As VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race gets ready for a changing of the (super queer) guard across Friday's season 13 finale, some might say season 12 champion Jaida Essence Hall's reign is over. Well, that's "confusion," honey. Those people are fools. We're not ready to "look over there" just yet; Hall is everything, at all times.
Because excellence never truly ends, EW is looking back on some of Hall's best moments that got her here, in appreciation of her lasting empire that's only just getting started. See Hall's shining achievements — including an appearance on Rihanna's Savage X Fenty runway show and a stellar tribute to Aaliyah on Halloween — from her first year as a RuPaul's Drag Race winner, baby, ahead.
May 2020: Jaida Essence Hall wins RuPaul's Drag Race season 12
She traversed season 12 with grace, class, sass, and some of the best looks of the season (long live her "Star-Spangled P---y"), and let her pure performance spirit shine on season 12's virtual finale; While fellow finalists Crystal Methyd and Gigi Goode stepped up impressive production values for their final lip-syncs from home, Hall simply writhed, twirled, and served in her living room (we saw that Ikea side table, Miss Hall!) to prove that a star can thrive anywhere, and she took the crown.
"I hope I can inspire so many young Black people like myself who never feel like they're special or that what they offer the world isn't important," Hall tearfully told EW shortly after winning. "Hopefully, they see this and realize, 'What I am and who I am is enough, I matter, and I have something special to offer to the world.'"
Always/ongoing/eternal, etc: Hall confirms the extremely real, terrifying threat of aliens from outer space
Hall confirmed that aliens are real and that's enough terror for me here on this day.
August 2020: Shania Twain and Orville Peck cast Hall in their "Legends Never Die" music video
A mere three months into her reign, Hall had already booked a starring gig in a music video next to country-pop icon Shania Twain for a song appropriately titled "Legends Never Die."
September 2020: Hall, a cover girl, graces Attitude magazine with her beautiful mug
Hall looked divine in the jaw-dropping photos from the queer publication's September cover shoot.
September 2020: Season 12's most fabulous dolls stop by EW's BINGE podcast for a hilarious recap of Jeff Goldblum's, well, chaotic appearance
EW's (recently Webby Award-nominated!) BINGE podcast welcomed dozens of queens across multiple episodes of its inaugural RuPaul's Drag Race recap, including season 12 staples Hall, Heidi N Closet, Jackie Cox, and Crystal Methyd. The group hilariously reflected on the struggles (and triumphs) of season 12, including the birth of Hall's infamous "look over there" moment (which, they say, resulted from guest judge Jeff Goldblum going hilariously off-script). Listen to the episode below:
October 2020: She's a People's Choice Award nominee! Hall lands a landmark nod for Competition Contestant of the Year
Lady Gaga? Ariana Grande? Jaida Essence Hall? All three ladies were in good company next to each other as 2020 People's Choice Award nominees! Hall's season 12 sister Gigi Goode ended up winning the category (bravo!), but Hall's nomination had her fans gagged.
October 2020: Rihanna enlists Hall and fellow Drag Race alums Shea Couleé and Gigi Goode for her Savage X Fenty runway show
There's no "confusion" here; Hall — now officially a Supermodel of the World — slayed the runway after Rihanna hand-picked her to stomp the stage for her second Savage X Fenty runway show, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
October 2020: Hall breaks the internet on Halloween with an iconic Aaliyah look from Queen of the Damned
Icons supporting icons never gets old, and Hall sunk her teeth into a spot-on tribute to late pop star Aaliyah on Halloween when she sported a gorgeous recreation of the singer's look from the cult 2002 film Queen of the Damned.
The season 13 finale of RuPaul's Drag Race airs at 8 p.m. ET on VH1.
Subscribe to EW's BINGE podcast for full recaps of all 12 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, featuring exclusive interviews with Jaida Essence Hall, Trixie Mattel, Katya, Peppermint, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, and more.
Related content:
- RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jaida Essence Hall wants Black kids to remember: 'Who I am is enough'
- See Drag Race star Jaida Essence Hall win Halloween with Aaliyah tribute
- Queens reveal Jeff Goldblum sent Drag Race season 12 debate hilariously off-script
- Cher knows you want her on RuPaul's Drag Race: 'I'm going to have to go on'