Rupaul's Drag Race season 10 comes out later this week, and I have been watching the "Meet the Queens" videos on the VH1 website nonstop since the day they were released. Since the new season is right around the corner, I just had to share some of my impressions about this season's queens.
Note: these impressions are based on both the "Meet the Queens" videos from the website and the Facebook Live Queen RuVeal runway, which can be found here.
Aquaria
I'm
impressed by what I've seen of Aquaria's fashion sense, but I think her
ego will be her downfall this season. Working with "club legends" and
being Sharon Needles' drag daughter can only take her so far. If she
wants to win this season, she'll either have to match her giant attitude
with an equal amount of talent, or she'll have to take herself down a
few notches.
Asia O'Hara
Asia
gives me the exact opposite of what I got from Aquaria. I appreciate
her can-do attitude, and I think it will carry her far into this
competition, where versatility plays a key role. But I have some minor
doubts about her sense of style, especially her hair in her introduction
video. Her out-of-the-box fashion sense can be difficult to pull off,
so I'm excited to see how she makes it work during the competition.
Blair St. Clair
I'm
absolutely charmed by Blair, and I think she brings a very strong set
of talents to Drag Race. She knows her style inside and out, and she
knows exactly how to execute it. She is also confident in her ability to
sing, dance, act, and sew; all highly valued skills in the competition.
I think Blair is one to watch out for.
Dusty Ray Bottoms
Dusty
Ray reminds me of Acid Betty in all the right ways, and none of the
wrong ones. She's giving me a fresh, edgy style, gorgeous hair and
makeup, and her story about her eyebrows shows adaptability and
creativity. Dusty Ray Bottoms is another queen that I have my eye on.
Eureka O'Hara
I
think Eureka is the queen to beat this season. She's already been on
season nine, she's had time to develop her style and experience the
growth that comes with being a Drag Race contestant, and she was already
a fierce competitor last season. But, as she mentions in her video, we
have higher expectations of her because we've already seen what she can
do. I can't wait to see what she pulls out of her "big ass bag of
tricks" to impress us with.
Kalorie Karbdashian Williams
Oh,
Kalorie. She seems like such a sweetheart, and I want to see her
succeed. But unfortunately, I think we'll see her going home first. You
cannot win drag race without a precise attention to detail, and, judging
by her clearly visible black bra in her intro video, Kalorie does not
have that. Still, she seems like a hard worker, and she may have hidden
talents that will prove me wrong.
Kameron Michaels
Androgyny
in drag queens is not always well-received, but I think Kameron is
doing it well. I'm always the most intrigued by queens like Ongina or
Sasha Velour, who can walk ouI t bald and still be the most stunning
queen on the stage. Kameron is far more feminine, but I am just as
excited to see what she has to offer. Bring on the muscle Barbie.
Mayhem Miller
I'm
not entirely convinced by Mayhem. She seems polished, but I have to
wonder what she brings to the competition that we haven't already seen.
She reminds me of a less irreverent Kennedy Davenport. And, though it's
never bad to be compared to an All Star, I need Mayhem to live up to her
name and show off something a little more exciting.
Miz Cracker
I
would have expected Bob the Drag Queen's drag daughter to be better at
landing a joke. I have the same problem with Miz Cracker as I had with
Jaymes Mansfield; I want to be entertained by her, but she isn't doing
enough for me. I can only hope she shows up more for the competition
than she did for her interview, because I really want to see more from
her.
Monet X Change
Monet
has a great attitude, a good fashion sense, and a fantastic body. I can
see her taking season ten by storm; I just love her energy. She can
also be seen wearing letters for a national music fraternity in the
behind the scenes video, which means she must have some hidden musical
talent. I can't wait to see her put all of her talents to work.
Monique Heart
I
like Monique, but for some reason I'm just not wowed by her. She's
cute, she has a nice energy surrounding her, and I liked her outfit in
the video. But for some reason I just keep forgetting about her.
Hopefully she makes more of an impression during season ten, because I
really like all of the elements of her drag style.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Vanessa
is adorable, fierce, and my personal favorite from what I've seen so
far. Alexis Mateo is one of my favorite Drag Race queens ever, so I have
high expectations for her drag daughter. I don't think I'll be
disappointed. Though I don't envision Vanessa winning season ten, I do
think she brings a fresh style and I'm thoroughly excited to see her
compete.
The Vixen
I
predict that The Vixen will go home fairly early in the season, based
on both her fashion sense and her attitude. I don't see her fashion on
the same level as the other queens this season, and yet she's going into
the competition saying things like "I already think I'm better than
everyone else". Her inflated sense of herself will keep her from taking
critiques and from accurately gauging how well she's actually doing, and
for those reasons I don't see her making it very far.
Yuhua Hamasaki
Yuhua
reminds me of Jujube and Ongina, if you combined them both with various
parts of an alien species. Her drag is different in a way that I think I
like, and I also find her energy endearing. I can see her going far in
the competition, but I think it's equally likely that she will hit a
roadblock early on because of her "abrasiveness", as she puts it. Drag
Race queens must be able to successfully work with others, so it will be
interesting to see how she does.