The Queens of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 13 Dish on Their Favorite Lip Sync Moments of All Time

It’s not a RuPaul’s Drag Race season premiere without a stunt—and Season 13’s debut pulled out six. The debut episode of this already legendary Drag Race season included six lip syncs, allowing viewers to really see what these queens can do when asked to get to werk. You can tell a lot about a queen from the way they dip and flip or park and bark.

The lip sync for your life moment is, of course, Drag Race’s signature moment—the show’s major contribution to television as a medium. This high-stress section of every episode has resulted in some iconic performances that still elicit oohs and aahs from crowds today.

Knowing that the season premiere would include a half dozen lip sync duels, Decider made sure to ask every queen from the Season 13 cast about their personal favorite lip syncs from the entire Drag Race canon. What follows is culled from four group interviews with the season’s cast.

Take it away, queens!

Tamisha Iman: I think it was Brooke Lynn [Hytes] and Yvie [Oddly in Season 11].

Denali: Ooh, yes.

Tamisha Iman: That battle was like — I didn’t want it to end.

Rosé: And the double save. Mhm, so good.

LaLa Ri: Mine would be the Latrice Royale pregnant lip sync [against Kenya Michaels in Season 4].

Symone: Fabulous. Stunning

LaLa Ri: Natural woman!

Symone: No words.

Tina Burner: I mean, mine personally, is when Monét X Change went to do a fake split, and she jumped up in the air, but she didn’t do it. Because that’s epic to me. She was like, “I’ma split — no I ain’t!” Stuff like that, when you keep me on my toes like that. Stupid shit really turns me up, so I was really into that. That’s my favorite.

Utica Queen: Oh my goodness. I think my favorite — this is a little bit of a controversy, but I just think it’s so crazy. In [Season 11] when they had, like, six people getting crazy on the stage, and you’re like, “Good luck, ladies. Have fun.” Ah! I could just imagine how crazy it was, all the Queen’s just fighting for that stage. I’ve done that. And I know how it feels. So I definitely empathize with that. But I thought it was not only fun, but funny. You could just tell that they had the fire in their eyes. And I was like, “That is everything.”

Kandy Muse: I think one of my favorite lip syncs ever was from my drag mother [Aja] on Season 9, when she did “Holding Out for Need A Hero” against Kimora [Blac]. [Aja] was so overlooked in the competition at that point. When she did that lip sync, it was like, “Werk, bitch!”

Olivia Lux: Also, Dida Ritz, “This Will Be” [in Season 4].

Rosé: I think mine would have to be All Stars [Season 2], Alyssa Edwards and Tatianna, “Shut Up and Drive.” It’s just so iconic. Even the way it’s costumed, which is likely not intentional. It was just so, so good. So exciting.

Denali: So epic.

Elliott with 2 Ts: Oh my gosh. Anything Alyssa Edwards. Alyssa and Coco. Alyssa and Tatianna, just legendary.

Symone: Yeah, same.

Olivia Lux: I was just talking the other day about Tatianna and Alyssa. When they did that syncopation — in and out, and in and out? Yes! That was sickening.

Joey Jay: Very that. I also have to agree, “Shut Up and Drive” is monumental. But then, I feel like a lot of people forget about “Black Velvet” with Jujubee [in Season 2]. I love that. That was one of the first lip syncs that was so epic, especially for a slower song.

Kandy Muse: That one was good.

Kahmora Hall: Honestly, my favorite lip sync was in Season 2, with Jujubee when she did “Black Velvet” [against Sahara Davenport]. I just love the way that she performed that song — it was very sensual and emotional. And that, to me, showed me that you don’t have to do splits or kicks to be a great entertainer. It’s all about stage presence and how you connect with the audience.

Denali: I also have to give a shout out to Laganja [Estranja] versus Joslyn Fox in Season 6. When two queens drop at the same time at a crescendo in a song, it is just pure magic and love. The stars align and the whole universe just rejoices. Every time I watch it, it does something inside of me, for sure.

Gottmik: One that always stands out to me so weirdly, I’m not sure why but it always has, was Jinkx Monsoon [and Detox] in the Candy Ball [in Season 5]. It was so funny to me. And I’m obsessed with her.

Symone: It’s such a fun lip sync to watch. It’s so fun.

Kandy Muse: Ooh, or even the one with Raja and Carmen Carrera [in Season 3 to “Straight Up”] was so—

Joey Jay: Oh yeah. And then they had sex on the stage.

Kandy Muse: “MacArthur Park,” Manila [in Season 3]. I mean, there could be a whole series just about how many great lip syncs there are.

Joey Jay: I think they should do a challenge where you have to reenact lip syncs. I know, I’m a writer now.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 airs on VH1 on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET

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