Sing out Louise

Which ‘Drag Race’ contestants should compete on the next ‘Queen of the Universe’?

Adore Delano, at the top of our wish list for ‘Queen of the Universe’ contestants

Congratulations to Brazilian drag sensation Grag Queen, the winner of Season 1 of Queen of the Universe, who claimed the $250,000 prize and bragging rights as the world’s best drag vocalist. Grag Queen won over American finalists Ada Vox and Aria B. Cassadine in a 2-part evening of singing holiday songs, and then show-stopper power ballads.

Queen of the Universe was the latest show to be churned out by RuPaul as part of the Drag Race empire. Although Ru did not appear on the actual show, he served as Executive Producer, and he installed his friends Michelle Visage and Trixie Mattel on the judges’ panel. Drag Race alum Jujubee also competed in the show, although she was eliminated in the first round.

But now that the show is now over, fickle fans as we are, we are already dreaming of who could compete in Season 2 (if MTV, the parent company of Paramount+, decides to renew the show, fingers crossed).

Of the many Drag Race queens who have recorded songs and made music videos, some of them can actually sing. Here we’ve compiled a short wish list of Drag Race contestants who we would like to see in Queen of the Universe in the future (to get started, we are working only from the U.S. version of Drag Race for now):

Adore Delano

This one is a no-brainer. Adore is one of the most well-known singers to come out of Drag Race, with millions of views on her YouTube videos, and a list of performance dates around the world. Adore was last seen on a Drag Race show in 2016, when she bowed out voluntarily of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 2, citing a toxic environment fostered by criticism by Michelle Visage (who, notably, has been much nicer with her critiques since then). It is almost as if Queen of the Universe was created just for Adore and queens like her.

Jan Sport

Jan is an all-around performer who sings, dances, and understands how to go past just singing a song, and really puts on a show. Hopefully, Jan would avoid the typical trap of drag queens singing slow, self-indulgent ballads, and she would commit to a show-stopping performance with every song. Fun fact: Jan is one of the members of Stephanie’s Child, a trio that also features Drag Race alum Rosé, another fabulous singer, who has been cast in a very promising new musical that is hopefully destined for Broadway. Good luck Rosé!

Peppermint

When Peppermint ended her run on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9, she went on to join the Broadway cast of The Go-Go’s-inspired musical Head Over Heels, where she made history as the first trans woman to perform a lead role in a Broadway musical. Since then, she has recorded numerous songs, focusing on a sultry, dreamy style of music that is best suited for her sexy videos. Quieter vocals can get lost during a music competition, but Peppermint can go uptempo when she wants to, and she is also a strong dancer who can turn out a show to rival the big powerhouse vocals of other competitors.

Jinkx Monsoon

Jinkx Monsoon is from the theatrical school of performing, a natural storyteller when holding the mic. As half of the cabaret duo The Vaudevillians, Jinkx’s cabaret shows are quirky and fun, but then she will take a dramatic turn and open up her voice, and blow the roof off of the theater. Jinkx can win if she chooses a few of those moments wisely, and leave the audience (and the judges) with chills, and of course remember to have fun like she always does.

Kennedy Davenport

Kennedy Davenport is known from Drag Race as a dancer and lip-sync assassin, but true fans know she also has a fantastic voice. Kennedy has not recorded songs or made music videos like so many of the other Drag Race girls did, which is a shame, because she may be one of the best singers to come out of the show. Imagine the performances she could give on the Queen of the Universe stage. Yes, please.

Back to Grag Queen’s win, here is a look at one of the crowd favorites from earlier in the competition, when she performed an original duet with contestant Rani KoHEnur from India:

 

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