“I’ve got a lot to lose, I’ll tell you that,” Aquaria says matter-of-factly.

The 22-year-old New York City-based drag queen is getting ready for a gig in Providence, Rhode Island; in roughly a week, she’ll make her debut on the tenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I’m curious to know if she ever felt an advantage on the show due to her substantial Instagram following, which marked her as an early frontrunner.

“My experience was just as intense as anyone else’s,” she responds. “But in a different way.”

Most queens go on Drag Race with nothing to lose and everything to gain; even for contestants who are eliminated early, an appearance means unparalleled exposure to drag fans worldwide. Some queens are able to parlay their stint on the show into superstardom — Drag Race contestants have starred in feature films, two have their own cable TV show, and many have made millions and gained huge fanbases. But Aquaria was the rare queen who was well on her way to superstardom no matter what.

It’s a conviction she holds at her core; it is, after all, how she introduces herself in the tenth season premiere: “My name is Aquaria and I’m a superstar,” she said, lifting her chin with confidence. If it comes off as cocky, it may be forgiven only because she actually has the chops to back it up.

Even before Drag Race, Aquaria had established herself as a major force in drag. Before the tenth season cast was announced, Aquaria was one of only two contestants to have a six-digit Instagram following; the other, Eureka O’Hara, had already appeared on Drag Race once before. Having become a fixture in the New York City club scene, Aquaria had already booked gigs overseas, secured magazine covers (and Vogue Italia spreads), and made fans out of fashion industry heavyweights like Jeremy Scott and Nicola Formichetti. The New York party magnate Ladyfag referred to her as “one of the kindest and hardest working girls in NYC," while Moschino designer Jeremy Scott wanted to know if we can “just hurry up and give her the crown already.” So when it came time for her Drag Race debut, the pressure was on.

“All eyes were on me,” she recalls. “Because I am...you know, that girl.”