Drag Race is now a global franchise, airing multiple episodes every week.* There are dozens of queens werking it out for not just their country's respective crown, but for our attention. Every queen is captivating — but only one of them is a true gem. Pop Heist's Greatest Drag Race Queen of All Time of the Week singles out one special queen from that week's competitors and crowns her for a one-week reign.
The Week: July 28 to August 3
The Episodes: Drag Race France 4x04 "Le Grand Snatch Game"; Canada's Drag Race All Stars 1x04 "Drag Prime Minister"; Drag Race Mexico: Latina Royale 1x01 "United By a Language, Separated By a Crown"; Drag Race Down Under vs. the World 1x02 "Better the Diva You Know"
The Queen: Xunami Muse (Latina Royale Season 1)
We're only a month into this feature and I've already noticed a pattern: the greatest Drag Race queens of any given week tend to be returnees who, after being overshadowed and underestimated on their original seasons, are finally getting the chance to really show what they can do. Joey Jay, Nicole Paige Brooks — Xunami Muse.
Xunami Muse is back on TV as part of the first ever Latina Royale cast, and it feels like we're meeting a brand new queen for the second time, again. You know what I mean. When Xunami first appeared in the franchise on the flagship series' 16th season, she faded into the background. That's not shady, either; she literally holds the record for most consecutive weeks with a safe placement. She slipped by mostly unnoticed until she got got by the toughest challenge of the season: Snatch Game.
Now, we're only one episode into Latina Royale's run and Xunami has already corrected the record by earning her first high placement! She showed off three killer looks in the Carnival themed ball challenge:
... a gorgeous chiruca inspired cocktail number, celebrating her Panamanian culture; for the mask category, she stunned as a campy, creepy, high-fashion Diablico Sucio; and her carnival queen gown, dripping in gold and jewels with a headdress and ornate plumage that was bigger than her. And that's not even mentioning her runway walk, which was singled out as the best of the entire cast.
Xunami didn't win, but that's just a testament to how strong the queens of Latina Royale are. But what she did get was an amount and degree of praise proportionate to her talent — finally. Xunami introduced herself as a "knock-off Naomi Campbell" and now she's showing us what genuine Xunami Muse looks like. The Drag Race Season 16 alum finally got her flowers in the season premiere of Drag Race Mexico: Latina Royale and now we're adding the title of Greatest Drag Race Queen of All Time This Week to her winnings.
Follow Xunami Muse on Instagram at @xunamimuse
Last week's Greatest Drag Race Queen of All Time: Nicole Paige Brooks
