The season 15 premiere of the hit reality competition show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” aired on Jan. 6, 2023. This season featured a cast of 16 new queens, all ready to fight for the crown and the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” The first of the two episodes already released began with only eight of the queens being introduced. A split premiere like this one makes it easier to keep track of all the queens, rather than having all 16 at once. 

After both groups were introduced, they were merged together to choreograph and perform a musical number in front of the judges. After their group performance, each individual queen was told to perform a talent act for the judges. Their talent show acts are supposed to show off who they are as a drag queen. While most of the queens stuck to lip-syncing and dancing, others thought outside of the box, which led to three queens landing at the bottom. Haven’t watched it yet? Spoilers ahead, so read with caution.

The winner of the first challenge of the season was Anetra, whose talent act combined lip-syncing, dancing, and taekwondo. Performing any kind of martial arts in stiletto boots and a latex outfit isn’t easy; however, Anetra made it look effortless, making her the one to beat. 

The bottom three queens were Loosey LaDuca, Amethyst, and Irene Dubois. Each of their talented acts didn’t tell much of a story. Whether it be a pitchy live singing performance or preparing a glass of ice water, these queens didn’t impress. 

Loosey ended up being safe from elimination, which left Amethyst and Irene to battle it out and claim their spot in the race with a lip sync battle. The song they had to perform was “7 Rings” by pop sensation Ariana Grande. However, they were to perform the song in front of Ariana herself. 

After a very close call, RuPaul made the final decision. Amethyst won the lip sync, which meant Irene Dubois was told to “sashay away.” It’s not easy to beat 15 other queens in a cutthroat competition, but it’s even harder being the first one to go home. 

With only two episodes out so far, it’s difficult to tell which queen will receive the $200,000 prize along with the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar,” but with such a versatile cast of performers this season, it’s sure to be an entertaining season regardless.