There will be absolutely no lip syncs in this drag competition, honey!
The mics are turned all the way on in Paramount+'s newest reality competition series Queen of the Universe, where an esteemed panel of judges are launching a worldwide search for drag's newest singing superstar! With a cash prize of $250,000 on the line, 14 of the world's fiercest queens will all be competing and showing off their vocal prowess on a global stage, all for the ultimate title of "Queen of the Universe."
Out got the chance to speak with the icons of the Queen of the Universe judges' panel -- Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel, Vanessa Williams, and Leona Lewis -- as well as presenter Graham Norton, about highlighting the queer experience of queens from different parts of the world, what each judge brought to the table when it came to selecting the singing queens, the talent they've seen on the show, and more!
"A singing drag competition has never happened before. This is the first time," longtime Drag Race judge Michelle Visage told Out about how Queen of the Universe is different than all of the other reality competitions on the market right now. "You know, we do some challenges here and there, but these kids are only singing live and they're singing from their heart and soul."
She continued:
"For me, it's like the drag Eurovision. The whole show is just synchronicity. It just worked. Everything fell into place at the right place, the right time, the right talent. Even for a season one, 'cause you know, sometimes with season ones, people are afraid 'cause they want to test the waters and see how it's gonna do. But even for season one, we came out swinging. It is such a strong cast with so much talent. I think when people sit down to watch it, they're gonna forget that it's a drag singing competition and see it's just a singing competition, and that's the beauty of it. What makes it different is all of those elements. You've got different judges. The way we judge is very different to what everybody I think is used to. I think we bring something special to the judging perspective and I just think the whole thing, in general, is fresh, it's new, it's totally different."
Queen of the Universe is now streaming on Paramount+.
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