inherently funny about a woman in full Medusa get up pouring her heart out to this track. Last but not least, it's just a damn good song. Praise be to the saint that is Whitney.
Would I Lie to You by The Eurythmics
The Eurythmics are, other than Ru herself, the first openly queer artists appearing on this list, not on account of their sexuality, but their innovative play with gender and androgyny, bringing genderfuck aesthetics into the mainstream with their groundbreaking music videos. While most of the other songs here are either high drama ballads or dance club anthems, this one has a distinct alternative flavor with its chilly, new wave edge setting it apart early in the show's history. Annie Lennox, a performer who played with gender and sexuality in her own right especially back in the mid-80s with her androgynous video-vixen looks delivers a scorching performance here with her soulful vocals underscoring the punchy, horn-driven rock of the song. This 1985 song was a departure from the duo's earlier work which was a bit more synth-oriented, but this one fits the show's vibe due to its brassy posturing allowing for some fierce choreography, which Jade gave us in the performance on the show, delivering the first split in the show's history. Not exactly much in the way of themes here, other than a general sense of ferocity and self-sufficiency from Lennox who's putting her man out for his cheating ways, but it's lovely to see some more queer representation musically, and it's by far my favorite song of the bunch this season.
Stronger by Britney Spears
Now we leap into the more modern era with this hardcore dance slammer from pop's reigning princess Miss Britney Spears from her sophomore album "Oops... I Did It Again!" (2000). This song isn't all that hard to read, cause it's the definition of fierceness and resilence, you can't break Britney down cause she's stronger than she was before. This song is all about getting knocked down 100 times and getting back up 100 more, and it's a barn burner musically due to its infectious synth-heavy dance-pop sound and high energy performance from a young Britney. The song's climactic final chorus packs more of a punch than most of Britney's breathy, coy pop songs due to its desire to be more than just a pop song, it's an anthem and one that would resonate for Britney through her struggles with conservatorship through her life. Britney actually sounds great on this song, she's not putting on her baby voice, we get some belting and I wish she made more tracks like this. The blaring militaristic synths and heavy drums make this one of the season's most impactful tracks, allowing the queens to throw down which they do. The lip sync between eventual winner BeBe Zahara Benet and judge favorite Ongina is by far the best match-up of the season, with both queens taking command of the stage with two distinct performance styles. Ongina's take was more subdued and precise, but BeBe's high energy, ferocious take (so wild that wigs flew off) was truly something to behold and helped her take down the season's front runner. Britney would contribute many more fabulous pop anthems to future seasons, but this one sticks out as perhaps her most drag queen friendly song and was a favorite of Ru who would use the track again in Season 9 for another spectacular performance.
Shackles (Praise You) by Mary Mary
Now this song is an interesting case, cause it's a worship song set to a dance beat. Mary Mary are a gospel duo, but they sing with a R&B and pop appeal that's hard to deny, especially when you hear this song's infectious, groovy hip hop beat. The lyric "take these shackles off my feet so I can dance" feels very appropriate to the struggles of queer folks all across the world, a way of finding queer joy through all of the persecution and bigotry, but it's the second part of the lyrics which doesn't quite connect, the "I just wanna praise you", which is what makes it less a song about self-empowerment and joy, into one of unadulterated worship. Perhaps it's just all about subverting tropes with this song, seeing two drag queens perform a Christian worship song is inherently funny, especially with Shannel's tongue in cheek bare-ass wiggle at the song's close, but I think there's something more here. Ru herself declares it a personal favorite before the lip sync, perhaps because of her own spiritual practice or just cause it's a groovy piece of godly Diva House. Regardless, it's a camp classic and another song so good Ru used it twice (wait til Season 13).
Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk) by RuPaul
Now this is the part of the program where we get to see which new song Ru is hawking to the masses, as the lip sync for the crown up until the ninth season would be Ru's newest "hit" single, and this time around it's the first of many house bangers, "Cover Girl", the runway song to end all runway songs with its groovy, synthy, organ-led beat. We heard it all season long, and would continue to for Ru's runway entrances until the end of time, so there's not much to say other than it's fierce, you can strut to it, it's got Ru's classic "I'm that bitch" style lyrics and it features enough autotune to keep both T-Pain and Lil Wayne happy for the rest of their lives. Nina Flowers and BeBe Zahara Benet made it feel fresh when they turned it out in the final lip sync with some fierce windmill arms from the former and a bit of campy floor work from the other, but other than that it's just another Ru song, and not one of my favorites either, though the comically baritone backing vocals are stupidly silly and unlike anything else she'd release on the show.
I hope this was enlightening, funny or some odd mix of the two. Thanks for taking this journey with me, and if you liked it let me know. I'll be back with Season 2 soon (if you want).
And remember, if you can't love yourself how in the hell are you gonna love any of these campy queer pop songs!
Can I get an amen?
Comments