Musician Performances Ranked Worst to Best

Over a decade into the franchise, there is an unofficial rule of Snatch Game: do not impersonate Beyoncé. Kenya Michael’s season 4 performance is a big reason why that rule exists; not only was Kenya’s Beyoncé not accurate or funny, but she was wildly off-target. Last time we checked, Beyoncé is not and never has been a flatulent, narcoleptic drug fiend … and yet Kenya decided that was the key to playing Queen Bey. 

Another key entry in the “Do Not Impersonate Beyonce” discussion is Asia O’Hara. Her portrayal of the “Irreplaceable” superstar left audiences feeling “Speechless” — and not in a good way. Impersonating Bey as an overbearing stage-mom controlling The Vixen’s equally odd Blue Ivy, Asia came across as a cringe-worthy mess in this challenge, leading to a whole lot of “Resentment” from the Bey Hive. 

Seriously, future Drag Race contestants: Do. Not. Impersonate. Beyoncé. While Tyra’s Bey wasn’t as overtly bad as Asia or Kenya, it also isn’t much better — mostly because it wasn’t much of anything. Tyra herself explained her strategy on the show: “All I have to do is just be myself and just smile and say nice things.” No, girl, Snatch Game is literally the one challenge that is not about being yourself.

Those season three Snatch Game impersonations? With a few exceptions, you know they’re no good. Yara Sofia’s ineffably demented antics worked elsewhere on the show, but when she got dolled up like Amy Winehouse without capturing one iota of the late singer’s persona, the only thing that made sense was how little screen time she got.  

A Snatch Game impression that’s too reverent to poke fun at the celebrity is fatal (see: Morgan McMichaels as P!nk), but Spice’s decision to portray Miley Cyrus as a caricature of a braindead hick who is so stupid she would eat a hammer (?) and beat herself in the head with it was a…. choice. And not a good one. We know Miley can’t stop, but we really wish Spice would’ve during this impression.  

Oh, Lineysha. While Ms. Sparx was certainly one of the most underrated queens of season 5, there is no denying that her Snatch Game performance was “no match-o,” in her own words. This confused, sleepy version of the Salsa Queen is not one we’re ready to dance to again anytime soon. 

Celine Dion is a perfect Snatch Game character choice; she’s a superstar everyone recognizes, she has a distinct voice and tons of idiosyncrasies to play up for a caricature. Yet when Brooke Lynn Hytes arrived to the Snatch Game as Celine, she embodied approximately none of that humor, instead flatlining with a stale impression where nothing was coming back to her.

Five words: “I really have to pee.” Detox’s rendition of Kesha was safe, if not a bit boring, until this inexplicable moment in season 5. The stunt that followed, involving some (literal) toilet humor on the stage, didn’t leave the judges laughing, but rather dumbfounded at the puddle of what we hope was just water left in her wake. Memorable for its boldness, at least. 

Giving a version of the original Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday could have been a slam dunk for Brita. Instead, she gave a performance largely based on the fact that … Holliday had a larger-than-average mouth and a non-existent twitch. This bizarre acting job felt forced and way too broad, especially considering all of the potential for one-liners and jokes from classic Dreamgirls numbers like “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” or “I Am Changing.”

“Ro-mah, ro-mah-mah” turned quickly into “ruh-roh” with Phi Phi’s Gaga. Credit where it’s due, Phi Phi looked like a decent Gaga with her getup. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities ended, as the season 4 firebrand acted more like a very angry stray cat every time a spritz of Snooki’s (Jiggly Caliente) hairspray came near her. Add in her abrupt, screamed attempt at Gaga singing the lyrics to RuPaul’s “Supermodel,” and you have a Snatch Game performance that did not earn any “Applause.”

Stunts alone cannot save you in the Snatch Game, as Trinity K. Bonet learned the hard way. Spending all of her time on nailing her wig changes as Nicki Minaj, Bonet seemed to forget that the challenge was to actually try and be funny, not just to look sort of like the person in question. Where were Nicki’s signature voice-switches from the early days of her career? Where were the weird and wild mannerisms fans have come to love? Clearly not in the wig that Bonet barely managed to switch mid-game.

Famously, this is the performance that ended weekly immunity on Drag Race. Yes, that is how bad it was. Alyssa’s Katy Perry barely resembled like the “California Gurls” singer, and her lack of knowledge of Perry’s discography (how she missed the “I Kissed A Girl” joke Ru was throwing at her is still beyond us) sank the rest of the impression. You know it’s bad when Alyssa ended up apologizing directly to Katy on Twitter for this tragic spoof.

Coming out with an impersonation of Ru’s favorite diva isn’t just risky – it’s supremely dangerous. So if you’re going to do a Snatch Game performance that doesn’t sound like the person, has no jokes and only bears a slight resemblance to the star in question, pick a celebrity that Ru doesn’t have endless love for.

Compared to her turn as Nicki Minaj, Trinity’s rendition as Whitney Houston is an absolute triumph. Compared to most other Snatch Game performances …. not so much. It’s clear that Trinity was having fun, but it wasn’t enough to capture the charisma (and humor) of The Voice herself. After getting derailed by two all-star impersonations happening beside her, it was clear that Trinity determined that her Whitney had nothing on her competitors.

As guest judge Alec Mapa said at the start of the very first Snatch Game, “the clothing and the wig is the last thing that has anything to do with bringing forth the essence of this person.” Kylie Sonique Love may have done a decent job evoking Gaga’s eye-catching fashion, but her sharp wit and dry humor were completely lost in this performance. Sorry queen, but a rhinestoned pair of sunglasses cannot save you from a performance as boring as this.

It was tough to see Tatianna choke on Ariana after soaring with Britney on season two’s Snatch Game. She looked good, but roundly whiffed the softballs Ru lobbed at her (Q: “Are you ready to break free?” A: “Yeah”) and showed up with a prop donut that was tired and didn’t pay off. To paraphrase Kim Chi – donut come for Ariana’s 2015 pastry-licking non-troversy.

In New York City and in plenty of other moments across the show, Miz Cracker is known for being a comedy queen. So why she decided to play the least funny version of Lady Gaga that she could is simply beyond us. Yes, her A Star Is Born-era look was spot on, and it’s definitely the “best” Gaga we’ve gotten on the Snatch Game, but the queen simply failed to land any real jokes during her short time on the stage in All Stars 5. 

Let’s be clear — Delta Work did not deserve her placement in the bottom for this merely mediocre Cher impersonation. Sure, it wasn’t as big or as funny as we would have liked, and compared to her fellow contestants, it felt like she faded into the background (which is never something you want associated with Cher’s name). But Work got the job done in terms of the look, the voice and the references — had there not been another excellent Cher impression the very next season to compare this one to (more on that later), Work’s Cher would have been a passable effort.

“Understated” is not a word you want associated with your performance in the Snatch Game. While Carmen Carerra was certainly onto something with her diva-like characterization of J.Lo, the queen didn’t take the bit any further than feigning mild disinterest at her surroundings. Unfortunately for her, that feeling was mutual with the audience at home. 

In the first-ever Snatch Game, who knew so many queens would fail to get the party started? Did Morgan McMichaels try? Sure. She looked like P!nk, but with her noncommittal responses (Q: “Is this your first [game show]?” A: “It’s not my first one, but it’s my first game show”) and low energy, Morgan got into trouble.

While Jade Jolie’s work impersonating Taylor Swift may have gotten her mistaken for the pop superstar at the 2019 VMAs, her version of the “You Need to Calm Down” singer flatlined in season 5. Playing this icon as little more than a smiling, pretty singer who occasionally promotes herself is just not enough to make a lasting impression — which is probably why the judges seemed to forget about her as the game went on.

Ozzy Osborne should’ve been an easy Snatch Game character for Daya Betty; between biting bats and just yelling “SHARON!” at every given opportunity, this felt like it should have been a slam dunk. Instead, much like the rest of the season 14 Snatch Game, we got a performance that was pretty underwhelming — some of the mannerisms were there, as well as a spare joke or two. But it wasn’t enough to stop this “Crazy Train” from quickly derailing.

This could have been a great impression; Latrice Royale had the look, the attitude and the comedy for her Aretha Franklin down pat at the start of season 4’s Snatch Game. But as things got progressively weirder and more chaotic (i.e. Kenya Michaels’ fainting Beyoncé, Phi Phi’s screaming Gaga, etc.), Aretha disappeared and a visibly annoyed Latrice was left in her place. It’s a shame that the “level of unprofessionalism,” as Latrice aptly called it, broke what could’ve been a great Snatch Game performance.

On paper, Poppy is a great choice for a Snatch Game character — she’s distinct from everyone around her, has a signature voice, and delights in her little quirks. Yet when Crystal Methyd offered up her rendition of the eclectic personality, something just didn’t click. Relying on a vocal affectation and off-putting weirdness alone to sell the interpretation, Methyd’s Poppy failed to bloom before the challenge ended.

Season 12 fan-favorite Jan got one thing exactly right with her Bernadette Peters parody — the voice. The drag star perfectly captured a broadened version Peters’ iconic nasal affectation, making everything she said that much funnier for it. The problem was, she had very little to say that was funny to begin with, leaving this impression to fizzle out amongst her competitors.

While we have learned that screaming and swearing does not necessarily make something funny (especially as seen in past Snatch Games), there is something about the way Yvie Oddly’s Rico Nasty does it that almost works. Oddly managed to stay in character throughout and encapsulated the punk-rap star’s hyperbolic personality with her impression — but the few jokes she got out just didn’t manage to land with Ru or the judges.

It became clear pretty early in this impression that Monét was panicking by the end — especially when she pulled out a cigarette and began yelling “Bobby” at the walls around her. While we appreciate the attempt at giving something other than diva energy from the iconic Whitney Houston, it just didn’t work in Monét’s impression, leaving us wanting to dance with somebody else.

Nailing the voice of Broadway’s grande dame is certainly the most important part of any good Patti LuPone impression. The good news is Plasma’s affectation as the Evita star was on point; the bad news is she gave us almost nothing else. Without any cutting jokes or even diva-esque behaviors from season 16’s favorite BFA recipient, we were left begging this Patti LuPone to “sing out, Louise!”

With the trim beard, lengthy nails and glam conductor hat, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx brought Saucy Santana to life in all his fabulosity on the season 15 Snatch Game. The vocal inflections and hand movements were on point, but there wasn’t enough comedic material, gworl.

Playing two characters in Snatch Game is no small feat, and Widow Von’Du deserves her flowers for being able to seamlessly switch from Tina Turner to Ike in a matter of moments. Where she loses us, however, is in her characterization — both versions of both characters come across as half-baked (unlike the slice of cake Ike pulls out without once demanding that anyone eat it), making us wonder whether Widow should have sent her Ike impression rolling down the river.

Everyone knew that Derrick Barry would do a good Britney Spears impression on season 8’s Snatch Game — as one of the world’s leading Britney impersonators, it was expected that she would thrive. And for the most part, she did; the look, the dancing, and plenty of the jokes were exactly right for Barry. Some fans may have wanted more caricature from Barry, but ultimately, this accurate Britney earned its spot as a safe, and not too exciting, performance.

We’re convinced Latrice Royale is cursed. Much like her Aretha, Latrice’s Della Reese appeared fully formed from the jump of All Stars 4’s Snatch Game — and this time, Latrice was landing plenty of jokes with Ru and guest judge Keiynan Lonsdale. But, when Gia Gunn started irritating everyone on the stage with her obnoxious Jenny Bui, Royale once again could not contain her frustration. She may have put a bit of that into her character this time (“What are you talking about” stands out as one of her better lines), but Royale just couldn’t keep her jazzy Reese in place amidst the continued “romper-room f–kery.”

When Sahara Davenport took on the part of Whitney Houston for the first-ever Snatch Game, it was clear that she had done her homework. From the iconic laugh to her smartly reproduced style, the queen nailed her impression of The Voice from top to toe. Even if she didn’t offer much in the way of comedy, she still managed to put on an excellent show.

Snatch Game didn’t exist on season one, so All Stars 3 was Bebe’s first go-round at the franchise’s most anticipated challenge. She pulled up to the bumper looking gorgeous, but her responses didn’t behave to the rhythm of comedic timing. (At least her leather gloves afforded BenDeLaCreme the chance to make that Crisco joke while impersonating Paul Lynde.)

The eventual winner of season 12 did a serviceable job as Cardi B — the look was close enough, she got a couple of “okurrr’s” in there, and she made sure to twerk on at least one of her contestants. But with a personality as astronomical as Cardi’s, we can’t help but wonder why Jaida didn’t take the impression just a little bit further.

The goal of every Snatch Game is to make RuPaul laugh as much as possible — but if you can’t do that, make like Shangela and at least keep him engaged. Throughout her relatively accurate impression of Tina Turner, Shanglea didn’t knock any of her punchlines out of the park, but before Ru could direct her attention anywhere else, Shangela would keep rolling with the mannerisms to maintain the host’s attention, making this a valiant and entertaining effort.

When asked about Taylor Swift, Aretha Franklin (the real one, not Latrice) famously replied, “Great gowns, beautiful gowns.” So with regards to Coco Montrese’s Janet Jackson Snatch Game… great costume. Beautiful costume.

Few Snatch Game performances that amount to a respectable impersonation of the celeb in question pass Ru’s litmus test, but Shuga managed to capture enough of the singer-guitarist’s irrepressible charisma to get by without any home-run jokes beyond the expected “cuchi-cuchi” moment.

Hear us out. No, Jaida did not technically do a good job with her Prince impersonation — she didn’t get the voice, the peculiar mannerisms were mostly inaccurate, and she maintained a pretty low energy throughout the challenge. Yet somehow, despite the fact that the judges told her she had effectively bombed, something about this just worked. Prince was known for being a mysterious oddball — so what better way to impersonate him than by doing it in the weirdest way possible? From the strange mouth twitches to her bluntly stating “I’m sexy, I’m a man,” we couldn’t stop giggling at this impersonation.

Who would have guessed that Alicia Keys relentlessly hitting on real-life Amber Rose would turn out to be as funny as it was? Alexis Mateo’s version of the R&B icon doesn’t have much in common with the real deal, but reality is not the standard by which we judge Snatch Game — entertainment is. And if serenading the guest judges by singing your character’s fictional phone number isn’t a good gag, we’re not sure what is.

While season 14’s Snatch Game was famously bad, there was one bright spot amongst the bunch — DeJa Skye’s hilarious portrayal of rapper Lil Jon had the judges in stitches. It makes perfect sense why; with a well placed “YEAAH-yuh” or “OH-KAYY” pretty much anything she said would’ve become funny. But instead relying only on a call-and-repeat catchphrase, DeJa managed to dance, drink and rap her way to victory.

Roxxxy Andrews simply couldn’t miss with her impression of Tamar Braxton on season 5. Playing up the influence of the R&B singer’s older sister Toni (even writing “Toni’s Sister” in parenthesis on her name card), Roxxxy gave glorious life to the reality TV personality through this excellent performance. “Who cares?!” We do, Roxxxy. We do.

Normally, more is more on Drag Race. But with her spot-on Jessica Simpson, Willam definitively proved that sometimes, a subtle approach can be exactly what you need. Without saying more than a handful of words in the entire Snatch Game, Willam managed to captivate the audience, whether using props (synthetic hair and battery-powered fans) or simply pointing at another contestant when it came time to answer. It may have been overshadowed by other great performances (see below), but Willam’s Simpson is one of the all-time great Snatch Game turns.

Sometimes, less is more. When it comes to playing Barbra Streisand, that’s not the case. Manila Luzon’s delightfully unhinged take on Babs is high camp in its purest form. Complete with a fake nose and toy dog at her side, Luzon wailed (no, she literally wailed) her way through this challenge, going all-in on her cartoonish take on this vocal legend.

It’s not usually a “Man’s Man’s Man’s World” on the Snatch Game, but it might as well have been when Sapphira Cristál brought out the Godfather of Soul. Along with nailing each of James Brown’s vocal eccentricities and his eclectic style, Sapphira made sure to keep RuPaul in a constant fit of laughter, especially when it came to his choice of footwear (“I ain’t got no character shoes, my name is James Brown” still makes us giggle). 

Every Broadway gay thinks they can do a Liza impersonation, but when it comes to tripping the light fantastic down the Gay White Way, Alexis Michelle is the real deal. So when it comes to Liza (with a Z, not Lisa with an S, ‘cause Lisa with an S goes sssnodz), Alexis had the jazz hands, high kicks and unprompted stories about “mama” to put the odds in her favor – and this time, she won.

There’s a reason Thorgy thought she would win season 8’s Snatch Game. Her delightfully weird Michael Jackson was hilarious throughout the entirety of the competition. Between her constant “shamone-ah’s” and her stunt with dangling a fake baby over a visibly distressed Naomi Smalls, this criminally smooth performance from Thorgy deserves to be remembered for what it was — brilliant.

Portraying a lesser-known celebrity on the Snatch Game is a risky choice — but for Plane Jane, Serbian pop star Jelena Karleuša provided a perfect vehicle for her dry wit. Every word out of Plane’s mouth during the Snatch Game was a hit, whether she was thanking the Golden Girls for being “comrades,” or snarkily calling Morphine’s Anna Delvey a “very … ugly man.” By the time we reached the end of the game, there was no denying that this BBW — “beautiful Balkan war-survivor,” that is — would be walking away with the win. 

To go from a forgettable Gaga (see season 2) to one of the most entertaining Dolly Parton impressions on TV is no small feat, but Kylie Sonique Love pulled it off. With her hair raised up to the sky (and a breastplate to match), Love nailed the accent, the nail playing and the improvised Tennessee quips. It only helped her case that when faced with barbs from a fiery Ginger Minj playing comedian Phyllis Diller, Love’s Dolly kept the laughs strong by slinging one-liners right back at her.

When Kennedy Davenport took a gamble by becoming the first queen to portray a male character in Snatch Game, the other contestants thought she was crazy — but they learned quickly just how wrong they had it. Kennedy’s performance as Little Richard stands out to this day as one of the most exemplary Snatch Game efforts from any queen. Emphasizing the latter half of “Tutti Frutti,” she mastered Richard’s flair-focused look and captured the true king of rock n’ roll’s effortless witticisms. It was so good that we’re just gonna “shut up” about it.

Considering a young Björk admitted to “being very scared” of television sets because of what an Icelandic poet told her, it’s both sublimely ridiculous and surprisingly believable that Katya’s bubble-blowing Björk declared “sometimes I don’t understand anything about science” and followed it by eating a flashcard. You take a risk when the joke is predicated upon non sequiturs and weirdness, but Katya brought just enough impish charm to ensure it wasn’t oh-so-quiet when she played Snatch Game as the avant goddess.  

If you listen closely, you can still hear the echo of Shea Couleé wailing “FLAVOR FLAAAAAV, YEAH BOYEEEEEE.” Nailing the outlandish look from top to bottom and perfectly encapsulating the over-the-top swagger of Flav from the moment she opened her mouth, Shea’s portrayal of the rapper and reality TV mogul kept the audience (and more importantly RuPaul) screaming with laughter throughout the bit. 

Pinning a celebrity’s voice is one of the most important parts of any Snatch Game performance — so when Ginger Minj first opened her mouth and nailed Adele’s North London inflection, we knew we were in for a good show. Turning Adele (who is thoughtful, sharp and empathetic) into a foolish diva who just wants to eat Twinkies and harmonize with Kennedy Davenport’s Little Richard, Minj proved she was comedy assassin on this star-making turn.

As the original winner of Snatch Game, Tatianna’s performance could have gone down as a solid turn on a burgeoning challenge format for the show. Instead, her gut-busting, ditzy Britney Spears impression remains one of the best the Snatch Game has ever had. From her favorite game of “hide the cucumber” to getting “lost” on a disco stick, this simple, perfectly-executed impression is Tatianna at her very best. 

Jinkx’s Little Edie took the Snatch Game to new heights in season five, so expectations for her take on the Alpha Gay Icon were sky high – over the rainbow, if you will. And Monsoon’s Garland wasn’t simply excellent – it was the kind of performance that made the LGBTQ world a brighter place. From the way she yanked and clutched the mic cord to the world-weary fragility in her half-swallowed words to her elegant yet twitchy hand movements, Jinkx set a new standard for comedy and acting on the show. If Rufus Wainwright ever brings back his iconic Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall show, Jinkx damn well better be invited for a duet.

If there was a checklist of things queens needed in order to win the Snatch Game on Drag Race, then Chad Michaels didn’t just tick every box — she wrote the whole list. Her impression of the Goddess of Pop in the season 4 Snatch Game reigns supreme as perhaps the best Snatch Game performance in the history of the show. Sure, she nailed the look — that was a given with the drag star’s history of working as a Cher impersonator. But Michaels also brought the humor (“I don’t know why they book me on these chicken s–t gigs” stands as one of the funniest lines from Snatch Game), the wig-related stunts and a complete embodiment of the icon. Michaels walked so that future contestants could run with their Snatch Game performances, and we’ll never forget how this Cher made us “Believe” in the power of the Snatch Game.