"Halftime Headliners" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which aired on online streaming service Paramount+ on July 8, 2021. The episode has contestants impersonate famous singers and musicians and lip sync to a medley of RuPaul songs, inspired by Super Bowl's Halftime Shows. Jamal Sims served as guest judges, alongside regular panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley.[1]

"Halftime Headliners"
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 4
Original air dateJuly 8, 2021 (2021-07-08)
Guest appearance
Jamal Sims
List of episodes

Episode

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The ten remaining queens chose a singer or musician to impersonate in the "All Stars 6 Hall of Fame Half-Time Show", a tribute act in the form of a live medley of RuPaul’s songs. After rehearsing with Jamal Sims, A'Keria C. Davenport performs as Prince, Eureka! as Madonna, Ginger Minj as Fergie, Jan as Lady Gaga, Kylie Sonique Love as Steven Tyler, Pandora Boxx as Carol Channing, Ra'Jah O'Hara as Diana Ross, Scarlet Envy as Katy Perry, Trinity K. Bonet as Beyoncé and Yara Sofia as Shakira.[2]

Runway

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RuPaul introduces guest judges Sims, and reveals the theme for the runway: "The Frill of It All". Upon judgement, Kylie Sonique Love, Ra'Jah O'Hara, Scarlet Envy and Pandora Boxx are deemed safe. Eureka, Jan and Trinity K. Bonet receive positive feedback on their performances and runway looks, and Jan is announced as the winner of the challenge. A'Keria C. Davenport, Ginger Minj and Yara Sofia are all criticized for their performances, while their runway looks receive praise. Ginger Minj is declared safe from the bottom two. Due to the "RuMocracy System" adopted since the fifth season, all the contestants are called to vote to decree the elimination of the week.[3]

After the vote Jan, the Top All-Star of the week, is called upon to challenge a lip sync assassin in a "Lip Sync for Your Legacy" to try to win a cash price of $20,000 and earn the power to eliminate a contestant at risk of elimination. The lip sync assassin is revealed to be Jessica Wild, a contestant from the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[2] Jan and Jessica Wild lip sync against each other to Britney Spears' "Womanizer". Jessica Wild wins the lip sync and reveals that the queens voted to eliminate Yara Sofia from the competition.

Results

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Queen Impersonation Song[3] Halftime Show Result
Jan Lady Gaga "A Little Bit of Love" Super Bowl LI TOP
Eureka! Madonna "Dance With U" Super Bowl XLVI SAFE
Ginger Minj Fergie "Geronimo" Super Bowl XLV SAFE
Kylie Sonique Love Steven Tyler "If I Dream" Super Bowl XXXV SAFE
Pandora Boxx Carol Channing "Click Clack (Make Dat Money)" Super Bowl VI SAFE
Ra'Jah O'Hara Diana Ross "The Beginning" Super Bowl XXX SAFE
Scarlet Envy Katy Perry "Sissy That Walk" Super Bowl XLIX SAFE
Trinity K. Bonet Beyoncé "Bring Back My Girls" Super Bowl XLVII SAFE
A'Keria C. Davenport Prince "I Bring the Beat" Super Bowl XLI BTM
Yara Sofia Shakira "Cover Girl" Super Bowl LIV ELIM

Voting history

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Episode[4] 4
Deciding vote The Group
A'Keria Yara
Eureka Yara
Ginger Yara
Jan A'Keria
Kylie Yara
Pandora Yara
Ra'Jah Yara
Scarlet Yara
Trinity Yara
Yara A'Keria
Eliminated contestant Yara
  The elimination was determined by the group's vote, for the Lip Sync Assassin won the Lip Sync for Your Legacy.
Summary of contest lip syncs, votes and eliminations
Episode Lip sync contestants Song Winner(s) Up for elimination Eliminated
Top All Star
(pick for elimination)
vs. Lip Sync Assassin
(group's pick for elimination)
4 Jan
(A’Keria C. Davenport)
vs. Jessica Wild
(Yara Sofia)
"Womanizer"
(Britney Spears)
Jessica Wild A’Keria C. Davenport
Yara Sofia
Yara Sofia
  The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom.

Production

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Sims has appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race and All Stars several times. For Drag Race, he was a guest judge and choreographer on the eighth season's "Bitch Perfect" (2016), the twelfth season's "Viva Drag Vegas" (2020), and the thirteenth season's "Condragulations" and "Social Media: The Unverified Rusical" (2021). Additionally, he was solely guest choreographer on the seventh season's "Glamazonian Airways" (2015), the twelfth season's "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical" (2020), and the thirteenth season's "Gettin' Lucky" (2021). On the sixth season of All Stars, Sims was a guest choreographer on the finale "This Is Our Country".

Reception

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Allison Shoemaker of The A.V. Club praised the Rusical for "Turn out uniformly solid performances".[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ McCallion, Paul (July 8, 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 6 Recap: Rudemption Song". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Damshenas, Sam. "Drag Race viewers are going wild over latest All Stars 6 lip-sync assassin". Gay Times. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Season 6, Episode 4. Paramount+ / Crave. July 8, 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. ^ RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked!, Season 3. Episode 4. Paramount+. July 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Shoemaker, Allison (July 8, 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars tackles everyone's favorite sport: the halftime show". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
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