The category is… Aquaria! You’ve seen her slay the runway on RuPaul’s Drag Race with her bold ‘lewks’, now see her live with fellow queens Detox, Kim Chi, Monet X Change, Plastique Tiara, Sharon Needles and Violet Chachki on the Singapore stage. The Asian leg of Werq the World Tour is hot on the (high) heels of the North American tour where the queens snatch wigs with their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.
Ahead of the Singapore show at The Star Theatre on February 27, we chat with the season 10 winner – and youngest crowned queen in Drag Race herstory – Aquaria, and have her spill the tea on the Emmy-winning series, her next project and what fans can expect at the upcoming show.
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Hi Aquaria! What gets you excited about Singapore?
I’ve met so many fans from Singapore at events in the States and everyone is always so enthusiastic about my art. My favorite part about touring and performing is meeting my fans and creating an entertaining fantasy for a couple hours, so to get to do that in Singapore makes me so happy!
You're the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 – what are some of the most memorable moments you had throughout the show?
Being a part of Drag Race has proven to be an even more rewarding experience than I expected, but while filming, I’d have to say one of my highlights was winning the infamous Snatch Game, as well as making what I hope to be longtime friendships with queens like Asia O’Hara, Kameron Michaels, and Monet X Change.
Aquaria is all about serving looks. How would you describe your style?
Changing my appearance and experimenting with colour, silhouette, and gender are extremely important aspects of my drag. I hate being pinned down to a specific idea of myself and I’m extremely lucky to be able to create a fanbase of really cool people who accept Aquaria as an ever-changing experiment. My style stems from the marriage between nightlife, pop culture, and fashion, so I always try to pull references from these topics to create a new vision for my fans.
And if you could do a complete makeover on a celeb, who would it be?
Amanda Lepore has such a specific look that she goes for, and it’s always been a dream of mine to really mix things up and style her in something completely different from what she’s normally used to. Also, I’m so obsessed with Bella Hadid, so to have the opportunity to play with make-up on her incredible face or style her in another interesting garment sounds so exciting to me.
You've been featured on Vogue Italia, released your own make-up palette, performed at Savage X Fenty Beauty Fashion Show, and became the first drag queen to walk the red carpet at the 2019 Met Gala – how has the experience changed you since you first started performing in drag in 2014?
I would not get to experience any of these milestones in fashion if it weren’t for the other queens before me that continue to help pave the way. Girls like Raja, Violet Chachki and Miss Fame really laid an incredible groundwork from which I have created a platform.
Every day, visibly queer artists continue to open the eyes of brands, designers, and the general public to increase the acceptance of our art and the understanding that our image has a completely valid existence in the fashion world. To see more and more opportunities open for drag artists and other LGBTQ people as years go by means a growth in progress and understanding for the world. I feel so grateful for my achievements in fashion and hope that they continue to open the doors for queer people to come after me.
Any advice for aspiring drag queens out there?
I learn more and more every day that being yourself is often the easiest key to happiness and success. Finding who you are isn’t always the easiest or most obvious task, but when you do, you begin to be able to develop your art with certainty and clarity.
What can fans expect at RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq The World Tour?
This current production of Werq the World takes drag to new heights both creatively and literally. It’s very rare that drag queens find themselves being able to express their art through such high levels of production and glamour. To have the opportunity to be included in this tour is a dream come true for any artist and the memories we get to share on stage every night are ones I hope that we and our fans can cherish forever.
We heard that Michelle Visage is also taking the stage – if you could be the judge for one day, what would you say to Michelle Visage? One word to describe the feisty judge?
Michelle is such a wonderful woman with such a big heart! Fans are always excited to see the queens but seeing Michelle can be even more surreal for them because she has become such a staple of the franchise. I love getting to appreciate and critique the art that I have become known for myself, so to get to be a judge for the day would be such a dream. One word to describe Michelle? I’d say “loving.” Even when you see her say a harsh critique on Drag Race, there’s always an element of love through what she does and the desire to bring out the best in others.
Seems like you're not slowing down any time soon. What's next for Aquaria?
Be prepared for tons of touring, many more legendary looks, and plenty of content my fans online can enjoy.
RuPaul's Drag Race Werq the World Tour is happening on February 27 at The Star Theatre. Tickets are available from $108 at apactix.com.
