RuPaul’s Drag Race: Best 10 One-Sided Lip Syncs

When queens lip sync on RuPaul’s Drag Race, they are fighting for their place in the competition, and to prove to Ru they are worthy of staying. Ru’s decision may be tough sometimes, with both queens giving a showstopping performance. But other times, the decision makes itself.

Some queens misinterpret the song, mess up their dancing, or simply don’t try at all, while others completely crush it, resulting in a very one-sided performance. From All Stars to main seasons, there are many examples of these disjointed, yet nonetheless performances.

10 Miz Cracker vs. Roxxxy Andrews (All Stars 5)

Miz Cracker is a wacky comedy queen who is not exactly known for her lip syncing on the show. Roxxxy, on the other hand, is one of the best. When Roxxxy was a lip sync assassin on All Stars, she once again proved why this is her legacy. Cracker certainly tried, but Roxxxy not only looked breathtakingly stunning, but her reveals and her showgirl dance moves proved to have no equal that night. “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande is not a great choice for a lip sync song, as the lyrics are so sad yet the production so “clubby” but Roxxxy proved she can shine with any given tune.

9 Kameron Michaels vs. Asia O’Hara (Season 10)

After Sasha Velour broke Drag Race with her iconic rose petal reveal, the queens on subsequent seasons have been trying to top that moment ever since. At the season 10 finale while performing “Nasty” by Janet Jackson, Kameron Michaels had a small-scale costume change that worked for the number while she delivered seductive moves. Asia, however, delivered one of the show’s most infamous moments. She planned to release dozens of butterflies from different parts of her costume, but they simply fell to the ground, frozen. The audience watched in horror as this plan was failing before their eyes. Kameron rightfully won while looking mortified at seeing the butterflies on the ground. Asia tried but sometimes bigger isn’t always better.

8 Manila Luzon vs. Delta Work (Season 3)

Best friends Manila and Delta went head-to-head in their lip sync to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park.” The song starts off slow and both gave appropriately emotional performances. But when the tempo sped up, Delta was no match for Manila. Her manic movements and signature crossed eyes made the song feel fresh and new.

Her Big Bird-inspired gown made it hard for fans and the judges to look away and kept their attention with her over-the-top, energetic performance. The two ended the performance in an embrace but it was clear Manila stole the show and Delta was told to sashay away.

7 Aja vs. Kimora Blac (Season 9)

Although season 9 was a fan-favorite season, the lip syncs were all over the place. Some were strong, most were lackluster, lots were one-sided. The confident Brooklyn-based Aja and body-positive Kimora Blac went against each other to “Holding Out For A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. Kimora’s slow, flirtatious moves were no match for Hurricane Aja. Aja performed with passion, energy, and verve, delivering the appropriately theatrical performance this song deserves. Dips, kicks, and spins can seem overdone and cliche, but when they fit the song, no one can deny their impact and Aja used them perfectly. Ru declared Aja as safe and her fellow queens who wrote her off as having a cocky attitude knew she had the goods to back it up.

6 Nina Bo-Nina Brown vs. Valentina (Season 9)

One of the franchise’s most iconic moments came from this lip sync. While performing Ariana Grande’s “Greedy,” it seemed as though Nina was going home as this was her second time in the bottom and Valentina was a huge contender for the crown. However, when Ru stopped the performance mid-song to tell Valentina to take off her face mask, the contestant said “I’d like to keep it on, please.” She eventually took off the mask and the song started anew, but it was obvious Valentina didn’t know the words. So, Nina performed circles around her and earned her spot in the competition. This was a crushing blow for Valentina as she was sent home earlier than anyone expected.

5 Latrice Royale vs. Kenya Michaels (Season 4)

Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is a song filled with emotion that only the “large and in charge, chunky yet funky” Latrice Royale could’ve brought to life. In this season 4 lip sync, Latrice was up against the small yet ferocious Kenya Michaels. Kenya lept around the stage in flowing fabric and performed beautiful modern dance moves that were ultimately too frantic and didn’t fit the song. Latrice stood stoic and sang to the fake baby bump in her belly as the words looked like they were coming directly out of Latrice’s mouth. Latrice had the judges smiling ear-to-ear and she rightfully won.

4 Dida Ritz vs. The Princess (Season 4)

Performing “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole in front of Natalie Cole would make anyone nervous. Anyone besides Dida Ritz. The lovable queen from season 4 delivered one of the show’s most seminal moments in this lip sync. She embodied the song through pure joy and enthusiasm and didn’t rely on splits or dips to make an impression. The Princess certainly did a fine job and was far from a failure, but it was impossible not to be captivated by Dida. She made sure to make eye contact with the singer and her thousand-watt smile was infectious. Hopefully, Dida is asked to come back for an All Stars season so more there can be more euphoric lip syncs like this one.

3 Monet X Change vs. Dusty Ray Bottoms (Season 10)

Fellow New York City queens and friends Monet and Dusty were pitted against each other to Nicki Minaj’s “Pound The Alarm.” Dusty, a punk-rock queen with an aesthetic of grunge and glam, found herself stranded in this performance to a song that is not in her wheelhouse. Monet on the other hand brought the house down.

Not missing a word of Minaj’s rapid-fire rapping, Monet was in her element and performing at the top of her game. She was as charismatic and charming as always and had the judges and fellow contestants howling in laughter and disbelief when she executed the now-iconic split fakeout. Monet cemented herself as one of the franchise’s most deadly lip sync assassins instantly.

2 Denali vs. Kahmora Hall (Season 13)

Chicago sisters Denali and Kahmora knew their friendship would still be intact no matter the outcome of this lip sync, so this gave Denali the boost she needed to unleash her full powers. Denali pulled out splits, duck-walking, voguing, and silly playfulness to make Crystal Waters “100% Pure Love” her own. Kahmora was limited by a tight-fitting and heavy gown she could not move or dance in, so she put on a brave face, but by the end, she had stopped lip syncing and let Denali bask in her win. Ru told Denali she was safe in record time and said what everyone was thinking: “That was 100% pure fun.”

1 Trinity Taylor vs. Charlie Hides (Season 9)

Perhaps the most infamous lip sync of all time, these two queens landed on the opposite end of the performing spectrum to Britney Spears’ “I Wanna Go.” Trinity was a firecracker on stage, giving appropriate Britney-esque hairography and exciting dance moves. Charlie, however, stood in place and pointed her fingers as if dancing to a song from the 1930s and not a dance-pop track. As  Shea Coulee famously said, “Do something, Charlie!” Charlie later gave many excuses for her stagnant and disappointing performance at the reunion, but her fellow queens were unsure which story to believe. Trinity rightfully stayed for not taking it easy even though she clearly won within the first few seconds.

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