RuPaul's Drag Race (season 6)

RuPaul's Drag Race
Season 6
Broadcast from	February 24 (2014-02-24) – May 19, 2014 (2014-05-19)
Judges	RuPaul Michelle Visage Santino Rice
Host(s)	RuPaul
Broadcaster	Logo
Competitors	14
Winner
Bianca Del Rio
Origin	New York, NY
Runner-up
Adore Delano Courtney Act

The sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing February 24, 2014. Like the fifth season, the season featured 14 contestants competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". For the first time in the show's history, the season premiere was split into two episodes; the fourteen queens are split into two groups and the seven queens into each group compete against each other before being united as one group for the third episode.

Santino Rice and Michelle Visage are back as judges at the panel. Two new pit crew members, Miles Moody and Simon Sherry-Wood, joined Jason Carter and Shawn Morales.^[1] The winner of this season won a prize package that included a supply from Colorevolution Cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000.^[2] This was also the first season where Absolut Vodka and Interior Illusions, Inc. were not sponsors for the show, more specifically for the Untucked episodes. The Interior Illusions Lounge is now simply known as the Silver Lounge or FormDecor Lounge. The theme song played during the runway segment every episode was "Sissy That Walk" while the song playing during the credits is "Dance With U", both from the album Born Naked.

The winner of the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Bianca Del Rio, with Adore Delano and Courtney Act being the runners-up.

Adore Delano competed on the second season of All Stars. She quit the competition and placed 9th overall.

Contestants

(Ages and names stated are at time of contest)

Contestant progress

     The contestant won RuPaul's Drag Race.

     The contestants were the runner-ups.

     The contestant was voted Miss Congeniality by viewers.

     The contestant won a challenge.

     The contestant received judges critiques and was ultimately chosen to be safe.

     The contestant was in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated.

     The contestant returned as a guest for the finale episode.

Lip-syncs

     The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated after their third time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated after final lip sync of the season.

Guest Judges

(In alphabetical order by stage name and/or last name)^[2]

• Paula Abdul (singer, choreographer and television personality)
• Linda Blair (actress)
• David Burtka (actor and chef)
• Eve (rapper and actress)
• Neil Patrick Harris (actor)
• Lena Headey (actress)
• Gillian Jacobs (actress)
• Khloé Kardashian (television personality)
• Adam Lambert (singer and actor)
• Bob Mackie (fashion designer)
• Heather McDonald (actress and comedian)
• Jaime Pressly (actress)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (actress, singer and activist)
• Leah Remini (actress)
• Mike Ruiz (photographer)
• Trina (rapper)

Additional guest appearances this season include

• Chaz Bono (writer and activist)
• Ian Drew (Entertainment Director of Us Weekly)
• Georgia Holt (actress and singer-songwriter; Cher's mother & Chaz Bono's grandmother)
• Lainie Kazan (actress and singer)
• Lucian Piane (music producer and composer)
• Bruce Vilanch (writer and actor)
• Our Lady J (musician and transgender icon)

Episodes

Controversy

After use of the term "Shemale" in the "Female or She-male?" challenge of episode 4 led to complaints over transphobic slang, Logo temporarily removed the episode from all platforms and will no longer use "You've got she-mail" as the mini-challenge intro.^[7] Episode 4 was eventually put back up on streaming services with the "Female or She-Male?" mini-challenge segment removed.

Soundtrack

In this season the theme song for the series remains unchanged from the original season, only being condensed to a shorter length to allow for more show time. As in previous seasons, while RuPaul enters walking the runway before the judging each episode his song "Cover Girl" plays; an instrumental version of the song continues to play while he introduces the judges and celebrity guests. The main musical change-up of the season comes during the runway while each contestant struts, modeling their looks. As in each previous season the song changes to promote more album and/or single sales for RuPaul. The song this season played during the segment is "Sissy That Walk", from RuPaul's album Born Naked. Also from the album "Dance with U" plays at the end of each episode while the remaining queens dance on the runway, exiting the stage.

Born Naked essentially serves as a soundtrack for the season. Its release coincided with the season premiere, primarily for promotional reasons. However, in the time just after Logo's release of the season 6 "Meet the Queens" interviews, which announced and introduced the season's cast, an album entitled The CoverGurlz was released digitally presented by RuPaul, meant to promote the upcoming season. The single "Oh No She Better Don't" was also released during the season.

"Oh No She Better Don't"

Following the airing of episode six, RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy released the single "Oh No She Better Don't," along with its music video made during the episode's main challenge, online. The song and video feature RuPaul and all of the queens still standing as of episode six.

Background

In episode six, the cast was broken up to form two rap groups. Darienne Lake won the mini challenge, so she was given the ability to choose four contestants to form her group. For her own group she chose Laganja Estranja, Bianca Del Rio, and Adore Delano and Courtney Act as they appeared on "American Idol" and "Australian Idol" respectively. Leaving BenDeLaCreme, Joslyn Fox, Milk, and Trinity K. Bonet to form the opposing group. Darienne, Laganja, Bianca, Adore, and Courtney formed the group "The Panty Hos." BenDeLaCreme, Joslyn, Milk, and Trinity named their group "Ru-Tang Clan," a play on words referencing the Wu-Tang Clan. For the challenge, BenDeLaCreme took on the stage name "Creminem" after rapper Eminem. The queens were directed by guest judges Eve and Trina.

It was announced in the episode that DJ ShyBoy would produce the song. The queens were responsible for writing their own lyrics. Though the queens filmed their music video for the episode, their vocals were recorded in an unknown studio off camera. RuPaul's part in the song was co-written by DJ ShyBoy (Jason Arnold) and Mark Nubar. RuPaul and ShyBoy recorded their vocals at The Spaceman Agency in Hollywood, CA with co-producer Mark Nubar.^[8][9]

Music video

The music video was filmed and produced during the episode. It was at least partially directed by female rappers Eve and Trina as they advised the queens during the filming.^[8] However the video was primarily directed and produced by World of Wonder, the same company that produces "Rupaul's Drag Race". The video was released to YouTube on World of Wonder's account on April 2, 2014, two days after the single's release,^[10] but was aired on Logo during the episode before the episode's judging portion.^[8]

Release and track listing

On March 31, 2014, the song became available on iTunes.^[11]

• iTunes single

1. "Oh No She Better Don't" (featuring The Cast of Rupaul's Drag Race Season 6) – 2:42

RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz

RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz
Compilation album by RuPaul
Released	January 28, 2014 (2014-01-28)
Recorded	2013
Genre	Dance
Length	49:27
Label	World of Wonder
RuPaul chronology
SuperGlam DQ (2011)SuperGlam DQ2011 The CoverGurlz (2014) Born Naked (2014)Born Naked2014

RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz is a 2014 compilation album by entertainer RuPaul, featuring the season 6 cast of his show RuPaul's Drag Race. The album was released on January 28, 2014.^[12][13] The album was only released digitally to iTunes and Amazon.^[12][14]

Background

This album marks the first time in RuPaul's Drag Race history that an album has been produced with all the contestants of the season featured in it. Though winners and top-three contestants have been given the chance to collaborate with RuPaul either on a song^[a] or by performing in one of the artist's music videos, respectively.

The compilation consists of 14 covers of songs previously released by RuPaul, performed by all of the RuPaul's Drag Race season 6 contestants. It features tracks originally from RuPaul's albums Champion and Glamazon, as well as his extended play SuperGlam DQ, and the 2013 non-album single "Lick It Lollipop". The album also features an outtake from Champion entitled "Let's Turn the Night", reproduced with new vocals by Jason Carter and Miles Davis Moody of the RuPaul's Drag Race pit crew. April Carrión's cover of "Sexy Drag Queen" also features Jipsta from the original version of the song.^[b][14]

As promotion for both the season's contestants and the, then, upcoming season, each contestant is also featured in a short music video for their cover ending with a montage of clips from their respective audition tapes.^[15] World of Wonder also produced a music video for the pit crew's song "Let's Turn the Night",^[16] which also promoted RuPaul's, then, recently released fragrance Glamazon, released as part of a limited edition make-up line with Colorevolution Cosmetics.^[17]

Release history

Before the compilation's release, RuPaul confirmed on Twitter that a new album, in which each of the Season 6 contestants covered a song from his catalog, would be coming out.

Reception

The week of release the compilation album debuted at number 6 on the iTunes Dance album chart.^[18]

Track listing

(All writing credits adapted from the liner notes of the albums the songs originally appeared.)

Notes

References

External links

• Official website (U.S.)
• Official website (Canada)
• Official Facebook page