*Major spoilers ahead. If you haven’t watched the season yet, I suggest you don’t read any further.*
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six just wrapped up last Thursday. After weeks of battling it out against other queens, we had our top four: Eureka, Ginger Minj, Ra’jah O’Hara, and Kylie Sonique Love.
This finale was almost too close to call, with fans even pleading for a double crowning like in season four. However, when it was all said and done, Kylie snatched the crown and earned her spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
It was a comeback story for the ages; Kylie appeared during the second season of Drag Race and went home fourth. This time around, she returned ready to show that she wasn’t the same queen from 11 years ago.
Her journey was one to remember, so let’s take a trip down memory lane. Here is a look at Kylie Sonique Love and her top five moments from All Stars 6!
5. The Save – Episode 12
To start things off, let’s go back to the finale.
For the last challenge, the final four had to write and perform their own verses to RuPaul’s “This is Our Country”. After that, they showed off their looks for the All Star Hall of Fame Eleganza Extravaganza runway.
However, Ru still could not decide a winner, so she asked each queen to lip sync to Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love”. When it was Kylie’s turn, though, one small misstep almost derailed her entire performance.
She slipped on her boa and looked ready to tumble onto the ground. But she instead executed a flawless forward roll and kept going without missing a beat. What could have been a disaster ended up turning into an iconic moment. Kylie’s quick thinking resulted in a smooth recovery that helped propel her to the crown.
4. Lip Sync for your Legacy – Episode 6
Drag race fans always love a good lip sync, and this one did not disappoint.
Thanks to her performance in the Rumerican Horror Story acting challenge, Kylie was named the top all-star of the week. This meant she had the opportunity to prove herself against a returning lip sync assassin. It was none other than Manila Luzon from season three of Drag Race and seasons one and four of All Stars.
The two performed to “Dirrty” by Christina Aguilera, and boy, was it a showdown. Manila came to play, but Kylie was not going to be outdone. She pulled out all the stops, including her signature backflip into a split.
When it was all said and done, RuPaul declared Kylie the winner. At the time, she was only the third all-star to beat the lip sync assassin. It was one of the best lip syncs of the season and showed off the star power each woman—especially Kylie—possesses.
3. RuMerican Horror Story: Coven Girls – Episode 6
Speaking of that lip sync, let’s see how Kylie got there in the first place.
The queens were tasked with acting in Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls, a parody of American Horror Story. After an intense game of rock-paper-scissors, Kylie landed the lead role of Jessica, a tribute to Jessica Lange.
During rehearsals, she seemingly struggled to deliver a believable performance. However, once the final cut aired, there was no doubt that she nailed it. Ru agreed and named her the top all-star of the week. As mentioned above, she then went on to beat lip sync assassin, Manila Luzon, and earn $10,000.
This episode was the turning point for Kylie in the competition. While her runway looks were consistently stunning the entire season, this challenge win made her a clear frontrunner. The lip sync that followed further reinforced that fact.
2. Snatch Game – Episode 8
If there is a Drag Race challenge that separates the pretenders from the contenders, it’s Snatch Game.
But instead of the usual format, All Stars has the Snatch Game of Love. The queens must impersonate celebrities and try to win the affection of two guest bachelors. Kylie chose to become the queen of country herself, Dolly Parton.
A lot was riding on this for Kylie; she was the first queen to ever be eliminated for Snatch Game. She had a tough task ahead of her this time around, having to go up against Ginger’s Phyllis Diller. However, Kylie held her own and pulled off a near flawless impersonation of Parton. Her and Ginger masterfully played off each other the entire time, sadly leaving Trinity K. Bonet’s Whitney Houston in the dust.
Even though Ginger barely edged her out for the challenge win, Kylie again showed why she was a real threat in the competition. It was impressive seeing how much she improved since her season two impersonation of Lady Gaga. If for some reason people didn’t take her seriously after her Rumerican Horror Story performance, they sure did after Snatch Game.
1. You’re a winner, baby – Episode 12
Of course, Kylie’s top moment of the season was her capturing the crown.
As mentioned before, it was extremely hard trying to pick a winner out of the final four. Mama Ru could have called any one of their names and it would have been justified. They all had what it took, but Kylie just felt like the right choice.
She made history—or herstory—by becoming the first trans woman to win the US version of Drag Race or All Stars. However, it signified much more than that.
From the get-go, Kylie was out to show just how much she had grown since her first run 11 years ago. She finally had the opportunity to speak her truth and show the world her authentic self. It was that honesty and vulnerability that endeared herself to fans all over the world.
In the end, Kylie Sonique Love truly personified what it meant to be an All Star, and this coronation validated her journey. Simply put, she didn’t deserve the win, she earned it.