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Today, RuPaul is mostly known for hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race, but many fans were introduced to him through one of his songs. The track in question helped define a certain era of dance music and helped the drag icon fulfill a dream he had since childhood.

1 RuPaul song stood out from almost all the other songs in the same genre

During a 1992 interview with Out, the iconic drag queen revealed that he didn’t always want to be a drag queen. “Well, very early, up until I was 10 years old, I wanted to become a race car driver,” he said. “Drag racing, right? [laughter] I swear, but then at 10, I decided I wanted to be a pop star. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a pop star, I really have,” he continued. “And actually, you know, at 10, I realized I was a pop star, it’s just that no one knew it. So, I had to go and tell the world that I was. Show them. I’ve always been a pop star.”

RuPaul got his wish with the tune “Supermodel (You Better Work).” Aside from Madonna’s “Vogue” and Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” RuPaul’s “Supermodel (You Better Work)” might be the most beloved house song from the genre’s peak era.

It’s one of those upbeat pop tracks that can make anyone feel famous and glamorous if they listen to it in the right mood. It’s been referenced on RuPaul’s Drag Race numerous times, and it sounds like it might’ve been an inspiration for Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch.”

What made ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’ different from his other songs

“Supermodel (You Better Work)” reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The track was RuPaul’s sole song to reach the top 50, making him a one-hit wonder. Of course, he’s a lot more famous than most one-hit wonders, as he’s found success on television and appeared in a few cult films like To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and But I’m a Cheerleader. On a musical level, RuPaul is best understood as someone like Jennifer Lawrence or Bruce Willis, who had a little success as a musician but is primarily known for working in other media. 

Two other RuPaul singles charted in the United States: “Snapshot” and a remake of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” featuring Elton John himself. Neither of those songs charted higher than No. 95, but at least RuPaul can say he performed a duet with a classic rock icon.

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RuPaul said other pop stars were drag queens

RuPaul might seem like a different sort of pop singer, especially compared to his 1990s contemporaries. However, he told Out that wasn’t the case. “Really every pop star who’s ever walked the face of the Earth is a drag queen,” he said. “And now, this is one of the most honest, up-front signings to ever happen because I am an unabashed drag queen. Everybody is. 

“You’re going to tell me Madonna is not a drag queen?” the TV star added. “Bryan Adams, he’s in drag, doing the jeans look. And Barbara Bush, she’s a drag queen.”

We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.

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