Born and raised in San Diego, California, RuPaul later studied performing arts in Atlanta, Georgia. He settled in New York City, where he became a popular fixture on the LGBTQ+ nightclub scene. He achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, "Supermodel (You Better Work)", which was included on his debut studio album Supermodel of the World (1993). He became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics in 1994, raising money for the Mac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign. He later received his own talk show on VH1 called The RuPaul Show, which he hosted for over 100 episodes while co-hosting the morning radio show on WKTU with Michelle Visage.
RuPaul's Drag Race was created in 2009 and has gone on to produce fourteen seasons in the United States. The show has also seen success internationally, with several international variants of the show being made, such as RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Canada's Drag Race. This has also inspired several spin-offs of the main show, including RuPaul's Drag U, RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race. He is also featured as a host on other reality television series such as Skin Wars, Good Work, and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul.
RuPaul has made appearances in films such as Crooklyn (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), television shows such as Girlboss (2017), Broad City (2017), and Grace and Frankie (2019). He later created and starred in his own Netflix original television series AJ and the Queen (2020). In addition, he has also published three books: Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995), Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010), and GuRu (2018).
RuPaul is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States. For his work on RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most-awarded person of color in the history of the Primetime Emmys. Outside of film and television, he also continues to write and record music; he has released fourteen studio albums as of 2022, and received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.
Supermodel
RuPaul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the Brewster Projects of Detroit, Michigan
At fifteen, she was spotted by an Ebony Fashion Fair talent scout
And her modeling career took off
You better work
You better work
(Cover girl)
(Give a twirl)
Do your thing on the runway
Work
(Supermodel)
You better work it girl
(Of the world)
Wet your lips and make love to the camera
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
It don't matter what you wear
It doesn't matter what you wear
They're checking out your savoir faire (ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah)
And it don't matter what you do
'Cause everything looks good on you
Supermodel
Work
(Cover girl)
Work it girl
(Give a twirl)
Do your thing on the runway
Work
(Supermodel)
You better work it, girl
(Of the world)
Wet your lips and make love to the camera
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
I see your picture everywhere
I see your picture everywhere
A million dollar derriere
And when you walked into the room
You had everybody's eyes on you, supermodel
Linda (work, mama)
Naomi (she is fierce)
Christy (foxy lady, out of sight)
Cindy (I can feel it)
Claudia (sell the garment)
Niki (work the runway, sweetie)
I have one thing to say, sashay, shantay
Shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay
I have one thing to say, sashay, shantay
Shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay, woo
It don't matter what you wear
It doesn't matter what you wear
They're checking out your savoir faire (ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah)
And it don't matter what you do
'Cause everything looks good on you
Supermodel
Work
(Cover girl)
Work it girl
(Give a twirl)
Do your thing on the runway
Work
(Supermodel)
You better work it, girl
(Of the world)
Wet your lips and make love to the camera
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
Work
Turn to the left
Work
Now turn to the right
Work
Sashay, shantay
You better work
Work
Work
(Supermodel)
You better work
Work
Work
I have one thing to say
You better work
The lyrics to RuPaul feat. LaWanda Page's song Supermodel are an ode to the art of modeling and the beauty it represents regardless of one's race, gender, or social status. The song tells the story of a girl who came from humble beginnings in the Brewster Projects of Detroit but was discovered by an Ebony Fashion Fair talent scout who saw the potential in her. From then on, she becomes a supermodel who struts her stuff on the runway and captivates audiences with her beauty and confidence. RuPaul urges all models, especially the little black girl who is the subject of the song, to work it, give a twirl, and sashay and shantay down the runway, owning their beauty and commanding attention. The message is clear - it doesn't matter what you wear or what you do - as long as you exude confidence and savoir faire, you too can be a supermodel.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time, there was a little black girl
Let me set the scene, there was a young black girl living in the Brewster Projects of Detroit, Michigan.
At fifteen, she was spotted by an Ebony Fashion Fair talent scout
This girl was discovered by a talent scout from Ebony Fashion Fair when she was just fifteen years old.
And her modeling career took off
After that, her career as a model really took off.
You better work
Listen up, it's time to put in some effort.
Work it girl
Keep going, girl! Show them what you're made of.
Give a twirl
Spin around and flaunt it, you're killing it on the runway.
Do your thing on the runway
Show off your unique style and work the runway with all you got.
Supermodel
This girl is a supermodel now, she's unstoppable.
Of the world
This girl is a top model recognized throughout the world.
Wet your lips and make love to the camera
Get ready to seduce the camera with a sensual look.
Turn to the left
Rotate your body to the left, give them a different angle to admire.
Now turn to the right
Turn to the right now, they need to see all of you.
Sashay, shantay
Move confidently, show them how it's done.
It doesn't matter what you wear
It doesn't matter what you have on, your unique flair is what catches people's attention.
They're checking out your savoir faire (ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah)
People are admiring your confidence and style.
And it doesn't matter what you do
No matter what you do, you'll look amazing doing it.
Everything looks good on you
Anything you wear will look perfect on you because you're a natural supermodel.
I see your picture everywhere
Your presence is highly sought after, you're all over the place.
A million dollar derriere
Your assets have a high value.
You had everybody's eyes on you, supermodel
Everyone's attention is focused on you, a true supermodel.
Linda (work, mama)
Linda is unstoppable and a hard worker.
Naomi (she is fierce)
Naomi is fierce and powerful.
Christy (foxy lady, out of sight)
Christy is absolutely gorgeous and stylish.
Cindy (I can feel it)
Cindy has an incredible presence.
Claudia (sell the garment)
Claudia looks fantastic and can sell anything she wears.
Niki (work the runway, sweetie)
Niki knows how to strut her stuff on the runway, she's amazing.
Shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay, shantay
Keep on walking confidently and elegantly.
I have one thing to say
I only have one thing to emphasize here.
You better work
You need to work hard and put in the effort to achieve your goals.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Harry, Lawrence D Thom, Rupaul Andre Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuperRaedizzle
This song could get me through anything
@janitor6668
i feel you rae
@wikktoria1321
yEs
@678jjjaaaakkkklo
Love your videos! ❤
@dixienormous6969
OH FUCK YES
@sabryuranus7175
Lol what are you doing here? Are you a rupaul's drag race fan??
@kitsunefire1
The fact that Trixie played this to walk to, and completely forgot how it starts will never stop being funny to me
@brandonatkins2258
Well, she did imitate her on All Stars 3 and well, we as fans of Trixie Mattel have told her it was funny on the internet. So, we are to blame! We are the drama! 😂😂😂😂😂
@daveatnite
So you came from that video too 😂
@fernydyke
AND I FOUND THE VIDEO LMFAOOO