Drag

Drag Race: RuPaul delivers a shocking elimination twist during the Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza

By Jordan Robledo

18th February 2023

MTV
MTV

Season 15’s  Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza was filled with twists, turns and a shocking elimination. 

Spoilers ahead. 

For this week’s maxi-challenge, the queens were tasked with laying it out all on the stage during the highly-anticipated Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza.

“We’re putting your charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to the ultimate test in a good ole fashion Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza,” Ru revealed. “Get into lip sync assassin drag, and then, I’ll meet you out on the main stage.” 

After Ru left the workroom, the queens started to prep for the main event by painting their faces and putting on their agile lip-sync ensembles.

While getting ready, Mistress Isabelle Brooks eyed the competition and delivered her theories on who would be safe and who would be targets.

“I’m just listening. I’m taking notes of everybody. I see the gears turning in everyone’s head,” she said. 

“Spice, Marcia [Marcia Marcia] and Loosey [LaDuca] are the three targets, bitch. They are the bullseyes to be safe in everybody’s eyes. I’m a just give the tea. It is what it is.” 

Mistress then added that the other queens feared Sasha Colby and Anetra’s lip syncing abilities.  

With their wigs secured and their faces beat, the queens headed to the main stage to participate in their first Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza – but not before Ru laid down the ground rules. 

MTV

MTV

“You will face off in a series of eight lip-syncs. If you win your lip syncs, you’ll be safe from elimination,” she explained. “If you lose, you’ll continue to face off until two queens remain.”

She then revealed that a ball with each of the queen’s names would be randomly selected from the golden hopper – resulting in Malaysia Babydoll Foxx ending up as the first to lip sync.

Since she was the first queen selected, the Florida-based performer chose Marcia as her competitor. 

But before the ladies could lay it all out on the stage, Marcia was tasked with choosing their lip sync track.

Ru then listed off eight songs, which included: Boys Don’t Cry by Anitta, Don’t Go Yet by Camila Cabello, Do You Wanna Touch Me by Joan Jett, I’m In Love With a Monster by Fifth Harmony, It’s All Coming Back To Me Now by Celine Dion, Tell It To My Heart by Taylor Dayne, and The Right Stuff by Vanessa Williams.

In the end, Marcia chose GAY TIMES cover star Anitta, and her track Boys Don’t Cry before the other queens cleared the stage.

At the start of the performance, the two queens delivered passion, sass and drama.

However, things took a turn when Marcia unleashed a backflip at centre stage – which surprised her fellow queens. Despite Malaysia turning up the heat in her performance, Ru named Marcia the winner. 

For round two, Loosey went head to head with Spice, who chose Do You Wanna Touch as their lip-sync song.

“I’m lowkey rooting for Spice because I feel like Loosey’s on the verge of cracking. If she gets another loss, she’s gonna go off the deep end,” Salina EsTitties said in a confessional.

The smackdown between Spice and Loosey proved to be an electric endeavour, which resulted in the latter winning.

After gathering the queens on the main stage, Luxx Noir London and Salina ended up in the third lip sync round. 

However unlike the previous lip syncs, Salina slowed it down with Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. 

With their hearts on their sleeves and their inner divas shining bright, the pair delivered soulful performances from start to finish. 

Ultimately, Salina was named the winner, resulting in Luxx preparing for another lip sync.

For the fourth round, Mistress and Jax went head to head to the sounds of Tell It To My Heart. 

While Jax delivered her now-iconic acrobatic choreography, Ru was won over by Mistress’s commanding performance – which included a fierce spilt/stage slide manoeuvre.

With Anetra and Sasha as the final two queens, the pair lip synced to I’m In Love With A Monster. 

To no surprise, the two performers delivered a gag-worthy performance that was full of Sasha’s hairography and Anetra’s duck walking. While the lip-sync was a close call, Ru named Sasha the winner. 

For the third to last lip sync, Malaysia and Spice went head to head while performing Don’t Go Yet.

“My logic behind choosing Don’t Go Yet, because I know Malaysia doesn’t know the words to this song,” Spice said in a confessional.

Despite her plan, Malaysia was named the winner, resulting in Spice landing in the bottom four.

After Anetra, Jax, and Lux performed in a three-way lip sync battle –which the latter won – Ru delivered a surprising All-Stars-like twist for the last performance of the evening. 

“Three of you remain, but only two of you will lip sync for your life. In a moment, Bruno will randomly choose the name of one queen,” Ru revealed.  

“Then that queen will have the power to save one of her fellow queens on stage and send her straight back to the workroom.”

After a tense moment, Bruno selected Anetra, who saved Spice from lip-syncing. 

MTV

MTV

With Spice off the runway, Anetra and Jax turned up the heat to CeCe Peniston’s Finally. Of course, the lip-sync was full of jaw-dropping choreography that left the judges gagged throughout. 

While both of the drag talents delivered passionate performances, Ru named Anetra as the final winner of the Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza. 

“I know that Anetra wants a challenge, So I’m happy that I gave that to her in the final round,” Jax said in her exit confessional. “Of course, I’m sad, but it’s just the beginning. Get ready, a Jax flip is coming your way.” 

On next week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, the queens will be participating in a ball challenge in honour of the show’s 200th episode. 

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RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 is available exclusively in the UK via the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with new episodes dropping weekly from 2am GMT on.

Subscribe now via https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/