Orion
Courtesy of VH1At long last, RuPaul’s Drag Race has finally returned for its 14th main season, with a batch of new queens ready to vie for the crown, $100,000, and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. And off the bat, the queens in episode 1 pulled out all of the stops to show their skills.
In season 14’s first episode, which aired on Friday, Jan. 7, we met half of the cast for the show (with the other half being introduced in this week’s episode), as they were tasked with performing in RuPaul’s first-annual Charisma, Nerve & Talent Show. L.A. drag star Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté took home the first win of the season for her hilarious lip sync to an original song, while queens Orion Story and June Jambalaya became the first pair on the chopping block for their African dance and workout sketch comedy performances, respectively.
Performing in a lip-sync to Lizzo‘s “Water Me” — with guest judge Lizzo watching them, no less — both queens delivered the goods. But June’s fiery execution put her over the top, bringing an end to Orion’s story. Below, Billboard chats with Story about being the first eliminated queen, her thoughts on how she was judged, and what it was like to lip-sync to Lizzo in front of Lizzo.
It’s lovely to be speaking with you, although I wish it were under better circumstances. How are you feeling after your elimination in the premiere?
Honestly, I had a great experience. Everyone on set was so amazing, everyone was so nice and accommodating, and it was really cool. The biggest thing is that I really learned a lot about myself, I feel like. Even just through the audition process — there’s a lot of things that you don’t think you’ll be good at that you really surprise yourself. I thought my Snatch Game on my audition was going to be awful because I suck at impressions, and then I made it and was like, “This is really funny!”
The thing about Drag Race is that it’s kind of like therapy, in a way! The judges are very good at picking up on how you’re feeling. I for sure had a guard up on the show that I didn’t even know I had, and all of the judges immediately picked up on it. I thought about things differently after I got back from the show. I was going through a hard time when I got on the show — I was homeless, I was dealing with substance abuse issues, and I wasn’t really in my head when it came to the competition. I’m so competitive naturally, and I for some reason was just not allowing myself to get into the competitive spirit. I was so focused on everything else. So it helped me actually process some of that stuff.
How many times did you audition for the show?
I had made some practice tapes, but this was my first year auditioning. I just wanted to get familiar with the process, because I knew once I submitted, I wanted to get on. And honestly, I thought I would get on. [Laughs.] Like, honestly! I just really believe in myself! I had a good story to tell, I have a unique style, I’ve got my own spin on everything, and I think I’m always trying to push myself as far as I can go. Let’s be real — I’m a star, and I knew they would see that. I’m just hoping I was able to portray that with the small amount of time I had there.
This moment marked the third straight festival where the two have shared the stage. Swims previously invited Roth out during recent sets at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where he introduced him as “David Lee Roth from the best band of all time, Van Halen,” before they kicked into “Jump” together.
The latest performance unfolded during a chaotic night at Stagecoach, as strong winds earlier in the evening led to a temporary evacuation of the grounds and forced several changes to the schedule, including removing artists such as Journey and Riley Green from the lineup.
The evacuation came after powerful gusts swept through the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the site of the festival. An “emergency evacuation” notice appeared on screens across the venue, urging attendees to “move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit,” while alerts sent through the festival’s official app instructed people to clear the area.
The interruption impacted several stages, with the Mane Stage sitting between sets when the evacuation alert was issued. Wind conditions had been intensifying throughout the day, with stronger gusts arriving in the evening as part of a regional wind advisory.
Even with the disruption, Swims’ set ultimately continued, and Roth’s surprise appearance stood out as one of the biggest highlights of the night as fans returned once the festival resumed.
Stagecoach, one of the largest country music festivals in the United States, takes place every year at the same location as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and regularly draws tens of thousands of fans.
