Drag Race UK songs ranked

Every Drag Race UK girl band challenge song, ranked from worst to best

It’s the battle of the BDE, the Bye Bye and the bing bang bong


On the stateside mothership of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Snatch Game is clearly the most iconic challenge. It’s the one challenge all the queens want to get to – where iconic moments are made. For Drag Race UK, Snatch Game is important. It’s oft iconic (“Nipples are the eyes of the face!”). But it is the girl band challenge that is what Drag Race UK queens have bookmarked in their calendars. It’s where history is made – and if the queens do a good job out of it they’re looking at merchandise, tours of both clubs and theatres and a constant and unrelenting presence on the dance floors of gay bars nationwide. It’s more than just Drag Race UK success. It’s more than just a likely placement on the UK Singles Chart. It’s potentially career making. But which is best when we get the Drag Race UK songs ranked worst to best?

After last week’s episode gave us the girl band challenge for season three, we now have a total of six. Two Break Up Bye Byes, two UK Huns and two BDEs. Let’s get the Drag Race UK girl group songs ranked from worst to best…

6. Break Up Bye Bye (Filth Harmony Version)

Yikes. Perhaps it was the confidence of this group that had expectations sky high that eventually lead to its downfall – with the other group of underdogs emerging clearly as the superior Break Up Bye Bye. Despite having The Vivienne’s dependably good vocals and Cheryl Hole’s girl group prowess in the ranks, the Filth Harmony version was clunky and cringe. The Viv’s lyrics are duff and not sure what Crystal was going for. Cheryl does a serviceable job, but it wasn’t enough to save it.

5. BDE (Slice Girls Version)

Everyone in this performance feels like they’re in a different song. Krystal’s verse is actually so funny to me, the way she says “SEX! ON LEGS!” in the weirdest accent ever, Charity doing a manic verse about being a snotty drag witch, Kitty doing a verse at triple speed about shagging dads and Scarlett saying she’s “quiet like a mouse” when she hasn’t been quiet once all season. It’s a shame Scarlett’s error cast a shadow over the performance but all I can think of when I listen is her forgetting her lyrics. Slice Girls BDE just has no cohesion, everyone’s doing something but nobody is working together.

4. UK Hun (Bananadrama Version)

Drag Race UK songs ranked

The poor gals in Bananadrama had the odds stacked against them going up against the unrelenting force of nature that was the United Kingdolls, and the result is a mixed bag. On the plus side, not one of them does a verse as bad as the majority of queens featured in the Drag Race UK songs ranked lower, but it’s varying success. Tia Kofi slays, Joe Black fits a million words into four bars wearing THAT H&M dress and Sister Sister is driving her car for no reason whatsoever. Ellie Diamond also was there!

3. BDE (Pick N Mix Version)

All the classic Drag Race editing was in full swing as soon as the girls got given the ballad version of BDE. Didn’t take a genius to know it would be the Pick N Mix version that was going to be the underdog success story. Despite a shaky start vocally from our Ella Vaday (girl… find the note!), she committed and sold the rest of the song. Vanity Milan slayed with good lyrics and a confident performance. River Medway wrote heartfelt lyrics paying tribute to her mother who passed away last year from Covid complications, and looked and danced amazing doing it. And my queen Choriza May channeled the essence of ROSALÍA and delivered a bilingual bop in the process. But best of all? They worked as a team and lifted each other up to victory.

2. Break Up Bye Bye (Frock Destroyers Version)

The one that started it all. Were it not for the Frock Destroyers’ Break Up Bye Bye excellence, the challenge might not have even become such a mainstay. Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo came together to prove that despite the word being in their rival team’s name, it would be them three that would come together in perfect harmony. Baga’s opening verse sets the tone perfectly, with its up the ass laughs and referencing “MUCH BETTA!” from earlier in the season. Blu does a good job, and then Divina nails her middle eight. What really works in BUBB’s favour is how good a bop the song actually is – the chorus is amazing. The gals went on to record a full album as the Frock Destroyers following their success here. The definition of queen shit!

1. UK Hun (United Kingdolls Version)

The United Kingdolls’ version of UK Hun was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon in early 2021, and with great reason. Lawrence, A’Whora, Tayce and Bimini all absolutely nail it. The choreo is right, the energy is perfect and the verses are all memorable and excellently written. What really works to the benefit of the gals here is that every verse is better than the one before it, so it’s on a constant uphill climb of greatness – reaching a triumphant crescendo by the time it gets to “Release the beast: BIMINI!”

The queens have toured the country in sell out venues as the United Kingdolls, and I haven’t been on a queer night out without hearing it since the clubs reopened. I don’t suppose I’ll have a night out without it ever again.

Watch all three seasons of Drag Race UK and see the ranked songs in action now on BBC iPlayer. For all the latest Drag Race memes and Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

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