This interview appeared in the December 2020 issue of GAY TIMES.

Creative Direction and Photography Reece Owen
Fashion Umar Sarwar
Cover Design Jack Rowe
Set Design Lydia Chan
Photography Assistant Reece Higham
Fashion Assistant Emily Pond
Set Design Assistant Oscar Ko

“I definitely thought my life was going to be different,” laughs Crystal Methyd. “Way different.” We’re speaking with America’s Next (Next) Drag Superstar over Zoom (the new normal!), while she quarantines in a Manchester hotel room for her headline UK tour, Wonderland. It’s her first solo venture since rising to fame on Drag Race season 12, where she earned a coveted spot in the top three with Jaida Essence Hall and Gigi Goode and transformed RuPaul into an unruly fangirl week after week with her El Debarge-esque mullet.

2020 has been utter crap, and we all know why, so we’ll avoid the spiel. However, seeing our favourite contestants lip-sync for their lives slash legacies and participate in wild challenges has been a major comfort in lockdown. Of course, we also had Chromatica, the squirrel who mastered the Ninja Warrior obstacle course, TikTok and – more recently – the Cheetos' downfall (not Coco Montrese, she’s doing well), but overall, Drag Race has arguably been the most reliable source of escapism for the queer community. “I don’t even know how to process it, because all the interaction I see from people, it’s been online!” she continues. “It’s just been crazy, and I’m so happy to finally tour and see people’s faces.”