When RuPaul first hit the mainstream in 1993 with the hit single "Supermodel (You Better Work)," it was the culmination of about a decade of work in music — from her time fronting the new wave band Wee Wee Pole to her years working the New York City nightlife scene as a club kid and dancer. "Supermodel" pushed RuPaul into the mainstream, giving her the opportunity not only to land cosmetics contracts and present VMAs, but also to get her brand out there. 

A talk show and some hosting gigs followed, and in 2009, Logo launched "RuPaul’s Drag Race," a then mostly unheralded reality competition show hosted by the queen herself. Since then, the show has aired more than 200 episodes featuring more than 270 queens. (That’s not even including the girls from the international "Drag Race" spin-offs, of which there are many.) RuPaul has also continued her musical career, to date releasing a staggering 15 LPs, six compilation albums, 68 singles, and 42 music videos. In short, RuPaul’s musical cred is bonafide.

That musical legacy has trickled down to Ru’s TV family, too. Now in its 15th season, "RuPaul’s Drag Race" has introduced the world to a generation of incredible drag performers, including more than a few who have made their mark on the musical world. Today, most queens who make it to the end of their "Drag Race" season end up releasing a collaborative single as part of the show, like season 13’s "Lucky" or "All-Stars" season two’s "Read U Wrote U."  

Some queens have gone beyond that, dropping solo LPs, fronting bands, and even touring arenas with their music. Here are nine "Drag Race" alums whose music has helped launch their second act. 

Shea Couleé

A stellar queen from Chicago, Shea Couleé first showed up on "Drag Race" in season nine, where she came in second behind Sasha Velour. She came back for "Drag Race All-Stars" season 5, which she won, and then took another stab at the crown for "All-Stars" season 7. 

That season, she was able to showcase her musical talent with a stellar performance of "Your Name." That song, along with a whole slate of other bangers inspired by Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, and Chaka Khan are on her latest record, 8, which she’s touring now.  Couleé also will join five other "Drag Race" alum on a recently announced U.S. tour.

Bob The Drag Queen

A true multi-hyphenate, Bob The Drag Queen is not only "Drag Race" season eight winner; he’s also a comedian, podcaster, actor, host and musician. Best known for tracks like "Purse First," which he dropped the same day he won "Drag Race," Bob's latest effort is a great listen, too. The six-song EP Gay Barz is filled with stellar club bangers that mix camp and hip-hop, showcasing Bob's true musical sensibility.

Trixie Mattel

You can’t talk about musically successful "Drag Race" queens without talking about Trixie Mattel. While the "All-Stars" 3 winner makes a good portion of her income doing everything from refurbishing a hotel to curating and creating her successful cosmetics line, she still devotes time to her music.

She’s released four records — all of which are folksier and Fountains Of Wayne-inspired than anything else that’s come out of "Drag Race" — touring extensively around each, as well as a number of music videos. Some of her songs, like "Mama Don’t Make Me Put On The Dress Again," can seem a little tongue in cheek, but Mattel backs it all up with legit musical skills, playing both the guitar and the autoharp quite well. 

Adore Delano

Fans loved Adore Delano on "Drag Race" season seven and that ardor only continued after the show. The performer’s musical career really started to take off with 2014’s Till Death Do Us Party, which reached No. 59 on the Billboard 200 chart. Subsequent punky dance records like 2016’s After Party, 2017’s Whatever, and 2021’s Dirty Laundry EP have helped Delano sell out venues around the world. 

Delano’s music bops all over the pop landscape, with tracks like "Hello, I Love You" merging Katy Perry styling with coyly bubblebum lyrics while the electro-tinged "I Adore U" would fit perfectly on a packed nightclub dancefloor. 

Alaska

Another "Drag Race" winner with a brazenly brash attitude and a heaping helping of musical talent, Alaska has released four albums, all with fairly spicy names. First came 2015’s Anus, followed by 2016’s Poundcake, 2019’s Vagina, and then 2022’s Red 4 Filth. 

Alaska’s singles have always been earworms, too, and she’s brought her "Drag Race" sisters along whenever she can. Kandy Muse features on  "Sitting Alone In The VIP," while "Girlz Night," which found Rose and Jan dropping in with their girl group Stephanie’s Child. Alaska has even brought her talent to the theater, crafting "Drag: The Musical," which sold out its entire debut run in 2022.

Willam

Willam might be one of the most controversial "Drag Race" contestants of all time, earning an early dismissal from season four after RuPaul accused her of breaking the rules behind the scenes. (Willam has since explained that she was getting illicit hotel visits from her husband during taping.) 

Still, she had a successful Hollywood career before "Drag Race," with guest spots on numerous television procedurals. She’s only become more notable since, even snagging a speaking part in Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born. Her musical output has always been as sassy and tongue in cheek as she is. Her parody tracks like "Aileen" and "Derrick" skillfully tread the thin line between musical triumph and well-executed gag. She’s also been a part of two drag supergroups: DWV with Detox and Vicky Vox, and the AAA Girls with Courtney Act and Alaska. 

Courtney Act

Courtney Act came to "Drag Race" fame after making the season six finale, where she’d ultimately lose to Bianca Del Rio. She’s been singing pretty much her entire career — she actually broke into entertainment by appearing on "Australian Idol" in 2003 — but much of her output has come since her "Drag Race" debut. 

Like her Australian sister Kylie Minogue, Act loves a soaring, inspirational club banger, as evidenced by singles like "Kaleidoscope" and "Fight For Love." She released  "To Russia With Love" in an effort to help shine a light on anti-gay purges in Chechnya.  

Since her "Drag Race" loss, Courtney Act has appeared on a variety of reality shows in both the UK and Australia, including "Dancing With The Stars" and "Celebrity Big Brother UK," the latter of which she won.

Katya

Known for her oddball humor, out-there drag, and frequent collaborations with Trixie Mattel, Katya came to "Drag Race" prominence on season seven before she returned to compete in "All-Stars" two. Her drag is half performance piece, half wacked out fashion show, and her drag persona is a sort of cold Russian uber-bitch. 

Katya's music follows suit, with much of her 2020 EP Vampire Fitness featuring songs in multiple languages as Katya channeled her favorite Russian nightclub singers. That’s not to say that the tracks don’t rip, though: "Ding Dong" is a certified earworm, Russian lyrics and all, while the breathy goth dance cut "Come To Brazil" (guest starring Alaska) has racked up over a million views on YouTube. 

Priyanka

The season one winner of "Drag Race Canada," Priyanka charmed fans worldwide with her charming earnestness and musical prowess. After snagging the crown, she released her debut EP, Taste Test, as well as a slate of five music videos in support of the record. The clips combine into a story of super villain-infused murder mystery that culminates in a battle royale between Priyanka and "Drag Race UK" contestant Cheryl Hole. The whole thing is as goofy as it is danceable. 

Fun fact: "Come Through," which is a great and catchy song as its own, also features a guest verse from Priyanka’s "Drag Race Canada" sister Lemon. The song has become so beloved among fans that a one-hour mix of just that snippet of the song has almost 750,000 views on YouTube.

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Virgin Fest, a brand-new multi-genre festival debuting later this year, has announced its inaugural lineup. The two-day event, taking place June 6-7 across multiple stages throughout Banc Of California Stadium and Exposition Park in South Los Angeles, has confirmed recent GRAMMY newcomer Lizzo and rap giant A$AP Rocky as the headliners. The lineup also includes Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Diplo's Major Lazer outfit, recent Best New Artist nominees Tank And The Bangas and many more. 

Virgin Fest, which is promoting an all-inclusive environment—its tagline boasts "All Are Welcome"—features a diverse artist roster. As Rolling Stone points out, the 2020 lineup is composed of 60 percent female artists, which include acts like Ellie Goulding, Kali Uchis, Jorja Smith, Banks, Japanese Breakfast, Empress Of and others. 

Read: The 1975's Matt Healy Pledges Only To Play Gender-Balanced Festivals

The festival is also celebrating the LGBTQ+ fan and artist community. In addition to booking LGBTQ+ artists and allies, including Clairo, Trixie Mattel, singer-songwriter and former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui and others, Virgin Fest is offering gender-neutral restrooms and is screening all vendors to ensure they align with the festival's values of inclusivity and positivity, with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community and an "emphasis on correct pronoun usage," according to PRIDE.

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In an interview with PRIDE, Virgin Fest CEO and founder Jason Felts discussed the festival's LGBTQ+-focused lineup and its approach to creating an inclusive environment.

"Being a gay man who loves music and loves people and loves diversity and loves humanity on the whole, I thought, 'Why don't we have a festival that celebrates all of that?'" he said.  

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Virgin Fest is also taking an eco-conscious approach focusing on sustainability. The festival is "handpicking vendors who share its values and have policies that comply with their commitment to sustainability"; it will also be the "first festival in California to employ a reusable cup deposit system instead of single-use plastic cups," according to a post shared on the Virgin Group's, the festival's parent company, website. According to the event's website, the festival is also banning all single-use plastics onsite and will feature a "robust renewable energy and solar program," among other green initiatives.

To purchase tickets and to view the full lineup for the inaugural Virgin Fest, visit the festival's official website.

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Shea Couleé delivers a stirring dramatic performance in the video for one of their most vulnerable songs to date, "Rewind."

Directed by Sam Bailey, the black-and-white visual takes viewers through Couleé's memory as they relive both tender and volatile moments with their lover.

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"It has a very cinematic quality to match the cinematic quality of the song," Couleé exclusively told Billboard. "And it's kind of a glimpse into my life and my past .. the concept of rewinding, as if our lives were films that we have the ability to go back and re-do." 

They add that the video touches on how minds can alter memories to be less painful: "We try to get the best edit that we can so it doesn't hurt as much."

Putting their usual lively, fierce side on pause, Couleé let their guard down about a past relationship in the song with producer and songwriter GESS. 

"The fans had only seen this high-energy, dance-y, confident music [from me] and this was my opportunity to show a little bit of vulnerability," Couleé said. "The only relationship I ever had, other than the one I'm in now, he suffered from bipolar disorder and he wound up taking his life. It's really, really hard. It's such a weird heartbreak because there's so many unanswered questions." 

Music has allowed the former RuPaul's Drag Race cast member to show different sides of themselves. "I enjoy being able to surprise people and reveal my different sides to them – sometimes people only see a certain side, and music allows yourself to express yourself a bit more," they said. 

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It's fair to say that the 1980s hadn't been particularly kind to country legend Johnny Cash. Once considered the Don of the Nashville scene, the singer/songwriter suddenly found himself dropped by Columbia Records, recording terrible parody songs (remember "The Chicken in Black"?), and addicted to painkillers after a bizarre accident in which he was kicked by an ostrich.

But as the new decade approached, Cash's reputation gradually started to recover. A 1988 tribute album, 'Til Things Are Brighter, alerted a much younger indie generation of his catalog of classics. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. And then arguably the biggest band in the world at the time, U2, invited him to take lead vocals on Zooropa's post-apocalyptic closer "The Wanderer." The scene was set for a triumphant comeback, and on 1994's American Recordings, the Man in Black duly obliged.

The Rick Rubin-produced album was far from a one-off. Cash delivered three American follow-ups in his lifetime (1996's Unchained, 2000's Solitary Man, and 2002's The Man Comes Around). And two posthumous volumes (2006's A Hundred Highways, 2010's Ain't No Grave)  further bridged the gap between his statuses as country outlaw and elder statesman — and helped further his legacy as one of country's all-time greats.

As the first American Recordings installment celebrates its 30th anniversary, here's a look at how the series deservedly rejuvenated the career of an American recording legend.

It United Him With A New Muse 

Best known for his pioneering work with Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy, Rick Rubin seemed an unusual fit for a sixty-something country singer whose glory days were considered decades behind him. But left spellbound by Cash's performance at a Bob Dylan anniversary gig in 1992, the superproducer offered to make the Nashville legend a superstar once more.

Cash took some persuading, but eventually agreed to join forces on the assurance he'd be in the creative driving seat, and a new unlikely dream team was born. Rubin lent his talents to all six volumes of American Recordings — co-producing the middle two with Cash's son John Carter Cash – and won the first GRAMMY of his career for his efforts. The Def Jam co-founder would also later work his magic with several other '60s heroes including Neil Diamond, Yusuf and Neil Young.

It Saw Cash Lean Into Contemporary Music More Than Ever

Cash had never been averse to tackling contemporary material. He covered Bruce Springsteen's "Highway Patrolman" in 1983, just a year after it appeared on The Boss' Nebraska. But the American Recordings series saw the Man in Black embrace the sounds du jour like never before, whether the grunge of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage," electro-blues of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus," or most famously, industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt."

On paper, this could have been nothing short of a disaster, the sign of an aging artist desperately latching onto a much younger musical generation in a transparent bid for relevancy. But instead, Cash elevates the Gen X classics into modern hymns, his sonorous voice injecting a sense of gravitas and Rubin's production stripping things back to their bare but compelling essentials. Far from an embarrassing grandad act, this was the sound of a man respectfully making the source material his own.

It Returned Cash To The Charts 

Cash had reached the lower end of the Billboard 200 in the '80s as part of supergroups The Highwaymen and Class of '55. But you had to go all the way back to 1976's One Piece at a Time to find his last entry as a solo artist. The American Recordings series, however, slowly but surely restored the Man in Black to his former chart glories.

Indeed, while its first two volumes charted at numbers 110 and 170 respectively, the third peaked at a slightly more impressive 88 and the fourth at 22, his highest position since 1970's Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. The posthumous fifth entry, meanwhile, went all the way to No. 1, remarkably the first time ever the country legend had achieved such a feat with a studio effort (live album At San Quentin had previously topped the charts in 1971).

"Hurt" also became Cash's first solo US country hit in 14 years in 2003. And while it only landed at No. 56 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, it remains Cash's most-streamed song to date with over 600 million streams on Spotify alone.

It Included Masterful Collaborators 

As well as handing over the producer reins to Rubin, Cash also surrounded himself with some of the rock world's finest musicians. Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood all lent their considerable talents to Unchained. Sheryl Crow and Will Oldham did the same on Solitary Man, while Nick Cave, Fiona Apple and Don Henley joined him in the studio on The Man Comes Around.

But Cash also kept things more traditional by recruiting fellow country legend Merle Haggard, 'fifth Beatle'Billy Preston, and "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" songwriter Jack Clement, while the presence of wifeJune Carter Cash and son John made the third American Recordings something of a family affair.

It Went Back To Basics 

While American Recordings was, in many respects, Cash's most forward-thinking album, it wasn't afraid to keep one foot in the past, either. For one, the star recorded most of its first volume in his Tennessee cabin armed with only a guitar, a throwback to his 1950s beginnings with first producer Sam Phillips.

Cash also trawled through his own back catalog for inspiration, re-recording several tracks he believed had unfairly gone under the radar including 1955 single "Mean Eyed Cat," murder ballad "Delia's Gone" from 1962's The Sound of Johnny Cash, and "I'm Leaving Now" from 1985's Rainbow.

It Proved He Was Still A Masterful Songwriter…

Although Cash's unlikely covers grabbed most of the attention, the American Recordings series showed that his stellar songwriting skills remained intact throughout his later years, too. "Meet Me in Heaven," for example, is a beautifully poignant tribute to the older brother who died at just 15, while the folksy "Let the Train Blow the Whistle" added to Cash's arsenal of railroad anthems.

"Drive On," meanwhile, is worthy of gracing any Best Of compilation, a powerful lament to those who came back from the Vietnam War with both emotional and physical scars ("And even now, every time I dream/ I hear the men and the monkeys in the jungle scream").

…And Still A Master Interpreter 

As well as putting new spins on his own songs and various contemporary rock favorites, Cash further displayed both his interpretive and curatorial skills by covering a variety of spirituals, standards and pop hits first released during his commercial heyday.

The likes of early 19th century gospel "Wayfaring Stranger," wartime favorite "We'll Meet Again," and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" may have been firmly in Cash's wheelhouse. But more leftfield choices such as Loudon Wainwright III's offbeat morality tale "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" proved that even when outside his comfort zone, he could stamp his own identity with aplomb.

It Made Him An Unlikely MTV Star 

Cash was 62 years old when American Recordings hit the shelves — not exactly a prime age for MTV play. Yet thanks to some inspired creative decisions, the career-reviving series spawned two videos that received regular rotation on the network. Firstly, "Delia's Gone" caught attention for two major reasons: it was directed by Anton Corbijn, the man renowned for his long-running creative partnership with Depeche Mode, and it starred Kate Moss, the world's biggest supermodel at the time, as the titular victim.  

Then nine years later, Cash picked up six nominations — winning Best Cinematography — at the MTV Video Music Awards thanks to Mark Romanek's emotionally devastating treatment for "Hurt." Interspersing clips of the clearly fragile country singer at the rundown Museum of Cash with footage from his earlier days and artistic shots of decaying fruits and flowers, the promo perfectly embodied the transient nature of life. And it had the capacity to reduce even the hardest of hearts to tears.

It Added To His GRAMMY Haul 

Cash won almost as many GRAMMYs with his American Recordings series as he had during the previous 40 years of his career. The Man in Black first added to his trophy collection in 1995 when the first volume won Best Contemporary Folk Album. This was the first time he'd been recognized at the ceremony for his musical talents since the June Carter Cash duet "If I Were A Carpenter" won Best Country Performance for a Duo or Group with Vocal back in 1971  

Three years later, Unchained was crowned Best Country Album. And after picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, Cash won 2001's Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Solitary Man," then again in the same Category for "Give My Love to Rose"in 2003. He posthumously won two more GRAMMYs for Best Short Form Video, in 2004 for "Hurt" and in 2008 for "God's Gonna Cut You Down." In total, the American Recordings series won Cash six more GRAMMYs, bringing his overall count to 13. 

It Was A Powerful Epitaph

In 1997, Cash was told he'd just 18 months to live after being misdiagnosed with neurodegenerative condition Shy-Drager syndrome (later changed to autonomic neuropathy). He ended up outliving this prognosis by a good four years, but during this period, he lost the love of his life and was forced to record his swansong in-between lengthy stints in the hospital.  

Little wonder, therefore, that the American Recordings series is defined by the theme of mortality: see "The Man Comes Around," a biblical ode to the Grim Reaper ("And I looked, and behold a pale horse/ And his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him"), Death Row anthem "The Mercy Seat," and funeral favorite "Danny Boy." As with David Bowie's Blackstar, Cash was able to reflect on his impermanence in his own terms in a sobering, yet compelling manner that continues to resonate decades on. 

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Jon Batiste walked into the 2022 GRAMMYs with a whopping 11 nominations, making him the most recognized artist of the evening. By the end of the night, he received five GRAMMYs for Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, Best Music Video, and the highly coveted Album Of The Year.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, watch Batiste take the stage to accept the award for Album Of The Year for his sixth studio album, We Are

Batiste began his praises by acknowledging God: "I just put my head down and work on the craft every day. I love music, he said. "I've been playing since I was a little boy. It's more than entertainment for me — it's a spiritual practice." He also thanked the "many people that went into making this album," including his grandfather, nephew, father, and executive producer, Ryan Lynn.

"This [award] is for real artists, real musicians. Let's just keep going. Be you! That's it. I love you even if I don't know you," Batiste cheered.

Press play on the video above to hear Jon Batiste's complete acceptance speech and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

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