With RuPaul’s Drag Race bringing back their Rate-a-Queen system for season 17, Billboard decided to rate each of the new queens every week based on their performance. Below, we take a look at the latest design challenge to see which queens crafted up a winning look. Spoilers ahead for episode 9.
Part of the aim of RuPaul’s Drag Race is not only to provide and hour-and-a-half of highly entertaining reality TV shenanigans each week, but to pay homage to important figures within the LGBTQ+ community. In last week’s episode (aired Feb. 28), the show managed to pull off yet another excellent tribute to longtime LGBTQ+ ally and iconic fashion designer Betsey Johnson.
For the challenge, the remaining nine contestants were tasked with creating their own high-fashion runway looks inspired by Johnson’s own eclectic collections. With categories ranging from edgy vintage items to elegant ball gowns, each of the queens were expected to bring both their own sense of style and Johnson’s impeccable vision to life through their fashion show.
The results of that challenge were, across the board, about what you would’ve expected. After weeks of striving, Jewels Sparkles finally took home her first challenge win, while Lexi Love and Arrietty both earned top marks for their looks. Sam Star produced a very clean, polished outfit. Onya Nurve finally slipped up a found herself in the bottom three.
But it was Kori King and Lydia B Kollins who found themselves in the most hot water this week. After failing to impress the judges with their outlandish design decisions this week, the lovebirds of season 17 ended up in a Lip Sync for Your Life to Lita Ford’s 1988 heater “Kiss Me Deadly,” the pair provided a high-octane, exceedingly campy performance that exploded into a hot-and-heavy on-stage kiss. Ultimately, Kollins was granted another week in the game, while King’s hopes for the crown were dashed.
Below, Billboard takes a look back at episode 9 and ranks where our remaining contestants lie based on this episode and the season as a whole:
