How Drag Helped This Iconic Canadian Queen Achieve Her Dreams

MTL Blog

Canadian Drag icon Priyanka, sat down for Narcity's qNa series to spill the tea on Canada's Drag Race, her new album, and what it's like being an icon.    MTL Blog - Montreal’s largest online network, created by and catering to a new generation of Montrealers.    Website: https://www.mtlblog.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MTLBlog/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MTLBlog/  Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/MTLBlog/    For National News visit: https://www.narcity.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarcityCanada  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NarcityCanada  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NarcityCanada    For advertising and sponsored content opportunities visit: https://www.narcitymedia.com/

Transcript

00:00 I'm a goddess. Look at my face now.

00:02 Like, this is beauty. This is grace.

00:05 This is Miss United.

00:06 No, I'm Canadian. I'm from Ontario.

00:08 Hello, my name is Priyanka.

00:16 I am a drag superstar, pop star, icon, diva.

00:19 I'm 30 years old and I'm from Toronto, Ontario.

00:23 Hello.

00:24 I started drag about four years ago.

00:25 I had a drag queen perform at my birthday party

00:27 and she was like, "You should start drag.

00:29 You should enter this fun local bar competition

00:30 at Cruis'n Tango's."

00:32 So I did.

00:32 I came fourth place and I looked really bad,

00:35 but look at me now.

00:37 Look at me now, Toronto.

00:38 Look at me now.

00:38 I saw the posting for Canada's Drag Race come up

00:44 and I literally looked at my co-host, Spencer,

00:46 and was like, "My life is about to change."

00:48 When I first went on the show,

00:49 I definitely thought that I was a contender to win.

00:52 But when I got put in the bottom twice

00:54 and gave you two iconic lip syncs, you're welcome,

00:57 I was like, "Maybe I don't have it in the bag."

01:00 I remember the makeover challenge

01:02 and we were sitting there and I was like,

01:05 "I'm next to go home if I don't nail this."

01:06 Elton, my drag daughter, came in and was like,

01:10 "Toronto's rooting for you.

01:11 You're the reason I feel safe in the bars.

01:13 I love you."

01:13 And I was crying and crying and just painting that face.

01:17 If you watch that episode, you realize that I'm not talking

01:20 while we're getting ready because I'm so focused.

01:22 I think that it's okay to fall sometimes

01:25 because that's what really solidifies the crown on your head.

01:28 When I won, I felt nauseous, anxious,

01:33 like I was going to have diarrhea,

01:34 like my life just changed, like I was rich, like I was poor,

01:38 like my boyfriend just dumped me, like I just got married.

01:40 Like all these feelings rushed my body all at once.

01:44 The thing that I was most proud of was the look I won in.

01:48 And when I won, I was very just like to my mom,

01:51 like, "You're such a big part of this.

01:53 Like, you being open and accepting and loving me

01:57 and being here at the finale and understanding the drag

02:00 and opening your mind to it is the reason

02:02 why I feel even more like a winner."

02:03 Being a kids television host is something that's so near

02:07 and dear to my heart because I also didn't think

02:09 that I was going to be a kids TV host.

02:11 I thought I was going to be an entertainment reporter

02:13 on Entertainment Tonight or E! Talk.

02:15 And that's what I was going to do.

02:16 I was going to interview celebrities and that was it.

02:18 But now, lo and behold, I am the celebrity, surprise.

02:20 I find it so inspiring that like kids growing up,

02:24 like they're going to have this guy that they used to watch

02:26 on SpongeBob SquarePants now be the winner

02:29 of Canada's Drag Race.

02:30 And that's normal.

02:30 "Cake" is so important to me because it's the lead single

02:35 off an album that's coming out very soon.

02:37 And I get to really just enjoy my dreams.

02:41 I wanted to create music that sounded like girl group music

02:45 because I wanted like the fans to be in the girl group with me.

02:48 Every single song on my album that's coming out

02:49 is about a boy who broke my heart or made me happy.

02:52 Like it truly is just drama.

02:54 It's so amazing that you can take your traumas

02:56 and turn them into art because now you get cake.

02:58 ♪ Get a piece of this cake ♪

03:00 ♪ Cake ♪

03:01 Being one of the first ever drag queens to shoot at that castle

03:06 was like, you just feel like you're paving the way.

03:08 I had to get funding for the video.

03:10 I got a sponsor for the video

03:11 and we were able to shoot at a castle.

03:13 And I worked with this amazing director, Caroline Torti.

03:15 And I wanted to have my sisters come.

03:17 Like I'm the winner of that season.

03:19 I sent all those girls packing.

03:21 But it doesn't matter because like

03:22 we're all so iconic in our own ways.

03:24 Like all these girls like truly inspired me in a different way.

03:28 And I love sharing the love

03:29 because we all come from the first iconic season

03:32 of "Candace Driveways" and nothing will ever top it.

03:34 Drag isn't a job.

03:37 It truly is a culture.

03:39 And like learn where people have come from.

03:42 Learn about the ballroom culture.

03:43 Learn who's the top, you know, performers.

03:46 Learn from people.

03:46 I was able to walk out of my front door in drag easily.

03:50 No one even bat an eye.

03:50 But there are some drag performers that did it

03:52 and it wasn't so easy for them.

03:54 And just do it and ask questions and get excited

03:57 and know that like drag could change your life.

03:58 And know that like, if you're not seeing yourself yet

04:01 in the media, know that like

04:03 you could be the first person to do that.

04:05 Like it doesn't have to be such a negative thing.

04:08 I was driving on the Gardner

04:09 and I saw myself on a billboard.

04:10 Little old brown boy from Whitby who now is a drag queen.

04:14 Former kids TV host on a Gardner.

04:16 Just surfing.

04:17 What I want people to know is that like

04:18 if you feel like you're not represented,

04:20 like you are the representation

04:21 and we have to just keep working hard to make the strides

04:24 to make sure that we're seen everywhere.

04:26 I'm a champion of our community in whatever way

04:28 that means us to be all accepted.

04:30 If you want to find me, head over to my Instagram

04:33 @thequeenpriyanka

04:34 or you can hear my brand new single

04:36 "Cake" at thequeenpriyanka.com

04:38 Stream it, listen to it and watch the music video

04:41 to find out who killed Priyanka.

04:43 Happy Pride, everybody.

04:45 And don't forget, you could work so hard

04:46 to make your dreams come true.

04:48 (upbeat music)

04:50 (upbeat music)

04:53 (upbeat music)

04:56 (whooshing)

04:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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