Breakout star Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, released her debut album ‘Anus’ (yes, Anus!) and chatted to LifeStyle YOU about all things Drag Race, her album & more!

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000 has been a firm fan favourite since she came runner-up on season 5 of the hit reality TV show. Since her time on the show, she has worked hard to make her mark in the 'Drag Race' hall of fame by combining humour, trash and glamour all into one talented and fabulous alien character that has stolen hearts around the world.

Now her first full-length album has arrived and it's every bit as irreverent and fun as the glamourton herself. It's unlike any other album or EP released by a former 'Drag Race' star and that's what makes it amazing - it''s 100% Alaska and that's all the fans want.

Hi Alaska, how are you?

Hiiiieeeeeeeeeeee. I’m good how are you?

We’re great! Now, I know you were in Australia last January with Courtney Act & Wilam, what did you think of Australian audiences?

I loved touring Australia! It’s like Canada but everyone has accents. The boys are really nice; the weather is really nice… I really liked Perth.

How did you find Aussie/overseas fans vs American fans?

I feel like the further away you get from America; the more dedicated the fans get because you have to WORK to get the show. I know you guys air it pretty soon after America, but a lot of people in other countries have to download it or whatever because it’s not a show you can just casually watch... when you’re in, you’re in it for life because they don’t want those spoilers. That level of dedication is something I really respect and love because it really shows in the audiences when they come to the clubs. So, fuck yeah I love Australian audiences!

Will you come back to Australia to promote this new album?

I think it’s going to happen… I don’t know any details yet but I foresee that happening.

EDIT: Alaska's Aussie has just been confirmed. Get your tickets here!

Speaking of RuPaul’s Drag Race, let’s go back to your season (which aired in 2013). You auditioned 4 times before you were selected for series 5. Did being on the show live up to your expectations once you were on it?

Yes! and so much more. For so many queens, this is the holy grail of drag so we all work so hard to get on the show – we do our tapes, we put our best foot forward and hope for the best. But I’m glad it happened when it did because if I was on Series 1, 2, 3 or 4… I would not of been cute! (laughs) and season 5, at least I was cute because I could do make-up and had some clothes. Literally, before series 5 all I had was underwear and a wig or 2! I also didn’t know how to beat a mug (do make-up) so I am so glad it happened when it did. Having the chance to do the show is like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but with more wigs and pink balls.

Once series 5 finished, you toured the world and released a couple of songs here and there, what made you want to do a full album now 2 years later?

Well, I’ve been wanting to do an album since before Drag Race even happened because I was always been into making my own music and I’m always doing it, it comes out of me like poop. So, I don’t know why we waited so long…. I guess the timing wasn’t right because I was so busy with touring but I always wanted to do it.

How did you feel when you saw your album sitting at #1 on the iTunes DANCE charts?

Well, for a while it was #2 on pre-sale and I was like ‘Okay – I guess that’s meant to be’ because #2 has been a really important number for me. A lot of people feel I came #2 on Drag Race (Jinx Monsoon won the crown in 2013) and I was #2 on the ’15 Fan Favourite Queens’ for Drag Race so I thought ‘Maybe #2 is where I belong in this world and I’m OK with that’ but then album was officially out and it went #1 and stayed for a while and I was so happy and overjoyed. So happy that people have actually gone out and paid their $10 for it’s really cool.

Do you have a favourite song?

AHHHHH its soooooo hard to choose! It’s like choosing your favourite child! But I will say ‘Everything Tonight’ is a song about nothing and originally it was recorded to be about nothing so it could be used in commercials and stuff but yeah… It has ended up being one of my favourites on the album.

How did the collaboration with Lajanga Estranga come about? A lot of fans were thrown by the pairing.

I don’t know why everyone was so surprised she is rapping on the album! She is a rapper. Her song ‘Legs’ is fucking amazing. I just thought it would be natural to have her as the featured rapper on the song. I texted her and asked her if she wanted to do it and she was like ‘Fuck yeah!’ and she killed it. I love Lajanga and I am glad we could do this together because I have stolen so many of her catch phrases so now I can send her some checks (laughs).

What’s your process like when you write your music? Do you hear a beat and create the lyrics around it?

Well with this album, most of them, I have ideas for songs. So then the producer sends me over some beats that I can listen to. Some of them I like, some of them I don’t, and then I listen to the beats and if it speaks to me or I’m feeling it, then I choose which idea for a song, and then I go ahead and write the music to the beat. There are other songs where I have the melody already in mind.

Are we going to get a video for the song Beard?

Oh, maybe.....you'll have to wait and see...

What was the vision behind This Is My Hair?



I had just done a show in Croatia and so I spent a week there. The people are so beautiful and the accents are so sexy. We were smoking cigarettes and just being so Croatian. I wanted to be like a mantra. I wanted it to be like you don’t know exactly what she’s saying. Like maybe it’s another language? Maybe it’s some sort of Indian mantra? And the repetitive thing is hypnotic. It’s just letting everybody know that it’s not a wig, darling.





What’s it like working with your brother in the series Bro’Laska?



It’s great! He lives in Los Angeles, we’re both so busy so when we do get together we just get to hang out and catch up.



You should get him on the show and get him in drag….



Well, good luck. I’ve been trying. We’re slowly breaking him down. We’ve got him to walk in heels; we’ve got him to put on hair, so eventually I’m going to get there with him. But he’s really resistant to it (laughs).

There’s a rumour flying around that you’ve been confirmed for All Stars Season 2, supposed to start at the end of August. If you were doing it, who would be your ideal pair from seasons 5, 6 or 7?



Well first of all there have been rumours about All Stars 2 since the day Season 1 started airing, so don’t believe what you read. People have been confirming people for All Stars for years. People are going to talk, but if that happens I would love to team up with Lajanga or Gia, but the problem with that is they would probably make me look bad in the lip-sync!



What’s it like working with RuPaul away from the cameras?



He’s intimidating in the sense that he’s extremely evolved, and I just admire him. He’s someone who’s broken so many barriers in this industry, really left an indelible stamp on the world. They say never meet your idol, but I’m really glad I’ve been able to meet him. He’s so professional and so effortless in what he does that there’s nobody like him and there never would be again. And he’s very much like he is on the show. It’s not like he’s just putting it on. That’s how he is in real life. He’s been through the fire, and he’s just come out the other side. He’s amazing.

Buy Alaska's album 'ANUS' here.

See Alaska LIVE in Australia this NYE. Tickets, venue and date information can be found at http://itdevents.com/category/rupaul/