These Lip Sync Assassins slay! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the most iconic “Drag Race” lip sync by every season’s Lip Sync Assassin.
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00:00"...is the night the lights went out in Georgia."
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at the most iconic drag race lip-sync by
00:09every season's lip-sync assassin. For this list,
00:12we're only covering American seasons of the franchise. Beware of spoilers.
00:16"...showin' me how you get down, cause we can be the best.
00:21Got me feelin' and I got me feelin' weak. Listen as I speak, cause I'm trippin' as I creep."
00:27Season 1, Bebe Zahara Benet, Cover Girl
00:41The first-ever winner of the drag race lip-synced twice on her original season.
00:45Her bid for the Season 1 crown is her best. Back in 2009, the main stage was a lot smaller.
00:52But Bebe filled the room like a true queen. Facing off against Nina Flowers,
00:56she pulled out all her best stunts.
01:09She even scooted across the stage at one point, emerging from under her opponent's legs.
01:15Drag race has come a long way since then. And we don't just mean the blurry lenses.
01:20But it's lip-sync performers like Bebe who helped bring the art of drag to the TV masses.
01:31Season 2, Jujubee, Black Velvet
01:33Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
01:38This is my moment. This is my last chance to show
01:42Rue and the other judges that I deserve to be here.
01:46Between her incredible quick sense of humor and her success in several challenges early on,
01:50Jujubee was an early favorite to win. Although she would make it to the top three,
01:55she'd have to slay three lip-syncs to get there. Black Velvet, her first, is by far her best.
02:03While other queens might overdo it with inappropriate dance moves that don't
02:14match the song's energy, Jujubee perfectly matches artist Alana Miles' freak. Giving
02:19herself totally to the number, her slinky and seductive approach made it so you couldn't
02:23take your eyes off of her. Season 3, Alexis Mateo, Knock on Wood
02:33Few lip-sync assassins had the power to stop time. With some help from the editors,
02:43Season 3's Alexis Mateo did that and more during this electric lip-sync to Amy Stewart's Knock on
02:48Wood. It'd be her first of three lip-syncs, but each time she landed in the bottom, she all but
02:54dared Rue to eliminate her. Mateo flashed her radiant smile and brought her inner pageant girl
02:59to the stage. She said she wanted to bring high energy, and that is exactly what she did with
03:13this equal parts precious and powerful routine. Season 4, Latrice Royale, You Make Me Feel Like
03:20a Natural Woman
03:32It's easily one of the most one-sided lip-syncs of all time. Even if Latrice Royale had had real
03:38competition, her earnest and heartfelt pantomime to Aretha Franklin's Natural Woman would be hard
03:43to beat. The queen was already against the ropes. She had just demolished one of the season's best
03:48lip-syncers, Dita Ritz, the week before. Going into her second lip-sync for your life,
03:52she decided to plant her feet, or park and bark as the queens might say,
03:56and delivered something truly special. You make me feel, you make me feel,
04:04you make me feel like a natural woman. She wasn't showing us choreography,
04:12and any Latrice fan knows she can bring the choreography. Instead,
04:16she was living the song, and it was magic. Season 5, Coco Montrese, Cold-Hearted
04:22From the first day I walked into the workroom and I saw her face,
04:27I wanted to step on that stage across from her and get vindication.
04:31Much of Coco's storyline on her season involved her feud with Alyssa Edwards.
04:35I'm not joking, bitch. You gonna call me a runner-up. You ain't never won nothing.
04:41Former friends turned rivals, the two finally had their showdown to Paula Abdul's Cold-Hearted.
04:47Their duel was perfectly timed. As a dancer, Alyssa was a formidable opponent,
04:52but Coco had already sent Monica Beverly Hills and Jade Jolie packing.
04:56If Coco was the main character of Season 5, this would be her final boss battle.
05:05I'm making sure the judges see every word that's coming out of my mouth,
05:08as if I was Paula Abdul herself.
05:10Working her costume to maximum effect and making sure to point out she knew
05:15every word, her lip sync was not just tight, it was also stunning to look at.
05:20Season 6, Darian Lake, Point of No Return
05:31Season 6 had a lot of unforgettable performances, but we think fourth-place finisher Darian Lake
05:36earned the title of Lip Sync Assassin. Her best showing was in this classic face-off
05:40with her season-long rival Ben DeLaCreme.
05:42Miss Darian is turning it, because you know good and goddamn well Miss Darian had this
05:48song on cassette when it came out. She knows the words, she knows the movement,
05:53I'm banking on that, bitch.
05:54Ironically, Darian's more old-school style of drag was refreshing.
05:58She relied more on her wit than intensive choreography.
06:05Some queens struggle to fill instrumental breaks in songs,
06:08but her bit where she mimed collecting tips from an invisible audience had RuPaul
06:12and the judges cackling. Although both queens ended up staying,
06:16Darian proved once again she was a force to be reckoned with.
06:20Season 7, Kennedy Davenport, Roar
06:30Season 7 had a lot of contenders for Lip Sync Assassin. Queens like Ginger Minj and
06:34Jaden Dior Fierce had to fight time and again to keep their place in the competition.
06:39What gives Kennedy the edge is her truly spectacular lip-sync against fan-favorite Katya.
06:54The dancing diva of Texas showed us how she earned that name. She owned this performance,
07:00bending over backwards and tearing into the lyrics of Katy Perry's Roar with ferocious energy.
07:05The leap from the stage and perfect landing in a split all but guaranteed her the win here.
07:16Season 8, Chi-Chi DeVayne, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
07:31Out
07:31This torch song from Dreamgirls is such a no-brainer for a lip-sync for your life
07:35that it seems crazy it took eight seasons to appear on the show.
07:38But the late Chi-Chi DeVayne made it worth the wait.
07:49The underdog of Season 8 may not have had the means to bring an expensive runway package,
07:53but what she did have was a natural talent. She was a fearsome lip-sync performer.
08:00And I am telling you
08:14She brought every part of herself to this number, and by the end,
08:17it felt like a spiritual experience. Even her opponent
08:20Thorgy Thor knew the writing was on the wall by the end.
08:30MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
08:41Season 9, Peppermint, STRONGER
08:51Winner Sasha Velour and her rose petals may have made the finale one to remember.
08:55But Season 9 runner-up Peppermint was the true assassin.
08:59Having a slightly weaker track record than her other competitors,
09:02Peppermint entered the Lip Sync Smackdown for the crown with everything to prove.
09:13Like the eventual champion, her finale performance also featured an ingenious reveal.
09:18At the climax to Britney Spears' Stronger,
09:20Peppermint made a seamless transition to a second ensemble.
09:24Here I go!
09:35She tore away her gown and threw off her wig to reveal a completely different look underneath.
09:40It sent the finale crowd into hysterics, and for good reason.
09:49Season 10, Cameron Michaels, Good As Hell
09:54Underestimated by fans and fellow queens alike, this finalist won several lip syncs on Season 10.
10:05That's because Cameron Michaels always put on a show. Michaels was also one of the queens who
10:10had the rare honor of lip syncing a song in front of the actual artist.
10:24Guest judge Lizzo was not disappointed. Cameron's neck-cracking,
10:28head-banging approach to Good As Hell may have seemed like an odd choice,
10:31but it actually really worked. The dynamic and sensual performance was a great encapsulation
10:36of the contestant's ultra-feminine drag that always has a touch of masculine energy.
10:42Season 11, Raja O'Hara, Last Dance
10:45Though she only made it to the halfway point in the season, Raja O'Hara had four bottom placements.
10:55She managed to claw her way back three of those times. In Season 6, she battled against Scarlet
11:01Envy to this classic Donna Summer disco cut and left it all on the main stage.
11:15Even if she just relied on her dance skills, Raja probably would have done well. But she delivered
11:22the drama of the song as well. Luckily, this would not be her last routine on the main stage.
11:37She sent Scarlet packing and won herself another week in the competition.
11:42Season 12, Heidi N Closet, Heart to Break
11:45There's something to say for a queen who wants so badly to stay, even if it means she has to
11:58fight the whole way. Heidi N Closet came into Season 12 with rough edges and a sweet disposition.
12:03I hate, hate, hate your hair and makeup today.
12:07When she landed in the bottom with Nicki Doll,
12:10Heidi was spinning and sliding across that stage like her life depended on it.
12:13Not going home. I refuse. I'm sorry, Nicki. This has become my stage right now.
12:21Even guest judge Normani could see she was fighting with all her might.
12:25She may have been one of the few queens to lose a wig and still win the lip sync.
12:35It's everything we love about her. She's not the most polished,
12:39but perfection is overrated. It's her rawness that makes her unique.
12:44Season 13, Denali, 100% Pure Love
12:57The Chicago ice skating queen had already won a lip sync the week before,
13:01but that was for the win. The stakes were much higher this time around.
13:05After all, this was the first lip sync that would send someone home.
13:14Dressed like a fashionable toucan, Denali already had all eyes on her.
13:19Now, Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love is a mid-'90s house classic,
13:24and Season 13's lip sync assassin took full advantage.
13:27The shameless and chaotic use of practically every novelty dance move she knew is what
13:31really sealed the deal here. She wasn't afraid to be goofy while still delivering
13:35like a goddess on the dance floor.
13:37Season 14, Georgess, My Head and My Heart
13:50Even after this many years on the air, there are still plenty of records to break.
13:54Season 14's Georgess entered the annals of drag race herstory by becoming the first
13:58queen to lip sync for her life five times in a single season. Try as they might,
14:02it seemed as though no one could send her home. She knew it, too.
14:06Before her very first lip sync to Ava Max's My Head and My Heart, she smirked like a supervillain.
14:18She had every reason to. Her performance was a dizzying showcase of artful poses,
14:27fierce stomping, and some serious arm choreo.
14:33Season 15, Anitra, Boss Bitch
14:56We have two words for you — Free Willy!
14:59Runner-up and fan favorite, Anitra slayed many lip syncs on Season 15.
15:03But her shining moment was when she faced off against Marsha Marsha Marsha in Week 11.
15:18Anitra may have won, but Marsha was a fierce competitor. The fact that it wasn't over the
15:24minute Anitra sabotaged her impressive backbend by literally jumping over her
15:28is a testament to how well-matched they were.
15:40But Anitra was a true assassin. You can bring your best tricks,
15:44but she will trample right over them without even smearing her lipstick.
15:54Season 16, Morphine Love Dionne, Dim All the Lights
16:19Fans seemed divided on who the true lip sync assassin of Season 16 was.
16:24But it doesn't matter whether you're a Maya stan or a Morphine partisan,
16:37as their most memorable lip sync was the same one.
16:40Dim All the Lights by Donna Summer became their battleground. Maya played dirty,
16:45throwing her discarded train over Morphine while she was bending over backwards.
16:49Well, Morphine injected some much-needed shade and humor into the lip sync.
16:53That prolonged, slow split as Maya performed her standard acrobatics
16:56just made us want to watch Morphine.
16:58But then so long, it's great again.
17:08It was a clever and well-planned distraction that paid off.
17:12All Stars 1, Team Rujubi, Dancing on My Own
17:23I'm right over here, why can't you see me?
17:27Statistically, All Stars Jujubi and Raven spent about half the season
17:31battling their way out of the bottom.
17:33Ladies, nasty boys
17:41The notorious team twist of All Stars 1 had them sending home fan-favorite queens like Manila
17:46Luzon, Latrice Royale, Yara Sofia, and Alexis Mateo before they had to battle one another.
17:51Their emotional lip sync to Dancing on My Own had them,
17:54us, and the judges' panel feeling emotional.
17:56It wasn't a battle so much as a celebration of their friendship.
18:09They were so good that even when it came time to lip sync against each other,
18:13RuPaul couldn't send them home.
18:15Shante, you both stay.
18:18Yes! Yes!
18:20All Stars 2, Alyssa Edwards, Shut Up and Drive
18:37Alaska may have won the most lip syncs for your legacy, but Alyssa's two victories had
18:42higher stakes, and one just may be the best the show has ever seen.
18:47This Shut Up and Drive performance, alongside the equally amazing Tatiana,
18:51won both of them a place back in the competition.
19:04Alyssa was electric throughout.
19:06She played perfectly to her dance abilities, with high kicks and expert footwork.
19:10But it's the energy she brings to that stage that makes her impossible to look away from.
19:17It's kind of a miracle a tornado didn't start on that stage with all that twirling and whirling.
19:26All Stars 3, Bendelecrem, Anaconda
19:40Not only was this All Star a shoo-in to win the season before she quit,
19:44she also won three of her lip syncs.
19:46Her first, against Aja, was easily her most iconic.
19:49Call us crazy, but Nicki Minaj didn't seem like the kind of artist this
19:53kooky Seattle all-star would slay in a lip sync.
20:07Well, Bendelecrem proved us wrong.
20:09She tapped into Anaconda's humor,
20:11and it's exactly that mismatch that made her performance so funny.
20:15She played up trying to be sexy and confident,
20:17and looked like the biggest fool ever in the best way.
20:29Hey, no one plays the fool like Bendele.
20:32All Stars 4, Naomi Smalls, Adrenaline
20:45Anyone who thought this Season 8 finalist wasn't an all-around
20:48performer with a capital P was in for a rude awakening.
20:51Life's not fair.
20:52Naomi wasn't just the lip-sync assassin of All Stars 4.
20:55She was the sleeper cell agent.
20:57While she got to showcase her skills a few times during her original run,
21:01no one would have considered her a top lip-sync artist.
21:09But on All Stars, she really got a chance to show us what she could do.
21:12Facing Gia Gunn, she tore through RuPaul's adrenaline,
21:16putting her impossibly long legs to work.
21:25Her fashion poses and genuinely insane flexibility worked perfectly for the song.
21:30All Stars 5, Shea Coulee, Neutron Dance
21:34This battle between the eventual All Stars 5 champion and guest star,
21:45Alyssa Edwards, was like a neon 80s-tastic fever dream.
21:48You know it's a good lip-sync when the person literally climbing the set doesn't win.
21:53Oh my gosh, this lip-sync.
21:57Whoa, I'm excited.
22:01Shea Coulee just dominated this Pointer Sisters track, and didn't let up for a second.
22:06She was whipping it up like a KitchenAid mixer,
22:08kicking and spinning in her thigh-high boots like she was born wearing them.
22:20Fans were ecstatic to see Shea on screen again,
22:22and by Week 2, she already had us chomping at the bit for more.
22:26All Stars 6, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Barbie Girl
22:41Because if you can't lip-sync by yourself,
22:43how in the hell are you going to lip-sync against somebody else?
22:45Silky Nutmeg Ganache devoured several fellow competitors during the season's
22:49Redemption Lip Sync Smackdown. But when Akira C. Davenport refused her chance to
22:53re-enter the competition, Silky insisted on completing the performance solo.
22:58So you want to lip-sync for your legacy all by yourself?
23:00Why not?
23:01Aren't you afraid of losing?
23:03No.
23:04She had a show planned, and it was not going to waste.
23:07She removed her robe to reveal she was wearing two drag looks at once.
23:10Come on, Barbie, let's go party. Come on, Barbie, let's go party.
23:17One represented the Barbie character, and the other represented Ken.
23:21It was unhinged in the best way.
23:23Oh, I'm having so much fun.
23:26Well, Barbie, we're just getting started.
23:28She would be cut just short in the Smackdown by Eureka, but it didn't matter.
23:32She got an entire episode to showcase her talent.
23:36All Stars 7, Shea Coulee and Monet X Change, Supernova
23:40Both Shea and Monet won two lip-syncs each in the all-winner season.
23:50It's hard to choose between them,
23:52especially since they both share two definitive performances in this regard.
23:56Old MacDonald was a showstopper.
23:58Old MacDonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o,
24:01and on this farm he had some chicks, e-i-e-i-o.
24:04But Supernova was the standout number.
24:11So bright, oh, oh, oh, oh.
24:17Indeed, they were equally perfect in the lip-sync to Kylie Minogue's hit.
24:21Both exuded pop star energy throughout.
24:23They were so in sync that at points,
24:25they were essentially hitting the same movements without warning.
24:28Although Shea was declared the winner,
24:30it was definitely one of those times when we were rooting for a double win.
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24:58All-Stars 8, La La Ri, About Damn Time
25:01It's bad, bitch, o'clock, yeah, it's thick, pretty.
25:05I've been through a lot, but I'm still flirty.
25:10There was a pretty even spread of lip-sync victors on All-Stars 8.
25:13But as champ of the fame games and two-time lip-sync winner,
25:16La La Ri was the season's assassin.
25:19Her best showing saw her dueling with Georges to Lizzo's About Damn Time.
25:23I'm gonna be all right, okay, okay, all right.
25:29It's about damn time, turn up the music.
25:32The track had been a viral TikTok hit, but La La made it feel brand new.
25:36While her competitor is a great dancer, La La brought comedy,
25:40fun, moves, and a mean prance.
25:43The best part had to be when she mimed walking in her Balenciessis.
25:46Feeling fussy, I'm walking in my Balenciessis,
25:49trying to bring out the fabulous.
25:51Because I give a fuck, way too much.
25:53I'ma need like two shots in my cup.
25:55Wanna get up, wanna get down.
25:58That's how I feel right now.
26:00The other queens lost their minds, and who can blame them?
26:03Which lip-sync assassin do you think had the most iconic performance?
26:06Tell us in the comments.
26:08Hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm a macho man, yeah.
26:14I've got to be a macho man.
26:17Do you agree with our picks?
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