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.
The Realness
RuPaul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feelings aren't real
Put your money down
Place your bet and spin the wheel
Real is what you feel
Feelings aren't real
Put your money down
Real is what you feel
Feelings aren't real
Put your money down
Place your bet and spin the wheel
Real is what you feel
Feelings aren't real
Put your money down
Place your bet and spin the wheel
The realness
The-the realness
Gonna move into the house
Gonna move into the house
Ain't never going home, no
Gonna move into the house
Gonna move into the house
Ain't never going home, no-no
Feel it!
The realness, th-the realness
Catch it, touch it, touch it, catch it
Flavor of this fever
The realness, the-the realness
Catch it, touch it, touch it, catch it
Flavor of this fever
The realness (ooh, ooh)
Th-the realness (Ooh, ooh)
The realness (ooh, ooh)
Th-the realness (Ooh, ooh)
I know what I feel
What I feel is real
What I feel is real
'Cause I know what I feel
It's real
It's real
It's real
It's real
It's real
It's real
It's real
It's real
Put your money down
Put your money down
Put your money down
Place your bet and spin the wheel
The realness
The realness
The realness
The realness
Feel it!
The realness
The-the realness
Catch it, touch it, touch it, catch it
Flavor of this fever
The realness
The-the realness
Catch it, touch it, touch it, catch it
Flavor of this fever
The realness
Doesn't really matter if it's real (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
The realness
Only really matters how we feel (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
My love is real
The realness
My love is real (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
Is it real? (Th-the realness, ooh, ooh)
My love is real (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
The realness
In RuPaul's song "The Realness," the chorus repeats the phrase "Real is what you feel, feelings aren't real, put your money down, place your bet and spin the wheel." This could be interpreted as a commentary on the idea of authenticity and how it can be manufactured or commodified. The line "real is what you feel" suggests that people should trust their own emotions and experiences, rather than relying on external definitions of what is real. The statement that "feelings aren't real" complicates this idea, as it suggests that emotions can be unreliable or deceptive. The line "put your money down, place your bet and spin the wheel" further emphasizes the idea of gambling or taking risks, perhaps suggesting that authenticity or realness is something that must be actively pursued.
Later in the song, RuPaul sings "Doesn't really matter if it's real, only really matters how we feel." This further emphasizes the idea that authenticity is subjective and personal, rather than objective or universal. The phrase "flavor of this fever" adds to the sense of sensory overload and visceral experience that is central to the song's message.
Overall, "The Realness" can be seen as a celebration of individuality and emotion, while also acknowledging the difficulties of defining or measuring authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
Real is what you feel
What you feel is the authentic you
Feelings aren't real
Emotions are subjective and do not always reflect reality
Put your money down
Take a risk
Place your bet and spin the wheel
Make a choice and see what happens
Gonna move into the house
Going all in and committing to something
Ain't never going home, no
No turning back, fully invested in the situation
Catch it, touch it, touch it, catch it
Grab the opportunity while you can
Flavor of this fever
Intensity of the moment
I know what I feel
Self-assurance of personal emotions
It's real
Emphasizing what is truly happening
Put your money down
Take a risk
The realness
The authentic truth
Doesn't really matter if it's real (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
Truth is subjective and not always important
Only really matters how we feel (The-the realness, ooh, ooh)
Personal emotions are what really counts
My love is real
Personal emotions are authentic and sincere
Is it real? (Th-the realness, ooh, ooh)
Questioning the authenticity of the moment
Lyrics Ā© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eric Kupper, RuPaul Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xoFiroza
Kim Chi's neon nose contour i swear she's a GENIUS
@xoFiroza
highlight
@chlonotfound
she literally mixed her foundation with a bit of UV makeup, i love her. she's so brilliant.
@michellesibanda6694
+Firoza I thought I was the only one who noticed
@SocialAlexNYC
tha tha realness
@ladysphynx7993
Everything about Kim chi is GENIUS!!
@lune78
When I see the "floatography" scene I can't help but think of poor Kim Chi falling down XD
@BoilingHotTea
Omg ikr XD
@sadehendrix8495
Ikr
@kyleenglot9184
I love when Bob makes fun of her and compares her to being a turtle that fell on her shell... "heeeelppp heeellppp"