You’re a member of the The House of Avalon, which is a collective of queer creatives that met in your hometown of Arkansas and all moved to LA together. It's very easy to do, but I told myself, You're just not going to. That was my mindset, just not allowing myself to dwell on it. Show them that Mother Ru didn't make a mistake in keeping you. So wipe clean for this new slate and show them why you deserve to still be here. But I would switch and go, No, you came here to make it to the end, so there's really no other option for you. How can I come back in a way that shows that I learned what I needed to learn and that I'm not going to let this bring me down? And yes, I did have bad thoughts. I think, for me, it was like, OK, I was in the bottom and the world saw me do this. Going off that, it’s clear that you’re a perfectionist, but it was also clear that you sometimes were confronted with what RuPaul has coined the “inner saboteur.” In those moments when you faltered, did you have a process for getting over it and getting ready to fight again the next day? How did you get back to the top of your game after a bad week? I think that's the most important thing: not dwelling on the fact that you did it, but how much you can learn from it. Of course, I faltered, but it's about how you overcome it and how you learn from it. It's all you got because that's what they want. But I would come out on the end of it being like, You just have to give it your best in the moment. I knew that dancing and singing weren't my strongest suit. I knew the challenges that weren't acting or branding or something that had to do with your personality. Going in, I knew my biggest thing was going to be staying out of my own way.

Was there ever a moment when you second-guessed yourself? So, yes, I envisioned myself at the top and I envisioned myself making it here. I didn't see any other option in my head, so it just wasn’t going to happen. I went in there and said, If I'm going to do this, I'm going to make it to the end. I’ve worked so hard to get here, so now I just get to enjoy it and have fun.Ĭoming into the competition, did you always imagine yourself making it to the end? I just can't express how much joy I have. You know, I've watched the show since Season 1 and just to be in the top four is so overwhelmingly beautiful and amazing. I wish I could let everyone experience it. I’m just kidding! It feels just so amazing. “Well, I told y’all not to let the smooth taste fool you,” she joked after receiving her crown and scepter, and I’m sure none of us could have said it better.Īhead of last Friday’s finale, NYLON hopped on the phone with the freshly-crowned winner to talk about what it means to her to win, being a member of The House of Avalon, how she bounced back from a bad week in the competition, paying homage to iconic Black people and making political statements through her looks, and how dressing up in drag for her senior prom helped her find her inner-confidence and ultimately changed her life. It was a win that seemingly everyone could celebrate - even Rihanna, who memorably DMed the Arkansas-born, Los Angeles-based queen - and in our current cultural climate, seeing someone who kept her Blackness front and center of her drag was nothing short of inspirational. So it’s no real surprise that, after slaying two lip-syncs in last Friday’s finale, RuPaul announced her name as the Season 13 winner. A look queen who was also funny and a terrific actress, Symone dominated the competition, winning the most challenges (four) and consistently impressing the judges with her quick wit and tireless drive for perfection. When she said, “Don’t let the smooth taste fool you, baby,” and let off her infectious laugh, many of us immediately fell in love. She was one of this season’s most obvious stars. Sauntering into the Werk Room in a slinky dress made of Polaroids of herself, the self-proclaimed Ebony Enchantress oozed effortless style and palpable charisma. Few queens on Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race made a stronger first impression than Symone.

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