Ever since Nymphia Wind first sashayed into the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 workroom by slipping on a banana peel — we knew she was a queen to watch.
But unlike the actual bananas on your counter, Nymphia stayed fresh throughout the competition, winning three maxi challenges, and never finding herself in the bottom.
Throughout Season 16, week after week, she gave us yellow fever, slaying the runway with a bevy of bananas, and gag-worthy looks inspired by her Asian heritage, even winning the Ball Challenge.
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It was during the Season 16 Grand Finale that Nymphia was finally able to show off her impressive lip-sync skills for the world.
First, by performing the original song, “Queen of Wind,” before going up against Sapphira Cristál, as the two battled it out for the crown, lip-syncing to the instant queer classic, “Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue.
Dressed as a giant bubble tea — complete with black balloons hidden beneath her coat — Nymphia wowed the crowd with her moves, while revealing costume change after costume change, eventually down to her wearing a bodysuit in her signature yellow color — complete with yellow ponytail — in a look she described as “hot bitch realness.”
Even Kylie Minogue, the Princess of Pop herself, loved Nymphia’s “Padam Padam” performance, reposting the video of Nymphia’s lip-sync on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Just AMAZING!!!!!!”
Ultimately, Nymphia was named the winner, becoming the first East Asian winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She might have sashayed across the finish line on Drag Race, but her banana bonanza is just beginning.
Nymphia is currently traveling the country as America’s reigning Drag Superstar, but she will also represent Taiwan at the cultural program during this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris.
After Nymphia snatched the crown, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took to X to personally congratulate the Taiwanese queen, writing: “Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind, for being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag, and for being the first Taiwanese to take the stage and win on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Right after being crowned queen, you said, ‘Taiwan, this is for you.’ Taiwan thanks you for living fearlessly.”
Once she was named the winner of Season 16, Nymphia also posted on social media, thanking her fans for their support:
“I’m a golden banana trophy WINNER! This crown is not just for me but for Asia and my country Taiwan! Winning Season 16 still hasn’t sunk in yet but I’m sure one day I’ll wake up screaming out of joy to have been able to achieve a goal of mine, which was to be the first East Asian queen to win Drag Race. At the time when I had this thought it was still very unreachable, it felt like a dream that was never gonna happen. But mama stay on the path that excites you the most and continue to live courageously and passionately, and you never know, anything can happen,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing an image of her with her crown and scepter.
“Thank you to all the people who believed in me, my friends, my family, my banana believers, and to the people who helped me put my package together. A tree cannot grow without sun and water, you guys are my sun and water.”
Cheers to Nymphia Wind for making Drag Race herstory, and for being one of the many reasons Season 16 was so a-peeling. We can’t wait to witness your banana-rama reign.
