Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Power Rankings! Every Saturday, we’ll debrief the week’s new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. Who will be crowned Queen of All Queens in the finale next week? We’re down to just four options, while four others will battle for another title entirely.
Yvie Oddly—FAILED TO QUALIFY
Current Star Count: 2
Maxi-Challenges Won: 1
Lip Syncs Won: 0
I’m glad Yvie got an episode to open up about the ways in which her changing health condition is affecting her future in drag. There was some unpleasant discourse back in her season where we saw too much focus on her condition, but her battle with Ehlers-Danlos is uniquely terrifying. To be a queen who is so known for skills that are quickly leaving her—I can’t even fathom it. So I’m thrilled that she got to do a number celebrating her flexibility and stunts in her final challenge performance on Drag Race. I think Yvie’s got great odds (no pun intended) of winning the lower-bracket tournament next week; while she lost her one lip sync this season, she’s historically been one of the strongest in that crop.
Raja—FAILED TO QUALIFY
Current Star Count: 2
Maxi-Challenges Won: 2
Lip Syncs Won: 1
Like Yvie, Raja got an emotional final performance episode, as she remembered her father and danced a traditional Balinese dance for her talent show. It felt like a fitting capper on Raja’s Drag Race journey, and a chance for her to show us something distinctly different from what she’s done throughout her time on the show. I know Raja not making the final four lip sync battle will be tough for her fans, particularly since there was a significant impression she was being robbed of wins earlier in the season. But Raja can take heart, as she explained in a previous Untucked, that she is walking out of her with a legion of new or re-energized fans. She’s won in her own way—and still might make it out $50,000 richer in the lower bracket!
The Vivienne—FAILED TO QUALIFY
Current Star Count: 2
Maxi-Challenges Won: 3
Lip Syncs Won: 2
Like I mentioned last week, when Viv lost the roast under extremely dubious circumstances, it felt like her journey was over. She did well enough with her (Diane Warren-written!) song this week, but going after Shea Couleé made her number look weaker by comparison. Unlike her fellow two-star queens, Viv wasn’t even shouted out during deliberations as a potential winner. The momentum was just not there for her. It’s a real shame, too: Viv and Jaida Essence Hall have been the stars of the season to me. To see neither make the finale, especially in the way both happened, makes for a depressing endgame.
Jaida Essence Hall—FAILED TO QUALIFY
Current Star Count: 3
Maxi-Challenges Won: 2
Lip Syncs Won: 1
I actually can’t write too much about Jaida not making the finale without getting fired up. It’s just devastating to me that someone who has been the quirky heart of the season is losing out on her chance at a second crown because Ru let one twinner choose the other to join her in the top bracket next week. True, you could say Jaida benefitted from the star giveaway earlier this season, and without that wouldn’t have been a lock for the finale. But the show so repeatedly told us that she was all but a certainty, so this feels like having the rug pulled out from under us. Still, like Raja, Jaida is exiting the race for the top crown with a major benefit: she came and showed a whole new side of herself this season. Considering her stated goals to Ru and Michelle Visage during the Tic Tac chat, that’s exactly what Jaida wanted. I just wanted even more for her.
Trinity the Tuck—QUALIFIED
Current Star Count: 3
Maxi-Challenges Won: 4
Lip Syncs Won: 1
Congrats to Trinity the Tuck, who is absolutely going to lose her first round of the lip sync tournament next week. Monét X Change and Shea will both wipe the floor with her, and Jinkx Monsoon has already beaten her twice. This isn’t quite Baga Chipz in UK vs. The World-levels of certainty, but it’s pretty close! Across her four previous lip syncs this season, we saw her do all of her moves repeatedly: the ass shake, the hair flip, the unnecessary body contact with her competitor. I imagine we’ll get to see her play the hits before her inevitable departure. In that sense, it was smart strategy on Monét’s part to bring her to the end—and considering how much investment we’ve seen in the twinner storyline this season, I would expect that Monét is the one who will send Trinity packing, finally breaking their tie.
Shea Couleé—QUALIFIED
Current Star Count: 4
Maxi-Challenges Won: 2
Lip Syncs Won: 2
The inclusion of Shea in the finale will no doubt ruffle feathers among many of those who dislike the twist, but as I mentioned in my recap, my ire is directed squarely at the producers. Shea actually did well all season long, scoring in the high-placing group more than any other queen. She effectively had a Willow Pill run: constantly in contention, but failing to secure more than one win for most of the season. And when she got the chance to make it to the end, Shea absolutely burned the stage with killer choreo and a perfect song. Hers was the only lip sync performance that felt like we were seeing a true professional artist on stage. I’m thrilled for one of my all-time faves to have ended on such a strong note, and I hope she can make the most of her lip syncs in the finale.
Jinkx Monsoon—QUALIFIED
Current Star Count: 4
Maxi-Challenges Won: 5
Lip Syncs Won: 3
Jinkx was as close to an afterthought as she’s ever been on this episode, as with her roast victory last week, she was assured a spot in the finale. As a result, we saw her do her Broadway best in her live singing performance, and she looked lovely in her lip syncing outfit. But that’s about it! This was a week to focus on the other competitors, and Jinkx took a back seat. Do I think she can win a Lip Sync for the Crown finale? I’m dubious! If she can get paired with Trinity in the first round, I do like her odds. Generally, LSFTC guidelines are that the first battle can get you to the end, while Ru ultimately just picks his favourite for the final victory. So if she beats Trinity, I think she could win against Monét and Shea at the end. This season has seemingly all been leading to a Jinkx win—will it suddenly turn at the finale, or stay on course?
Monét X Change—QUALIFIED
Current Star Count: 5
Maxi-Challenges Won: 3
Lip Syncs Won: 1
We talk a lot in these recaps about momentum, and how much it matters in the race to the crown. I would argue someone like Jaida really benefited in her season from momentum, even though she had an objectively weaker track record than her co-finalist, Gigi Goode. Conversely, momentum couldn’t benefit someone like Gottmik, who lost out in Season 13 to season-long frontrunner Symone. Ultimately, I don’t think there’s any hard-and-fast rule to it, which means I’m not sure how beneficial Monét’s current position is. There is absolutely no question she’s entering the finale with the most momentum, having won two of the last three challenges, and coming off an absolutely spectacular opera performance. She has been edited as one of the two main characters all season long (next to Jinkx), and we know she can smash a lip sync performance. I wouldn’t count Monét out of this—not by a long shot.
Why you can trust Xtra
