Queen Priyanka, who recently performed in India, discusses how she shut out the noise of naysayers and used her songs to celebrate her identity
Queen Priyanka (in brown)
Listen to any of Queen Priyanka’s songs and you know it’s more than just a track; it’s a fearless celebration of one’s identity. That’s why the music sensation—who burst on the scene as the first winner of Canada’s Drag Race—was an apt choice to headline the 10th anniversary of Kitty Su, which has long been a platform for the LGBTQIA+ culture, diversity and inclusivity in India. What was it like performing in India? “Bringing my music, art, and my heart to the Indian stage has been a full-circle fantasy,” she says. In conversation with mid-day after her performance at The Lalit Mumbai, Queen Priyanka reflects on how she built her way in the world of music.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
What were the most defining career decisions as you became a mainstream musician?
Winning Canada’s Drag Race was when the world learned my name. But it was my debut EP, Taste Test that set the tone. Songs like Come through and Snatch were a declaration of who I am. Then I took my drag and decided it would be a full-blown career in music. It was a conscious decision to produce work that would translate into the mainstream; music that could sit next to any pop star on the radio. No apologies, no boxes.
What are some of the challenges you needed to overcome to find this success?
Being a drag queen in music comes with a whole list of “nos”—having people telling you to pick a lane, to tone it down, to not be too much. [You have to] say no to all of that. The greatest challenge was overcoming the fear that I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a pop star because of my queerness or the art form that I represent. But I quickly realised that the only person who has to take me seriously is me. After that, the world caught up.
Indian artistes are increasingly being stifled in terms of subjects they wish to discuss. What is your suggestion to those hoping to celebrate their identities like
you did?
Drag is nothing but a force to go against the current. It rebels. To my brothers and sisters in India, your truth is your superpower. It is tough when the world asks you to hide, shrink or conform. But I took every part of me that made people uncomfortable and turned it into a crown. Celebrate your identity, loud and proud, and find your chosen family that will lift you.
Today in music
April 21, 2016: American musician Prince passed away due to an accidental drug overdose. The When doves cry hitmaker was 57.
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