Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings! Every Tuesday, we’ll debrief the week’s new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. It’s time to meet the other seven queens—and say goodbye to one. But which queens will shine when the groups are combined?
7. Daya Betty — ELIMINATED
No doubt Daya was the right choice to go home this week—her lip sync was the worst talent presentation of the lot, and she was outmatched against DeJa Skye in the “Fallin’” lip sync. Still, I feel for her that—if she is indeed fully out of the race—her whole tenure was spent battling comparisons to Crystal Methyd. Sure, she sounds and paints a lot like Crystal, but we never saw such notes when it came to the members of the former houses of Edwards and Aja, for instance. Daya didn’t get much of a fair shake to stand on her own. Still, if there is a twist coming, note that Alicia Keys said Daya could be an underdog story. I’m not counting her out just yet.
6. DeJa Skye
I really like DeJa, and I wish she’d started off on a better note than this. Not to try and fix her comedy routine for her, but I think had she done the funny mistakes for the first half then just smashed the second half, her routine would’ve been more effective. Instead, it just looked like DeJa is not very good at the thing she coaches, and I don’t believe that’s true. On the runway, I liked the mix of fabrics that DeJa was working with, and it was a really well-proportioned outfit. She could be a real threat when it comes to looks if she can just polish up the edges a bit.
5. Maddy Morphosis
The major thing I keep coming back to with Maddy is just how quiet she is. As a shorter, smaller queen, she already fades into the background a bit, but she doesn’t make up for her stature by being a dominant force in the room. I noticed it most clearly in Untucked, when she was sitting off to the side, covering herself with a pillow. She’s just not going to command attention in a way she needs to. Her talent show performance was similarly too inward; it doesn’t matter how technically impressive the guitar-playing is if you lack a sense of showmanship. Credit to her on the runway, though—that decapitated look was a winner.
4. Jasmine Kennedie
Jasmine got huge props from Michelle Visage for her The Queen-inspired garment, which is a good sign right out of the gate. As we saw last season with queens like Denali (not to mention most famously with Aja in All Stars 3), knowing your older queer references is crucial on Drag Race. Her entrance look and performance in the challenge were both solid but not tremendously memorable, and didn’t feel of a piece with what she presented on the runway. Is that versatility, or is it a not-yet-coherent drag aesthetic for such a young queen? We’ll have to find out. I’m guessing that she’ll be around for a while, especially if she can dance her way out of danger.
3. Jorgeous
In a mild-mannered group of queens, Jorgeous stood out for being willing to get a little bitchy. I like a queen who isn’t afraid to talk some smack, particularly as the queens have grown more and more aware of how the fans will perceive them. I really liked her entrance look and enjoyed her dance performance (while wishing it weren’t just another lip sync), but didn’t love her runway look. The purple tear-away piece just felt too obvious for me. I ultimately like Jorgeous a lot, and I think she’s going to do well this season. I’m interested to see how she in particular will mesh with the other group.
2. Lady Camden
Props to Camden for going with a Center Stage reference (complete with Jamiroquai song!) during her routine. She avoided the trap that Ru set for her (saying he’s bored by ballet, which is utterly unsurprising) by— doing something distinctly draggy. I was admittedly thrown off by her entrance look being so different from her promo, but when I saw her peacock-inspired, Camden Town raver runway look, it came together a bit for me. Her drag is distinctly British in a way that would stand out even on Drag Race UK. There’s a range of what that could mean, but so far, the aesthetic is working for me. She could go very far this season if she keeps performing on this level.
1. Angeria Paris VanMicheals
It was a clean sweep for Angeria this week, and deservedly so. She had a charismatic, instantly memorable entrance, complete with an adorable look that evoked her Southern style perfectly. She posed well in the mini-challenge, earning herself a $2,500 tip, then got double that for her infectiously fun original track in the talent show. Where I was perhaps most impressed by Angeria, though, was on the runway: her gown looked positively poured onto her body. That’s the kind of drag that you’d expect for Season 14, and it immediately establishes Angeria as a threat to go all the way. Of all the girls from this episode, Angeria is the one I think will be able to more than put up a fight against the first premiere dolls. May the best drag queen win!
Why you can trust Xtra
