Worldwide, there have been more than 45 (and counting) seasons ofDrag Race, and more than 600 queens have sashayed into the various Werk Rooms. So, to make a truly gagworthy and memorable impression with an entrance today is really saying something. Yet, season 17 queen Lucky Starzzz managed to do just that when she entered the room in a lewk that was pure performance art. In doing so, she immediately proved she was one of the most unique artists we have seen in the franchise’s history.
She quickly followed up that glowing first impression with a lemonade-themed talent performance that had the girls screaming and RuPaul erupting in laughter — all of which, Lucky tells PRIDE, was a literal dream come true.
But Lucky wasn’t only making an impression on the main stage; She was snatching the hearts of fans with her talent and her vulnerability — and catching the eye of fellow competitor Arietty, who wasn’t shy about admitting how much she admired her Drag Race sister both in and out of drag. We do love a budding showmance.
Lucky also tugged at our heartstrings by revealing the moving motivation behind her decision to audition for the show: A desire to support her family, who had fallen on difficult financial times. Also, as she explains to PRIDE, her desire to be a beacon to other queer kids out there who need to see the light of drag right now, perhaps more than ever, while ultimately she would become the first-out queen this season, one thing is sure: she certainly did the latter.
PRIDE caught up with Lucky to talk about all of that, plus what it meant to her to be seen and appreciated by RuPaul, the lip sync we missed out on, and if she thought the Rate-A-Queen robbed her of a win.
Courtesy of MTV
PRIDE: Congrats on Drag Race and making such an incredible impression right out of the gate. Do you think if the judges had been judging versus the Rate-A-Queen, you would have been in the top two?
Lucky Starzzz: Oh, of course. I definitely believe that I would have been in the top two. I am an honorary member of the top that week. You know what's crazy? [My performance] felt even bigger and even better when I was there. Not even the TV could do it justice in terms of how good, how crazy, and how much everybody there was living for that performance. RuPaul was cackling. The girls were cheering. It was crazy. It was wild. I definitely felt like I was about to either win or be in the top.
I did too. What did it feel like to go on the biggest drag stage in the world and have RuPaul live for you the way that she did?
It was one of my goals to make RuPaul laugh, and I achieved that times a thousand, so I'm very proud.
Imagine being robbed. Imagine being told that you were robbed of a challenge win on Drag Race in the premiere. Starting off that strong is like a dream, honestly.
Courtesy of MTV
You were so vulnerable when you talked about doing this for your family back home. Do you feel like you put an enormous amount of pressure on yourself going into the competition, and, if so, do you feel like it hindered you or helped motivate you?
I see it as motivation, to be honest. I think if you have a story to tell, tell it. We are representatives of the queer community right now. We are the faces of Drag Race right now, so it's our job to share our stories. It's our job to use our time in the darkness and create a guidebook for those who are in that same darkness out there who haven't been able to get out of it. So it's kind of like we're beacons. We're meant to inspire. We're meant to motivate. So I thought of a motivation for myself, and I saw it as a way to motivate others who are going through the same thing — or more.
We got to see a little spark or two flying between you and Arietty. I'm curious; where do things stand between the two of you now?
Arrietty honestly ended up becoming like my bestie from the cast. We don't talk often, but that's just because we're so busy. We're in different worlds, doing different things, but I've always respected her. I've always really appreciated her. She's really sweet. She really is my number one from the cast that I've connected to. I was not expecting it. It's so funny — I knew of Arrietty before the show — I was not expecting to end up living for her and connecting with her like I did.
What do you think when you were watching that back and she was living for you in and out of drag?
I was living. I was living for her living. I thought it was really cute, honestly.
Santiago Felipe - Getty Images for MTV/Paramount
How did you feel when those Rate-A-Queen receipts came out? Were there any that really took you by surprise?
I was excited for the world to see and for the girls to see that I was ranked high. I knew that I was probably third place in the results. I expected it. If it was any lower, that would have been just true, utterly disgusting robbery.
Who was the person that should have been in the top with you, and whose place should you have taken?
I'm a very honest person. Being there and seeing Katy [Perry's] critiques and Untucked, it kind of felt like the top two were going to be me and Suzie [Toot]. Yeah, that's the vibe that I was getting. But, you know, who doesn't love a cunty, gorgeous girl like Jewels? This is a young cast, so this cast is going to gravitate more towards something like what Jewels did. You know what I mean? Young drag culture these days, that's what the majority live for. Those types of performances. So of course, they were going to rank her top two. But I feel like if it was the judges, it seemed like it was about to be me and Suzie. That's what it felt like to me. But you never know.
Santiago Felipe - Getty Images for MTV/Paramount
There is a parallel universe where we would have gotten to see you and Suzie face off in a lip sync.
I was ready to spray all the lemonade all over that stage for that "Woman's World." I was going to do this move where I bend my legs and lay on the ground, and I shoot upwards. So I'm just like shooting at myself, basically. Does that make sense? I'm sorry y'all missed out on that crazy-ass lip sync.
Is it too early to be manifesting an All Stars return?
I would love to come back to Drag Race. I loved filming. I could use a vacation. I could use a hotel room stay for like two months. I could use that. No, honestly, I just enjoyed filming. I love the PAs and the production. I have literally no complaints about Drag Race. The only complaint that I have is that they sent me home.
Well, you definitely left us wanting more Lucky Starzzz that’s for sure!
