GAYLETTER

Now that this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is over, I have a confession to make: I had a hard time coming around to Violet Chachki. She turned out pitch-perfect looks all season, fully owned her self-confident bitch persona, and still, something didn’t click for me. She wasn’t as covertly nasty as the older queens, nor as anonymous and overeager as some of the younger ones, but there was just something missing to me that made winners of the past stand out. That was, of course, until that excellent leather and lace challenge, which seemed custom-made for Violet — the corset was cinched, the thong was on, the gag was in, and bitch was living. It was a turning point, and made me fall head over heels for her.

So to see that Miss Chachki has released a leather-themed music video for her debut single “Bettie” in the wake of her coronation is something of a cherry on top of a weird but ultimately satisfying season of Drag Race. “Bettie” is your typical electronic fare, with Violet intoning sultrily over a pounding, snappy beat. “Daddy needs a walk, Bettie needs a spank,” she cries, a fleet of cute men and boys coming through Violet’s house (and walking right past her “husband”) to take part in a fun bit of dungeon-y S&M. It’s certainly the best of the songs this season’s Drag Race queens have been putting out en masse, and the video comes with a healthy supply of jockstraps, leather, and bulges, of course. Peep fellow Drag Race contestant and our Brooklyn girl Pearl Liaison’s guest appearance, and be on the look out for Gagged, Violet’s debut EP, coming soon.