Bow before the Canadian drag power of Queen Priyanka
Her name is Queen Priyanka . She's a Gemini and she likes ramen and long-haired weiner dogs.
The "Canada's Drag Race" winner and pop singer is also revving up to becoming a household name stateside.
While appearing on "RuPaul's Drag Race," cohosting Season 4 of HBO's "We're Here," and costarring on Netflix's "Glamorous" and in the streaming service's Meet Me Next Christmas, she's also racking up tens of millions of streams with her music.
Like the Godzilla-sized Priyanka taking over the city in the music video for the title track of her debut DEVASTATIA (the follow-up to her 2021 Taste Test EP), the pop queen is positioned to dominate the states with her first US tour, parking at San Francisco's Rickshaw Stop on Fri/8 .
I spoke to Priyanka about her new show, the one San Francisco landmark she's dying to visit, and how the Indo-Guyanese drag queen uses her platform to inspire marginalized communities everywhere to run with the big dogs.
You're currently on your first major US tour. How would you describe the show?
QUEEN PRIYANKA The best show ever? Haha, honestly it's been such a hard show to get together. I'm a yes person and intend to bring big arena energy to smaller venues while I cut my teeth in the music industry.
The audience loves the show, with some people coining it as "their favorite concert, period." It means a lot. I dreamt of this, and now it's come true!
What is your history with San Francisco? Have you been here before and what are you excited to see/do here this time?
QUEEN PRIYANKA I've been there once. I need to go back and spend more time there. I will do just that on November 8th. I haven't even seen the Golden Gate Bridge. Who is going to take me?
What does being an Indo-Guyanese drag queen in the global spotlight mean to you? Have you faced any unique challenges or opportunities?
QUEEN PRIYANKA It means the world. This year I am going to Guyana to perform and I am ready. It means just showing everyone that they are winners. We can all have problems and be winners; this is why I won!
The challenges are every single day. Being a minority is tough. Managing a team, being the boss, being taken advantage of—it's been quite the challenge.
But we have to be smarter than the people who try to mess with us and think we're not worthy—and prove that we are worth it!
How do you use your platform to advocate for marginalized communities, and what message do you hope to send to young people watching you?
QUEEN PRIYANKA All I want to do is show people how fearless I can be. I'll never forget what Rolling Stone wrote about me when I performed in Texas for SXSW. They said that "what would normally be a fun time with Priyanka actually felt political with the drag bans happening right down the street." I want people to know that their presence and energy are enough!!
Where do you draw inspiration for your outfits, makeup, and performances? Do you have any particular icons or drag legends you look up to?
QUEEN PRIYANKA Right now it's the WWE, Sabrina Carpenter, Beyoncé, Thierry Mugler—and the list goes on. But to be honest, Pinterest is my best friend.
How would you describe your drag style in three words? And are Canadian queens different from American queens?
QUEEN PRIYANKA Chaotic, iconic, pop star!
The difference is one of us gets free health care and the other doesn't.
Your "Devastatia" track is about embracing yourself and not taking no for an answer. How do these qualities apply to you?
QUEEN PRIYANKA Fighting for your space can only happen if you embrace yourself, and do not take no for an answer. Eighty percent of the opportunities I've gotten in my life have been from me asking. I asked to be a Lip Sync Assassin on "RuPaul's Drag Race." "Devastatia" is all about accidentally being who you are—that child who grows up with no rules and a dream!
"Shut It Down" is about rising above toxic relationships. What would you say to someone suffering in a toxic relationship today?
QUEEN PRIYANKA Let people show you their true colors and react accordingly. People don't change; they grow!
Since winning "Canada's Drag Race," you've worked on so many different projects like your EP, LP, "We're Here," and Meet Me Next Christmas (which debuts this week). What are you most excited about right now?
QUEEN PRIYANKA Right now it's the tour! I am hustling my ass off to put on the best show ever, while trying to sell tickets, promoting the music, and planning 2025. It's all very exciting and it's all happening at once. Being in a Netflix Christmas Movie is wild.
What's something about Queen Priyanka that fans might be surprised to learn?
QUEEN PRIYANKA I am obsessed with ramen. I have two long-haired weiner dogs. Sometimes I take long showers and get out thinking only two minutes have passed. I write all my music and edit my music videos.
