The History of Slaying

As time moves on, new words start to appear in everyday vocabulary, and old words gain new meanings. One example of this is the word “slay.” Let’s start by making some things clear. When I say “slay,” I don’t mean “please go kill someone brutally,” which is the literal definition of the word. I mean “slay” in its slang form. Translation: “you killed it.” I mean it in a supportive-proud-mother-looking-at-her-child and-realizing-how-much-they-have-grown way. One way this word would be used in a sentence would be “your outfits seriously slay.”

If we go back in time, we find that the meaning of the word “slay” comes from the Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ ballroom culture in the 1970s and the 1980s. Ballroom culture, or ball culture, is the underground LGBTQ+ culture in the U.S. This is where Black and Latinx people compete for glory and prizes at competitions known as balls. During these competitions, they compete for the best pageantry and drag. This is where “slay” started to mean the same thing as “killing it” regarding style, attitude, and dancing. One would be killing it if everything about them was flawless. This culture was created in Harlem as a response to the racial prejudice Black and Latinx drag queens faced in the general ballroom culture. Ball culture is the birthplace of other popular phrases such as “Yass queen!” and many people found family and a way to express themselves safely while there.

Ballroom culture and drag entered mainstream culture in 1991 with the documentary Paris is Burning. This documentary showcased drag culture and competitions and brought the community into a new light. At this time, new words and phrases were introduced to the public, such as the word “slay,” but at this time, it was not used by many. When RuPaul’s Drag Race came out in 2007, it brought both “slay” and drag culture into the daily lives of many people. What really fixed the word “slay” in pop culture was the song “Formation” by Beyonce. This song came out in 2016 and took “slay” out of ball culture and incorporated it into society. In the lyrics, she sings, “Okay, ladies, now let’s get in formation, 'cause I slay.” Another quote from her is “I slay, all day.” I mean have you seen her? She does slay.

Today, many people use the word as a compliment or an adjective. Whether it be “THAT MAKEUP WAS SUCH A SLAY” or “SLAY QUEEN!!!,” you hear “slay” a lot in daily life. If you don’t use it in your everyday vocabulary, you should start and continue to slay the day.