Back in April, only three episodes into the tenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I posited that New York-based queen Aquaria didn’t need the show to become a superstar. Entering the competition, she had already covered international magazines and walked in London Fashion Week, and her popularity online rivaled that of queens who had already competed on the show. Momentum had been building around Aquaria for years, and with or without the show, she was poised to become something truly larger-than-life.

But for a drag queen looking to take her career to the next level, the only thing better than appearing on Drag Race is actually winning it. And Aquaria did just that last night, when she slayed two lip syncs and ultimately came out on top as America’s Next Drag Superstar. Given her spotless record throughout the competition (three main challenge wins and no appearances in the bottom), you’d be hard-pressed to make a case for the fact that she isn’t more than deserving of the title. I mean, come on now — she’s a fashion queen that won Snatch Game! How can you argue with that?

After spending a night out in New York City celebrating her very emotional crowning, we caught up with the newest Drag Race Hall of Fame inductee on Friday afternoon to talk about what separates her from past winners, why her Untucked fight with The Vixen was the hardest scene to rewatch (but also the most important), and how past Drag Race contestants can use their platform to address some of the problems coming from the fandom.

Hi, Aquaria!

Hi, Michael! Are you awake? Are you alive after last night?

I should be asking you that! I was wondering how you’ve managed to do interviews all morning after the night we had.

Well, when you have a crown, a rickety ass scepter, and a $100,000 check that’s never going to clear, you get a bit of inspiration to do a few calls. There’s no day like today!

You found out that you won the competition with the rest of America. What were your thoughts when you heard RuPaul say your name as the winner?

It was very surreal; it still hasn’t quite hit me yet. But it’s something that I’ve devoted my entire life to, I guess — or at least the second half of my life to. So it was just a validation of everything that I’ve been doing and confirmation that all the sacrifices I’ve made were worth it.

How do you plan to use your platform as America’s Next Drag Superstar?

I think that as leaders of the queer community, we’re in a position where we can spark change, we can bring up discussions, we can keep the conversation going in terms of literally anything. So I think it’s just going to be my duty to really uphold the title and be that leader and that beacon of light for the people that I saw myself as, looking up to drag queens in the past.

What do you think you’ll bring to the Drag Race Hall of Fame that’s different from the past nine winners?

Well, after a while, we all start to look the same, right? [laughs] No, I think I have a different approach to some things just given the type of creative person that I am, whether it’s slaying a lip sync or turning a look or figuring out a number. I think I’m going to continue to do the things that drag queens are known and applauded for. And though it might sound a little dramatic, I want to continue to push boundaries and expand horizons as far as what drag queens are expected to do. I’ve been so blessed and lucky with everything in my drag career, and I’ve been given so many opportunities. There are so many things to be grateful for and I see that now, and I want to try to explore that side. If I can be America’s Next Drag Superstar and do all these crazy things, then what else can we do? Let’s push it to the next level. Let’s get crazy!