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After a Snatch Game, a few twists and enough gag-worthy lip syncs to snatch even the tightest wig off your head, RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race is finally coming to an end on Friday (Sept. 30).
The show’s revitalized format — borrowing a bit from both the main series as well as disguise-heavy elimination shows like The Masked Singer — has allowed viewers to get to know each celebrity through the lens of their new drag personas, including glamorous diva Electra Owl (pop singer Taylor Dayne), the avant-garde Milli Von Sunshine (Glee alum Jenna Ushkowitz), the sexed-up Chic-Li-Fay (another Glee alum Kevin McHale) and the brassy Donna Bellisima (Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese).
Two weeks ago, all of the remaining contestants were revealed, including stars like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air‘s Tatyana Ali and Hacks‘ Mark Indelicato. But the biggest shock came when fan favorite Poppy Love was un-wigged as none other than Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean.
Now, headed into the finale episode, McLean is ready to face off with Ali and Indelicato for $100,000 to the charity of his choosing. Billboard caught up with McLean just before the finale to talk about his drag transformation, what his kids thought of some of his more risqué numbers, and what advice he would give to the members of BTS.
You made it to the finale. Congratulations! How are you feeling about making it onto the show?
It has been so amazing. I mean, first and foremost, I do want to give a massive thank you to such an amazing cast, the incredible crew, to Mama Ru for having me on, being able to play for charity, the dopest f–king wig department and makeup department I have ever been a part of. Honestly, it was a dream come true. If they called me tomorrow and said, “We want you to come do DragCon,” I’d say, “F–k yeah, let’s go.” I’d be there with bells on … probably literal bells.
As for making it to the finale, it’s mind-blowing to me, because there was a lot of competition. To me, Kevin [McHale] was the one I kept my eye on. He was phenomenal. I was a fan of Glee, I’ve seen the seasons, and he was in a wheelchair! You had no idea what that boy could do with that booty! That dude could rip it up on the dance floor, and I was like “Oh, s–t, I’m in trouble.” But everybody on the show was phenomenal to work with, and I loved doing a show where we all had this mutual respect for each other and we were just having fun. I’ve got a newfound respect for the drag community, man, it’s a whole other beast.
With all of the other projects you have going on right now, what about this show stood out to you as something you wanted to be a part of?
When I was approached to actually do it, I really didn’t have to think about it, honestly. And the fact that I got to play for charity is even more enticing to me! Drag is not new to me; I wore drag at my wedding. I cut my cake in six-inch Louboutins, so this isn’t necessarily new. Now, dancing in heels? That’s a little different. I wasn’t fully tucked, thank goodness, but I did wear nine layers of pantyhose. I did get to keep my padded a– and my boobs, which still have glitter all over them.
It was so liberating, honestly — yes, I’ve been doing what I do for over 30 years. But to live through this new character, through Poppy Love, was unlike anything I ever experienced. The minute the makeup and the wig and the outfit and the heels go on, it’s like, “Who’s AJ?” You really do just embody your drag queen.
You consistently impressed the judges with your lip-sync performances — did you have a favorite in particular?
Oh, it’s a toss-up. The Gaga episode was pretty great, but the Burlesque number was awesome. Here’s the funny thing with that: I pick my five-year-old up from school, and she says, “Dad, I saw your Burlesque RuPaul performance.” And I’m thinking “Oh no, that’s one of the ones I didn’t want you to see.” But she goes, “It was great.” And then, with a straight face, deadpan, she goes, “Dad, we have to have a conversation … why were your boobs out? What were those things on your boobies? I don’t understand why your boobies were out.” So I got to explain that whole thing to a five-year-old. That’s the thing, my kids love it! For a hot second, though, they turned on me and were rooting for Chic-Li-Fay and Thirsty Von Trapp. I was like, “What about daddy?” Same way that Daddy is their favorite Backstreet Boy, but Brian is a close second, and so is Uncle Kevin. I get it.
Speaking of the Boys, you all are headed out on your European tour next month, along with a myriad of other projects — what is it like to be performing these massive shows almost 30 years after the group debuted?
I leave Saturday for our six-week run in Europe, and then right after that, we’re gonna be promoting our first-ever Christmas album. It’s a busy time, we’re going to be on this tour until May or June of next year. Plus, I have my solo album dropping in late January. The sky’s the limit right now.
I don’t know, it’s an absolute dream. We’ve always strived for one thing, which is longevity. We’re ultimately a touring act, but also all 10 of our albums have entered in the top 10 [of the Billboard 200]. When the pandemic hit, we were a little worried, obviously, with pushing the tour back. Ticket sales dropped, people were scared and they wanted their money back. But then once we hit our first show this June, it oversold, the rest of the tour sold out, and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. It’s insane to me, we are so fortunate that we can still do this after almost three decades — and still going! We’re not stopping any time soon.
It certainly helps that the concept of the boy band is still very relevant today, especially when you look at a group like BTS dominating in the pop space, even as they pursue solo albums for the time being. From one boy bander to another, what advice would you offer to them that you wish you had gotten?
Well, first of all, get a good lawyer. Have a really good manager [laughs]. No, but honestly, I’d say … stay in your lane. And what I mean by that is, don’t try to conform to what other acts are doing or styles of music. Be who you are, be true to yourself. Even though our Never Gone album was a bit of departure for us, it still did great, because it was still the same concept, the same sound. As long as groups like BTS maintain their sound, they will be around for as long as they want to be.
It’s interesting, though, because the K-pop world is almost an entirely different beast. I’ve seen it, I’ve learned, it is a very well-oiled machine. I’ll don’t know how all of it works, but I hope they’re one day well into their 40’s and still doing it, because they’re very, very talented.
What would you say is your biggest takeaway from the Drag Race experience?
People find it very shocking that I’m actually very insecure — obviously, I’ve been battling my demons with drugs and alcohol pretty publicly for the last 25 years, and I just celebrated one year sober. So, for me, the takeaway was to love the body you’re in, with or without the makeup, with heels or sneakers, just love yourself. That’s been my big thing.
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