Blair St. Clair: future drag-pop superstar, do I dare declare?
The newly eliminated RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10 contestant may no longer be in the running for taking home the crown this year – although we’ve known for weeks that the season’s actual winner is Miss Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, no matter what – but she does have a pretty neat consolation prize: a budding music career.
The charming, cutesy, and quite possibly secretly 12-year-old sweetheart of the competition just released her debut single, called “Now Or Never” on Friday (April 27) – and it’s actually pretty great.
It’s got all the fixings of a fierce dance-pop ditty, without being completely overwhelmed by the comedy, camp and catchphrases that usually dominate most post-Drag Race originals. Of course, it’s still gay as all hell, with Blair showcasing her inner theater nerd with that vibrato (“I-i-IIII!”) – and yes, there’s an “I do declare” reference as well. But this plays much more like a dance-pop banger than a fierce bitch track or a funny bop – and that’s one damn catchy chorus.
The accompanying music video strikes a balance between funny and fierce, as Blair feels her ’50s-slash-’60s housewife fantasy, emancipating herself from her disrespectful dude and taking flight on Blair St. Air to live out her best life, Pleasantville style – with some familiar cameos thrown in for good measure. (Hello, Miss Jinkx Monsoon and Miss Manila Luzon.) That skit in the middle is perfect. And those glamorous final scenes? A budget! Or, at least, some friends in high places.
The whole resilient, uplifting, dust-off-and-dance – a Tiffany reference, all two of you who caught it – spirit of the release feels especially real given her shocking sexual assault revelation immediately before her elimination. There’s a real sincerity to the production, especially considering her publicized struggle with alcohol and the dark moments in her past.
As a Queen who was far from the biggest personality in the work room, it’ll be interesting to see where Blair will take her post-Drag Race career, especially now knowing that she’s capable of serving up something like this. It’s now or never, after all.
“Now or Never” was released on April 27. (iTunes)
This song is featured on the MuuTunes Spotify playlist. Subscribe!
You can also subscribe to MuuTunes on Apple Music.
