Even if you don’t watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, you HAVE to watch this clip.

I’ve been meaning to write a “why is everyone sleeping on Naomi Smalls?” post for a while, but I was waiting for the right time. After last week, when I re-evaluated the standings, I said that Naomi was out of her league in this competition. To be fair, that roast performance was uncomfortable at best, but as I also pointed out, none of the challenges so far have played to Naomi’s strengths. I also want it to go on record that she was in my Top 3 before the season even aired, so I’m not just jumping on this bandwagon now.

In Reality TV, edits are important, and Naomi hasn’t been getting very much screen time. The fact that she has placed high in every single challenge except for one reflects her ability to adapt in environments where she is not the most comfortable. She is a brilliant fashion queen with a keen eye for design, and her runways have been utterly flawless. I loved last week’s Prince look – it was creative, original, and expertly executed.

I will admit that when Naomi stepped up to do her lip sync on the last episode, I wasn’t expecting a lot. I don’t think many were which is why when she did THAT, everyone lost their freaking minds. For those who haven’t seen it, or like me, want to relive that moment, here’s the video:

Phenomenal right? I’m pretty sure she defied some laws of physics while doing this. And those poses she strikes? Inspirational! This was me as I watched it:

The lip sync between Naomi and Gia will be forever remembered in the RuPaul’s Drag Race Herstory books. Remember when I wrote that the video of Monet’s lip sync against Dusty Ray Bottoms changed me as a person? Naomi v. Gia has given that lip sync a run for its money. Out of the four lip syncs that episode, it was the best one hands down. The real tea is that Gia and Naomi should have benefitted from the double save. Although she suffered from a bad edit, Gia turned it out. Plus, her reveal was actually good, unlike Trinity who came wrapped in large curtain.

Naomi’s performance also spawned the #NaomiSmallsChallenge, where people try to replicate her gravity defying move. Usually I don’t do challenges, but I’m weirdly flexible so I thought I’d give it a shot. Doing it makes you realize how f-cking hard that really is. Here’s my attempt:

Watch me fail at the #NaomiSmallsChallenge pic.twitter.com/p7omxZ6GpZ — Prem Sai Ramani (@psramani95) January 21, 2019

My best friend, who also watches the show, actually went to Naomi’s show on Friday in Toronto. Apparently, she was amazing, incredibly nice, and even showed off those moves live on stage. In this challenge, we got to see a side of Naomi that everyone at her live shows knows and loves. Naomi, I’m sorry. The fact that I ever doubted you is shameful, and it won’t happen again. If I were the queens, I’d be shaking in my Louboutins. In event that Naomi places in the top two, she will decide who goes home because she doesn’t take any prisoners. I can’t say that Naomi had a slow start this season, because she has consistently placed highly in every challenge. The judges have given her positive critiques, on her performances and runway outfits, but she never stood out quite enough to make it to the top. After this lip sync, I don’t think that’ll be the case. Now more than ever, it is truly anyone’s game.