RuPaul’s Drag Race is a reality competition show which has drag queens from all over the country compete for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

Starting with a small budget in 2009, the franchise has since expanded to become one of the biggest competitions in the world, featuring many spin-offs including, but not limited to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Canada’s Drag Race, Drag Race España, Drag Race Italia, Drag Race France, Drag Race Philippines, Drag Race Thailand, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, and Drag Race Holland. 

Other spin-offs see returning queens come back to fight for the crown again, which includes the All Stars seasons, UK vs the World, Canada vs the World, and Secret Celebrity Drag Race. The series continues to expand with new spin-offs being announced including Drag Race Mexico, Drag Race Brazil, Drag Race Germany, an all stars season of Drag Race España, and Global All Stars. 

The episodes typically follow a formulaic plot, with a mini challenge in the beginning, and the maxi challenge and runway at the end. The winner of the mini challenge receives an advantage or prize, and the winner of the maxi challenge wins a prize and the episode. The queens who find themselves in the bottom will have to compete in a lipsync, with the loser getting eliminated. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race has been on air for fourteen years, and despite the ups and downs it went through during transitional stages, the show continues to strive and has a large fan base. Drag Race is one of the biggest exposures we have to the drag community, and it helps to educate the public about the LGBTQ+ community. 

Serious topics are discussed throughout the show, with queens providing first person accounts and confessionals speaking about the hardships they endured. One of the biggest problems surrounding Drag Race and the drag community are the hard laws and regulations that have recently been introduced throughout the country which try to prohibit and limit the art of drag. However, despite these challenges, Drag Race has been able to air on one of the largest networks in television, and the season 15 premiere has become one of the most watched Drag Race premieres since season nine. Anyone has the ability to enjoy Drag Race, as it connects to many audiences and inspires many individuals. 

Season 15 saw some slight differences from past premieres. Starting with season 6, introductions of the contestants have been split into two separate premieres so that it is easier for the audience to get to know the queens. Season 15, however, had one giant premiere split into two episodes, with both groups joining by the end, rather than in episode three. 

This season, the queens were oblivious to the fact that another group had already joined them, as the Work Room was cleaned up by producers after each introduction. They assumed it was going to be a split premiere, and were not expecting to meet the other group so early on. After everyone made their entrances, each group participated in their photo shoot mini challenge. 

Since production this season is focused on the “drag race” aspect of the show, Group 1 had to pose in front of a sports car which is a reference to the first ever photoshoot in Drag Race in season one, while Group Two posed on a motorcycle. However, there is always a spin when it comes to photoshoots, and Group One found themselves being sprayed with water and Group Two had to endure fans blowing strong gusts of wind on them which draws comparisons from the “Gone With the Windows” photoshoot from Season Two. 

The winner of the Group One mini challenge was Irene Dubois, and Loosey LaDuca found herself victorious in Group Two. These mini challenges seem to be honoring the long history of the show and its humble beginnings. The queens from both groups were then told that the maxi challenge was going to be a talent show, a staple of modern Drag Race. Now competing as one large group, the talent show would go down in history as some of the best, and worst, acts to grace the mainstage. 

Becoming an early front runner for the crown, Anetra literally kicked her way to the top. Her energetic dance performance with the obvious influence of ballroom culture with her “duck walk” and death drops along with her display of her wood splitting karate kicks made her the winner of the talent show. Other memorable acts included Marcia Marcia Marcia’s comedic, yet graceful dance performance, along with Jax jumping rope with her own hair! 

However, a few queens fell flat (literally). Loosey LaDuca’s flat vocals landed her with a low placement, and the bottom two queens were Amethyst and Irene Dubois. Amethyst’s comedic lipsync was slow and found itself running on the same joke, and Irene Dubois didn’t get that much laughs as she prepared a glass of ice water. 

The bottom two lip synced to “7 Rings” by Arianna Grande, and the competition was neck and neck for most of the song, however Amethyst stole the spotlight by the second half. Sadly, we had to see Irene Dubois sashay away, and most fans were surprised as she was assumed to be a strong front runner for the season, having a unique style and getting many confessionals in the first two episodes. 

With all of that being said, we have a few ideas of who could make it far in the competition. First and foremost, Sasha Colby is a powerhouse when it comes to drag. She has a strong presence in the community, and many believe that she will make it far and even win the crown. She has deemed herself as “your favorite drag queen’ favorite drag queen” due to her having influences on several other drag queens who have already been on the competition. 

Sasha Colby, along with Anetra, already have a win under their belts. Resident New Jersey queen Luxx Noir London has already found herself with a high placement, and she delivers glamor and high fashion on the runway. Sugar and Spice have a popular fan base on TikTok, and many believe that the twins will contribute a lot to the season, and Spice has even shown versatility in her runway looks. 

Marcia Marcia Marcia has made a name for herself, however she was critiqued for not wearing enough makeup on the runway. A few queens have already seemed to find themselves on the struggle bus. As of Episode 3, Amethyst found herself in the bottom two twice, winning both lip syncs. Jax went from a high placement in the premiere to almost being in the bottom two by the next episode. Princess Poppy has also drifted into the background of the competition, and producers don’t seem to have constructed a storyline for her. 

Overall, Season 15 will be a very entertaining and successful season for RuPaul’s Drag Race. The cast is diverse and amusing, and they all hail from different places across the United States. We can’t wait to see where this season will take viewers, and it’s already started us off on what looks to be another fun ride. 

The Spartan Sentinel asked students to vote, giving their first impressions of the Season 15 queens, and the results are as follows:

Most Loved Group 1 Look: Aura Mayari

Most Loathed Group 1 Look: Anetra

Favorite Group 1 Look: Luxx Noir London

Least Favorite Group 1 Look: Malaysia Babydoll Foxx

Most Loved Group 2 Look: Amethyst

Most Loathed Group 2 Look: Salina

Favorite Group 2 Look: Spice

Least Favorite Group 2 Look: Salina