Kylie Minogue reacts to Drag Race season 16’s ‘Padam Padam’ finale lip sync
Kylie Minogue has shared her thoughts on the ‘Padam Padam’ lip-sync in the Drag Race season 16 finale. (Getty/YouTube/@RuPaulsDragRace/Canva)
Aussie pop sensation Kylie Minogue has voiced her opinion on the “Padam Padam” lip sync in the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 finale, and it’s fair to say she’s a fan.
In the sickening final episode of season 16 on Friday (19 April), the top two contestants – Taiwan’s Nymphia Wind and congenial queen Sapphira Cristál – went head-to-head to Kylie’s viral, Grammy-winning 2023 track, “Padam Padam”.
Nymphia Wind set a new creative bar when it comes to lip-sync reveals, as she walked on stage dressed as Taiwan’s signature drink, a bubble tea, only to take the garment off mid performance and reveal a dozen balloons.
The balloons represented tapioca pearls, commonly found in bubble tea drinks.
Nymphia proceeded to vogue before delivering a second costume reveal while mid-cartwheel. Though Sapphira put up a valiant fight, conducting her own outfit and wig reveals, she didn’t quite match the gag-worthy twist and turns that Nymphia pulled out of the bag. Ultimately, it was Nymphia who took the crown, plus a $200,000 cash prize, home.
Yet it’s the taking part and giving Drag Race fans a proper show that really counts, and even “Padam Padam” hitmaker herself Kylie has agreed that that’s exactly what they did.
Writing on X/Twitter, the 55-year-old “Tension” singer expressed her joy at watching the drag icons lip-sync to her track.
“Well, well, WELL!!!! Just AMAZING,” she wrote, along with half a dozen exclamation marks.
It seems she just can’t get the performance out of her head.
Last year, “Padam Padam” became one of the biggest hits of Kylie’s near four-decade career, giving the star her first top ten UK hit in over a decade. The song also became her highest charting US hit in 20 years.
It was the song that soundtracked a hundred queer parties, Pride parades, and LGBTQ+ music festivals, and one year on, its impact remains clear.
Kylie Minogue’s music has become one of the most frequently used for Drag Race lip-syncs, with her 2020 song “Supernova” being used twice for Drag Race finales – in Drag Race UK vs the World season one, and on All Stars 7.
Most recently, her 2000 hit “Your Disco Needs You” was the finale song for Drag Race UK vs the World season two, with Tia Kofi beating Hannah Conda in the lip-sync and winning the crown.
The pop superstar appeared via video link in the first season of Drag Race Down Under, but is yet to make an in-person appearance on the judging panel – though it’s something she’s previously expressed her desire to do.
She’s not the only music megastar to enjoy season 16 either, with “Born This Way” singer Lady Gaga recently commenting on a TikTok about how much she is in “love” with season 16 winner, Nymphia Wind.
“Work” hitmaker Rihanna also recently expressed her adoration for Drag Race, explaining that it’s one of her current “obsessions”.
Meanwhile, the Drag Race train rolls on with confirmation that All Stars 9 will be hitting screens next month – and if the rumoured cast list is anything to go by, fans are in for a treat.
