Though it’s not set in Queens – and really, why not? – season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will feature four contestants from New York.
With 13 competitors total, we like those odds.
Logo announced that the series would return on March 24 at 9 p.m., this time airing on VH1. The channel promised “a shocking opening that will go down as one of the most jaw-dropping moments in ‘Drag Race’ history.” After so many seasons of fabulousness, and fabulously competitive drag-testants vying for the title of “American’s Next Drag Superstar,” that, of course, is saying something.
Of the New Yorkers, we have Aja and Sasha Velour of Brooklyn, and Alexis Michelle and Peppermint of Manhattan.
Season 8’s winner, you’ll recall, was NYC’s own Bob the Drag Queen.
Here, a bit more about the local competitors.
Aja, 22, says her drag name comes from a Bollywood movie. (Sorry, Steely Dan fans.) Quotable: “I will not lie to your face. So don’t ask me if you look bad, ‘cos I’ll tell you you look bad.” Drag aesthetic: “Slutty, anime girl.”
Alexis Michelle, 33, is a born-and-raised New Yorker. Quotable: “I’m a good girl, I am.” Drag aesthetic: “High-fashion, McQueen-esque.”
Peppermint, 37, does indeed like peppermint candies. Quotable: “I want to be known for the confidence that I have with my drag being as equal to the confidence that I bring to my everyday life as a trans woman.” Aesthetic: “Classy, chic, uptown flair, very urban, with a little bit of sexpot thrown in.”
Sasha Velour, 29, was born with the name Sasha. Quotable: “Velour is a cheap imitation fabric. It’s more useful and more affordable than velvet, so I think it’s the perfect metaphor for drag.” Aesthetic: “A hodgepodge of different and queer things that I love.”
