LipSync

Lipsync, also written lip sync, is the performance art of silently mouthing the words to a recorded song with precision and theatrical commitment. In drag it is far more than imitation. Performers use costume, movement, and emotion to embody a character and tell a story, drawing on a tradition that ran through queer bars, pageants, and cabaret for decades. RuPaul's Drag Race popularized the competitive format for mainstream audiences, most famously through its 'lip sync for your life' showdowns. Away from the cameras, lipsync remains a live staple of drag shows and queer nightlife, a vehicle for joy, humor, grief, and resilience.