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.
Theme From "Drag Race"
RuPaul Lyrics
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Show me what you got
(Are you a winner?)
Can you make it hot?
(Don't be a loser)
Show me what you got
(Are you a winner?)
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop, make it pop
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop, make it pop
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Put the pedal to the medal
Hip-hop, non-stop
[x2]
Stop.
Start your engines
May the best woman win
Start your engines
May the best woman (best woman) win
Start your engines
May the best woman win
Start your engines
May the best woman win
GENTLEMEN!
RuPaul drag race
[x4]
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop, make it pop
Take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
Take it, take it to the top
Make it pop (punk rock)
[x3]
Put the pedal to the medal
Hip-hop, non-stop
Are you a winner?
Don't be a loser
[x4]
"Theme From Drag Race" by RuPaul is the intro song for the popular TV show "RuPaul's Drag Race". The song opens up with a chant of "Ru-ru-ru-RuPaul Drag Race" which sets the tone of the show. The lyrics meditate on the idea of competition, inviting the queens to show what they've got and prove themselves as winners. The lines "take it to the top, make it pop" reinforces the desire to stand out and be the best. The line "put the pedal to the medal hip-hop non-stop" is a call to action, telling the queens to give it their all and to never let up.
Overall, the song is a battle cry, setting the mood for the upcoming contest. It serves as a motivational anthem for the drag queens as they battle it out for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. The repetition of the refrain "are you a winner?" and "don't be a loser" highlights the high stakes in the competition and the importance of coming out on top.
Line by Line Meaning
Show me what you got
Are you confident in your abilities?
Can you make it hot?
Can you bring the energy and excitement?
Take it to the top
Give it your all and aim for the highest level of success
Make it pop (punk rock)
Make it stand out and be unique (in a punk rock kind of way)
Put the pedal to the medal
Go all out and give it your maximum effort
Hip-hop, non-stop
Keep the energy high and the music pumping
Start your engines
Get ready, it's time to begin
May the best woman win
Let the competition begin and may the most talented person come out on top
GENTLEMEN!
Addressing the male viewers and contestants in a show that celebrates drag queens
RuPaul drag race
The name of the show and an affirmation of the importance of drag culture
Are you a winner?
Are you confident in your own abilities to succeed?
Don't be a loser
Don't give up or let fear of failure hold you back
Contributed by Elliot N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.