Yahoo Lifestyle “Drag Race” queen Joella reveals why she dropped Katy Perry's name from hers, talks pop star's 'scandalous' season 17“ ”spot
Joella tells EW why she dropped "Perry" from her original stage name and reflects on the importance of Asian representation: "An avenue for AAPI drag has opened up."
Raja. Aquaria. Katya — now, in Joella, RuPaul’s Drag Race fans have a new mononymous idol to stan. And this Los Angeles-based queen isn’t your typical boom-kat diva.
“What sets me apart from all the fierce ass bitches in L.A. and the world is that I’m fierce, but I’m also not afraid to be a fool, especially when I perform,” she tells Entertainment Weekly of the talents that will leave her mark on the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 cast. “These girls always want to focus on looking pretty, doing dance-y, sexy, fierce s---. It’s so boring. Let’s make a funny face, let’s have comedic timing, because that sets the real entertainers aside from the people just copying what they see.”
Carving a lane for herself didn’t come easy. In fact, earlier in Joella’s drag career, she went by the name “Joella Perry,” a nod to pop star and season 17 premiere guest judge, Katy Perry.
While she’s no celebrity impersonator by any means, Joella still felt boxed in by her association with the “Teenage Dream” icon, whom she cites as an inspiration and a regular acquaintance after meeting her at a promotional event for her 2017 album Witness.
RuPaul's Drag Race; EW
Katy Perry and Joella from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'Of eventually dropping Perry's name from her own, Joella admits, “I’ve built my drag name myself. I was tired of [the association] following me my whole career. I just wanted to be me.”
When asked in EW's group interview with the season 17 cast if Perry recognized her from their past meetings, Joella and her sisters chuckled: "We'll see when we tune in on MTV on Jan. 3," Joella adds. "You will see for yourself if she recognizes me or not. Scandalous! Scandalous, honey!"
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Now, the gender-fluid queen stands proud on her name atop a mini empire she’s built in Southern California as mother of the Joella Dynasty, which now includes two adopted drag daughters and a go-go dancer son.
Paying it forward and raising a drag family has allowed her to expand her personal brand, but also make a real difference in the community for Asian representation.
“I feel like an avenue for AAPI drag has opened up in L.A. When I grew up, I always told my mom I wanted to be an actor and she told me, ‘You’re Asian, you’re a man, you’re never going to get any role except the sidekick comedy role,” Joella says. “But now, I’m doing drag and I’m doing all these things I want to do because drag gives me that.”
May her star shine bright on season 17 and beyond.
RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. PT/ET on MTV. Watch EW's full interview with Joella at the top of this post.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
