Drag Queens: An interview with Trihanna Wildé and Miss Sheyonce

As you may well know, in the past week the incredible Trihanna Wildé uploaded her first-ever single, and Miss Sheyonce uploaded her first-ever music video. I spoke to both of them to learn a little bit more about their videos and ultimately, themselves.

Last week you uploaded your music video. – what is the storyline about?

Trihanna Wildé:

Trihanna explained to me how she brings being an activist together with her drag performances and that her original song and video are about doing what you love to do and ignoring the hate. Her song is about being who you are and practicing your craft, ending all stereotypes of what conservatives think drag is all about, being a sin and part of the devil’s work.

Miss Sheyonce:

Miss Sheyonce explained how her music video is about this Drag Queen that has an argument with her boyfriend and decides to pack up and leave. Desperately her boyfriend tries to look for her and after a lot of perseverance, he encounters a poster advertising a show by Miss Sheyonce (his girlfriend). He makes it a point to attend her show and in the end, he finally wins her heart back.

How was the whole experience of creating your music video?

Trihanna Wildé:

Trihanna Wildé explained her experience as extremely hectic but loads of fun. She planned everything from costumes to makeup and even editing, with a lot of help from friends and her camera crew. In just under a week she managed to get everything done and produce this breathtaking video.

Miss Sheyonce:

This was the first-ever music video she produced and therefore she did not know what to expect. Overall, she described her experience as “Fantastic and Fun”. Adding that her crew and friends on set were very helpful. She thanks her close friend Matthew Bonanno for helping Miss Sheyonce with outfit-changes among other things that the queen needed on set.

What can we expect from your drag career in the near future?

Trihanna Wildé:

One of Trihanna Wildé’s main goals is to do gigs abroad whilst engaging and broadening her audience. Her goal is to bring fun and creative content that will continue to promote both the Lgbtq+ community and the obstacles humans face in everyday life.

Miss Sheyonce:

After launching her first-ever music video, Miss Sheyonce got a lot of positive response. In fact, she explained how she is still overwhelmed with all the support she is receiving. She added that “now I will continue with my work in the entertainment industry and private parties but I will not exclude visiting other countries to broaden the opportunities and to learn more about the art of drag.”

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Both Trihanna Wildé and Miss Sheyonce started drag whilst inspired by RuPaul’s drag race but let us get to know a little bit more about them.

Trihanna Wildé, inspired by Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and drag queens such as Raven and Bianca, started drag in 2017 but her current persona was born in 2018. Her drag career took success after placing first in two lip-sync battles which took place in Malta. Trihanna Wildé describes her drag as very activist-oriented and vast, adding elements that promote and empowers her audience. The love and support she gets from being on stage make’s the whole process worth it. Her friends were immediately accepting but when it came to family, she found it much more challenging. Ultimately it is why she is the type of activist she is.

For the older generation, she feels that there is a lot of stigma surrounding Drag artists which need to be eliminated.

Miss Sheyonce has been a drag Queen since September 2018. When she took part in the Lip-Sync Battle for the Maltese drag queens and placed 2nd for the first time. Inspired by RuPaul himself, Miss Sheyonce describes her drag as stylish and sensual. Impersonating the sexiness of the female persona, normally coupled with songs that have lyrics that go well with the image she is representing. The amount of support she gets from fans, friends, and her mum keep her motivated.

Bonus Question:

What advice would you give to people who wish to start drag and get into performing here in Malta?

Trihanna Wildé

“Go for it!! Don’t limit yourself to negative comments, practice your craft well and don’t expect the paycheck immediately. There’s going to be ups and downs, ignore the hate and look at the positive, it’s going to hurt physically and you will doubt yourself if you want to continue in this industry or not but I promise that the end results will be worth it and yes, this can be a full-time Carrier which you build from the ground up.”

Miss Sheyonce

“Unfortunately, here in Malta we’re very limited to show the talent of our drag artistry, but that doesn't mean we give up on our dreams. Stay focused and don't let anyone distract you. Love Sheyonce xoxo”