Fifteen queens entered the workroom of RuPaul’s Drag Race this season to compete for the crown. But which one will walk away victorious? Every week, Billboard will rank each of the remaining queens based on their performances on the show to determine who has the best shot at the crown. Follow Billboard Pride on Twitter and Facebook for updated leaderboards each week.
Last week, the queens got political with their very own Grease-inspired musical based around the current U.S. president, titled Trump: The Rusical. Silky Nutmeg Ganache nailed her role as Oprah Winfrey, earning her first win of the competition. After their poor portrayals of Omarosa Manigault and Ivanka Trump, respectively, Ra’Jah O’Hara and Mercedes Iman Diamond faced off in a lip sync battle to James Brown’s “Living in America.” Despite her best efforts, Mercedes failed to impress and sashayed away.
On Friday, the queens will be performing in their first ball challenge, creating various horrifying looks for the “Monster Ball.”
Check out this week’s ranking below.
11. Ra’Jah O’Hara (last week: 11)
There’s no denying that Ra’Jah earned her spot last week — her lip sync was pitch-perfect, and her runway look was slick and chic. But the queen is still undeniably lacking in the competition, as shown by her lacking performance as Omarosa last week. It will take more than a passable performance if Ra’Jah wants to stay on the show.
10. Plastique Tiara (last week: 10)
Last week put the judges up to a tough task. Plastique Tiara’s runway was clean and she did a fine job during the lip sync challenge. But the queen did not stick out, and with the level that everyone else is performing at right now, that could prove to be fatal for the queen.
9. Shuga Cain (last week: 8)
Shuga Cain was a mixed bag last week; while her performance as Hillary Clinton felt flat and a little unsatisfying, her runway look as the Orange Menace himself was both hysterical and excellent. Shuga still could do plenty more to make a better impression in the competition, which we hope she does from here on out.
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8. Scarlet Envy (last week: 9)
Once again, Scarlet did a decent job last week, between her funny Betsy DeVos impersonation and a well-crafted runway. But we will give this queen bonus points for her casting skills; instead of choosing parts designed to exploit the weak spots of her opponents, Ms. Envy allowed them to play to their strengths. If she can bring the same skill she applied to casting Trump: The Rusical to her performances in the mainstage challenges, Scarlet will surely find herself in the top once again.
7. Vanessa Vanjie Mateo (last week: 1)
There’s no denying that Miss Vanjie stumbled last week. Her Rosie O’Donnell lacked most of the characteristics that define the comedian, and her stunning bejeweled runway couldn’t save her from that fact. But there’s also no denying that Vanjie has proven herself as a force to be reckoned with — we don’t see her sashaying away any time soon.
6. Ariel Versace (last week: 5)
Despite a rough start in her rehearsals, Ariel Versace managed to stick the landing when it came to her lip sync performance. Her portrayal of Shandy was solid, and her runway was one of her best yet. Hopefully, Ariel can keep upping her level of performance to show the judges why she deserves to be here.
5. Nina West (last week: 2)
Nina West has found her sweet spot, that much is certain. While her runway lacked some razzle-dazzle, the queen’s performance as Sarah Huckabee Sanders was excellent, putting her ahead of some of her more subdued sisters. With this level of work ethic, we can see Ms. West sashaying her way to the finale.
4. A’Keria C. Davenport (last week: 6)
We feel that A’Keria C. Davenport was criminally overlooked last week. Although she had an extremely small role as Stormy Daniels in Trump: The Rusical, the queen managed to stand out from a number of her co-stars, especially when playing off of Shuga Cain and Miss Vanjie. And her runway was absolutely stunning — we’re still gagged over her floor-length wig. The judges may have said she was “safe,” but we saw Ms. Davenport as one of last week’s stars.
3. Brooke Lynn Hytes (last week: 4)
After her short slump in episode 2, Brooke Lynn Hytes is back in business. Not only did the star nail the look and persona of Ivana Trump, but her runway gave us Blade Runner realness…in a good way. The talented Ms. Hytes is already pulling away from some of her competitors, giving her a big advantage heading into this week’s episode.
2. Silky Nutmeg Ganache (last week: 7)
When Silky Nutmeg Ganache stepped on to the stage as Oprah Winfrey, there was absolutely no doubt in our minds that she would emerge the winner of the challenge. Not only did the queen nail her look, but Silky captured the essence and mannerisms of Ms. Winfrey near-perfectly, all to say nothing of her elegant runway look. Looks like Silky is out of her slump and headed straight to the top.
1. Yvie Oddly (last week: 3)
There is no queen in the competition providing us with as much consistency and innovation as Yvie Oddly. The queen hit it out of the park once again with her orange clown runway look, and had us in stitches as a creepy and messy Kellyanne Conway. With a track record like this, Yvie should have no problem finding herself in the finale, and maybe even taking home the crown.