The race was over after this! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the definitive instances where we knew a “Drag Race” contestant had won a lip sync.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the definitive instances where we knew a Drag Race contestant had won a lip-sync.
00:11For this list, we're only including moments from the franchise's American shows,
00:16and focusing more on Queens nailing it as opposed to their opponents messing up.
00:20Spoilers ahead.
00:21I do not deserve to be in the bottom. I ain't going home.
00:30This is a perfect song for me to play up a shtick. Thank God I'm not wearing that hoop skirt.
00:37Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
00:41Jinx Monsoon was Season 5's underdog.
00:43Though she struggled with her makeup skills and looks throughout the season, her talent was undeniable.
00:48The final four lip-sync was her make-or-break moment.
00:51She faced off against Detox to Ima Sumac's quirky Malumbo No. 1,
00:55and the song choice was enough for many fans to realize this was Jinx's lip-sync to lose.
01:07But the second she broke into that face-contorting chorus and the judges lost it, it was a done deal.
01:12Even Alaska seemed to sense it was over for her friend Detox.
01:15Jinx is kicking and dancing and she's bumping her hips.
01:19I hate to say it, but Detox might be getting out-danced by Jinx.
01:24Jinx may have been in the bottom for her looks, but when it came to performing, she delivered every time.
01:29Number 9. Not filing the nail?
01:44You can't read the doll, and we don't intend to.
01:47When she faced off against Plastique Tiara on All-Stars 9,
01:50Roxy Andrews used a largely instrumental part of No One Gets the Prize to do some character work.
01:55She made intense eye contact with the judges' panel and broke out her nail file.
02:09But it's the one-two punch of bucking at them that really won it for her.
02:13Roxy's gift as a performer is that she embodies every song she lip-syncs to.
02:17Yes, you know that's Diana Ross singing.
02:20With Roxy, though, sometimes you start to wonder.
02:32Number 8. Raja plants a kiss.
02:43Hala Abdul brought something out in these queens.
02:46Season 3 winner Raja landed in the bottom during the Jocks and Frogs challenge,
02:50and had to lip-sync against her friend Carmen Carrera.
03:00Given Raja's track record, it wasn't a surprise that she would survive this lip-sync.
03:05Plus, Carmen had already gone home once, but they both gave it everything they had.
03:10The two did not hesitate to turn straight up into a straight-up strip tease.
03:14As far as seduction, these queens are evenly matched.
03:23But Raja's killing move was a kiss of death, literally.
03:26She planted a bright red kiss on Carmen's arm for all the world to see.
03:30Number 7. Kylie's trip and flip.
03:45All-Star 6 saw the final four queens in a four-way split-slash-alternating-screen lip-sync for the crown.
03:51It's hard to catch the attention when there's this much to look at all at once.
03:55But for fans who know what to look for when it comes to winner edits,
03:59Kylie's Sony Gloves victory was cemented the moment she tripped over her dress.
04:15We watched in slow motion as Kylie spilled forward,
04:18only to course-correct and fall into a perfect, near-effortless flip.
04:22A drag race winner has to overcome adversity.
04:25Sometimes, that stumble in their story doesn't come until the last possible moment.
04:35Number 6. Free Willy.
04:44Anitra was already a lip-sync assassin when she ended up in the bottom for the stand-up challenge.
04:53Marsha, Marsha, Marsha had revealed themselves as the surprise lip-sync performer of the season.
04:57It's easy to forget how evenly matched they were on this Doja Cat performance
05:01because of Anitra's iconic moment.
05:03Marsha was literally in the middle of their own impressive backbend
05:06when Anitra seized the opportunity and literally jumped and flipped over them.
05:14The Free Willy maneuver was hard for Marsha to come back from.
05:32It was just a moment of perfect timing and absolute domination.
05:36Number 5. Dita Ritz gets the Natalie Cole seal of approval.
05:44It's a rare treat for a drag race queen to lip-sync a song in front of its original artist.
05:54It's also incredibly nerve-wracking.
05:56Season 4 contestant Dita Ritz was feeling the pressure as she performed in front of Natalie Cole,
06:01but you wouldn't know it.
06:02Natalie Cole is sitting right in front of me.
06:04I have to do it for her.
06:05I don't want her to leave saying that drag queen did a horrible job of my song.
06:13She tore through this will be an everlasting love as if she wrote and recorded it herself.
06:18The telltale sign that Dita was gonna win this
06:20was when Cole herself was hyping her up from the judges panel.
06:32There were simply no crumbs left on stage from that moment on.
06:41Number 4. Chi-Chi's beads.
06:49No one shined in a lip-sync quite like the late great Louisiana Bayou Queen.
07:03It was almost a treat for her to end up in the bottom because she ate up the competition.
07:07While this classic Dreamgirls ballad wasn't exactly up Thorgy Thor's alley anyway,
07:12Chi-Chi did not half-step.
07:14She poured her heart and soul into the song,
07:16but this well-timed mishap when she stood up and her string of beads came undone
07:21was the stuff drag race dreams are made of.
07:36She showered the stage with beads at the numbers climax.
07:39It was an electrifying moment that made RuPaul herself howl with delight.
07:46Number 3. Monet's fake split.
08:09Monet exchange performances are always worth the price of admission.
08:13Lip-syncing to Nicki Minaj's Pound the Alarm,
08:15the season 10 contestant pulled the best and most hilarious stunt ever.
08:19As the song ramped up,
08:21she acted like she was going to jump into a split and then bailed at the last minute.
08:37RuPaul and the judges broke into a chorus of laughter.
08:40It's one of the biggest reactions a queen has ever gotten out of the host,
08:44and that was while Ru was wearing a face-kini and sunglasses.
08:48Monet doubled down on her stunt by actually committing to the split later in the song,
08:52just to prove she could do it.
09:06Number 2. Peppermint's costume change.
09:15The very first lip-sync smackdown for the crown yielded some unforgettable moments.
09:27Season 9's finalists were the guinea pigs for the new format, and they rose to the challenge.
09:32Peppermint and Trinity Taylor opened the finale with a fantastic performance.
09:36But the crowd went wild when Peppermint ripped away
09:39her first costume and wig to reveal a second entirely new look.
09:45She managed the quick change with all the ease of a Broadway performer.
09:57It would have looked awfully weird to not give her the win after how loud the audience got for her.
10:02Her Cinderella moment almost managed to steal the entire show.
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10:22Number 1. Sasha Velour's roses.
10:31The rules were simple, win the new lip-sync smackdown and you win the crown.
10:35It was a challenge Sasha Velour took full advantage of.
10:42Knowing she needed to make an impact if she wanted a chance to emerge as the victor,
10:51she came equipped with the stunt to end all stunts.
10:54Sasha took to the stage with roses hidden in her gloves and under her wig.
11:06As the flowers rained down, the message was clear.
11:10Shea Coulee, despite having four main challenge wins under her belt,
11:13had been bested by some tremendous showmanship.
11:16Sasha would go on to win the whole season.
11:22What lip-sync moment do you think could have made this list?
11:25Tell us in the comments.
11:41Right now, I have Janelle Monáe on this stage with Janelle Monáe watching me, bitch.
11:45Do you agree with our picks?
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