PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID FRANCO

With her mesmerising, booby-popping performance of CeCe Peniston’s house track He Luvs Me 2, Jazell Royale became the pandemic’s fiercest viral sensation. The video – which has amassed almost four million views on YouTube – has since circulated all of the social media’s on various occasions, catapulting one of the LGBTQ+ community’s most revered and unsung icons to greater recognition in the process. In the words of one of Jazell’s new fans, “I’m not even gay but I love this performance.”

Over the course of her 20-year career, Jazell has conquered over six thousand pageants (we made that up, the real number is close, we think), most notably the prestigious Miss Continental (2016) and Miss Universal Queen (2019), the latter of which saw her make history as the first entertainer of African descent to do so. This year, Jazell is making her mainstream television debut on the second season of Queen of the Universe, World of Wonder’s drag-singing competition that will continue to spotlight queens from all corners of the world as they “battle for global domination”, (bragging rights) and a cash prize of $250,000.

“When Drag Race started, it really put drag on TV and I connected with it. But, it wasn’t until Queen of the Universe that I saw something that truly spoke to who I am and that’s a singer,” Jazell says, before explaining that she was “scared” to showcase her musical talents, especially when she’s known to audiences for her lip-sync abilities and illustrious history in the pageant and ballroom scenes. “I feel like I’m on training wheels now. I’m learning how to captivate audiences with my voice, as well as my drag, so it’s hard. But, it’s exciting and I can’t wait for the world to take me seriously as a real artist.”

Here, Jazell speaks with GAY TIMES about her upcoming appearance on Queen of the Universe, making ballroom history and her destiny to become the first Black trans woman to be inducted in the EGOT Hall of Fame. Oh and make sure you stick around for when she reminisces about having “lunch with the mayor of Paris while Notre Dame was on fire”.

Jazell, huge congrats on making the second season of Queen of the Universe. You’re a bonafide drag legend, so why was now the right time for you to make your mainstream television debut?

In a few months, it will be 20 years that I’ve been doing drag. I started at 16-years-old in nightclubs! When Drag Race started, it really put drag on TV and I connected with it. But, it wasn’t until Queen of the Universe that I saw something that truly spoke to who I am and that’s a singer. That’s how I got into drag, that was where my hunger for entertainment came from. When I saw a show where I can actually be myself, judgement-free in drag, I immediately gravitated to it. Then, when I saw Vanessa Williams was a judge I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I have to audition!’ And every day, a new queen is born and hatches from the drag factory. I wanna use all the talents that I have while I’m still young, vibrant and hungry about what I do.

You are an iconic figure in the pageant and ballroom scenes, but audiences might not be as well acquainted with your musical talents, so what can you tease about your upcoming performances, as well as your style of performance?

I like that question. I have mastered being able to captivate audiences through lip-sync. It is a totally different ball game when you have to entertain and sing at the same time. And there is a level of expectation to meet the standard of that vocalist. Like drag, music is second nature to me, but because I put it down for such a long time, I feel like I’m on training wheels now. I’m learning how to captivate audiences with my voice, as well as my drag, so it’s hard. But, it’s exciting and I can’t wait for the world to take me seriously as a real artist.