Naomi Smalls slays Lady Gaga tribute in stunning Smalls World Show preview
Queening Out with Naomi Smalls
Naomi Smalls' tribute to Lady Gaga will leave you speechless.
As the drag superstar and visual artist prepares for Tuesday's launch of her first digital solo gig The Smalls World Show, EW can exclusively reveal a series of stunning preview images in which the RuPaul's Drag Race all-star and recent Vegas Revue showgirl recreates Gaga's iconic Fame Monster album cover.
Sarah Crump and Martin June
"I'm going to give the gays everything they want," Smalls teases on EW's new weekly Instagram Live interview series Queening Out, referencing the show's epic lip-sync to fan-favorite Gaga track "Dance in the Dark," originally released in 2009. "I think everyone has been demanding a 'Dance in the Dark' video for the past 11 years."
Sarah Crump and Martin June
EW's exclusive images from the performance show Smalls sporting a platinum blonde wig (with harsh bangs) similar to the one Gaga wore on the black-and-white album art shot by photographer Hedi Slimane. Smalls credits the album with being a formative work for her in her youth, and she wanted to honor it in the deeply personal show that serves as "a love letter to what makes me me, and that has a lot to do with confidence and a lot with my family."
"There's a number in there where it's a full-circle moment [because] my mom used to watch me practicing outside the house. I was just dancing around in high school in my heels with headphones on, and I had no idea she was watching me the entire time," Smalls says of a different segment. "But it's super cute for her to see a fully realized, glam moment [now]."
The Smalls World Show — also featuring songs from Beyoncé, Kanye West, and more — premieres tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT online. Tickets are available now on Smalls' website. Watch the performer's full Queening Out interview above, and tune in to EW's Instagram every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT for weekly conversations with drag kings, queens, and more queer artists.
Sarah Crump and Martin June
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