Giovanni Palandrani, better known by his stage name Aquaria, is an American drag queen, television personality, and recording artist best known for winning the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2018.
As with any season, there are plenty of people who would have made fabulous winners, and I just hope to honor the legacy of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' and I hope to continue to make my fans, my friends, my family, and my sisters from my season proud.
Drag isn't a selective club. It's something everyone can be welcomed to.
Past 'Drag Race' alum that I've spoken to, their biggest advice to me was, 'Expect the unexpected,' and, 'There's no way that you can prepare for this,' so I thought I was at least ahead of the curve knowing that I wasn't prepared.
I'm very receptive to direction, to change, and to developing myself as an artist and human.
New York City is home to some of the most talented individuals anywhere, and whether you are born here or a transplant, the city has always had a tendency to breed perfection.
I don't define drag. Drag is defined by me.
Every day, I'm learning new things about myself. Every day, I'm learning new things about life.
There are people who don't understand some of the core aspects of being a decent human being.
I've never come from a lot of money. Going to college in New York was already a financial struggle for both my family and me, so to drop out and immediately put my faith in my drag career was a huge risk to take.
I've always wanted to be a pop star of sorts because I love the whole touring gig.
I sometimes forget that my vision of the world is not remotely anyone else's.
If everyone's rocking the same cool, hard-to-find fabrics, they might not be as cool and hard to find as you think.
For me, drag is not about being a woman - or being anything, specifically.
I'm someone who doesn't often ask for help, just suggestions.
Don't let your upbringing, your surroundings, whatever situation you are living in, don't let those stop you from being the greatest you that you can be.
As I continued to grow throughout middle and high school, I began to expose myself to different areas of art like makeup, fashion, and later drag. I always had costumes laying around my house, so there were plenty of opportunities for me to dress up and turn a look.
'Jesus of Suburbia' is such a dynamic song from start to finish; it's nine minutes of craziness and hectic-ness and emotion... It's one of those songs where I know that for the next couple of days, I don't have to go to the gym, because I got my workout running around the stage and thrashing to Green Day.
I love meeting fans, and I love bringing my drag to all parts of the world.
Tip your drag queens, bartenders, and don't rub your chopsticks together at the sushi restaurant. Also, just in general, don't be a dirtbag human.
If you look like a million bucks, people might assume you come from a million bucks.
It's so stupid, but I used to subscribe to Rachel Ray's magazine when I was little because I loved cooking and home things and stuff like that.
'Drag Race' is a fantastic way to catapult your career and to get yourself known for your drag, for your singing, for your love of fashion, or whatever it may be. It's a fabulous platform to shout the things you do well from the top of the roof.
Getting into drag almost seemed like, not my destiny, but you know how a caterpillar is gonna become a butterfly no matter what? It felt very like that.
I'll do two gigs on a Saturday night until four o'clock in the morning, wake up, and do drag brunch on a Sunday, and then another party Sunday night. I definitely take what I do very seriously.
I'm a very femme gay boy, so what better way to express that than through drag? It truly is the greatest mix of art forms.
There is no limit to how far drag can go.
I think everyone is always so surprised to see the friendship that I have with The Vixen. We are very supportive of each other.
I've always been involved with the performing arts from a young age.
I remember wearing a full checkerboard look with checkerboard Vans when I was in elementary school and got bullied so much for it, so it's nice to see it being applauded and enjoyed.
If it doesn't seem nice, appropriate, or right, don't do it.
For me, some of the key points of drag are knowing who you are, how you want to go about making people happy with your art, and why you're doing what you're doing.
Well... I don't think everyone can actually be a drag queen, but I think everyone should investigate drag.
I think any time we do drag, especially in 2018, it's a political statement. Because we're living in a world where people don't see drag queens as equal. They don't see queer people as equal. They don't see people of any minority as equal.
Every time we get in drag and bat an eyelash, it is a political statement.
Drag is all about self-expression; there's so many different angles you can take on it.
I wanted to give myself the opportunity to do the coolest drag I could possibly do.
Drag has always been very political and challenging of societal norms and other aspects of life.
I'm more of a person who does and not necessarily says.
I work so hard, even Donna Summer would be jealous.
There are many times where we lose faith in our country and ourselves, and I think drag is definitely a form of entertainment and a form of hope that tells us we have to hope for a brighter future.
For me, I went into 'Drag Race' wanting to further catapult my career, to travel around the world, and perform for all my fans.
I'm just excited to give the kids what they want, keep on turning the looks and slaying the day.
For me, drag is all about making people happy and entertaining.
Sometimes in life, you're not always given a second chance, but if you do, take advantage of it, and go out with a bang!
I love a quick little magician gag.
No face is 'correct,' but when you figure out how to emphasize and celebrate your own features with makeup, it will show.
I'm so blessed to have family that's so supportive of my choices.
I realized I don't always come off the way that I think that I come off.
I'm not always the best with expressing emotions and understanding my emotions.
It's been made apparent I have a good eye for style and fashion.
I just want to be a shining leader for the LGBTQIA-plus community. Drag queens have always been the leaders of the community.
I'm a huge fan of Green Day's album 'American Idiot'; it was just a whole, very thorough experience.
I'm very thoughtful and thorough when it comes to my looks and the detail I put into my drag.
Whether it was with drag or with sports or in school or whatever I was interested in, my parents were always supportive of me.
A lot of people know me from Instagram, and most of the concepts that I post there are my looks or my makeup. They don't know or remember that, almost every night in NYC, I am running from gig to gig and working hard.
Accidents happen and all of that, but it's how we pick ourselves up from the accidents that matters.
I just see that there's a lot that I can do as far as sparking change and helping amplify the voices of marginalized people.
Getting to know Vixen has been an amazing learning experience, and I am glad that I am close to her so that I am able to be further educated on social issues and see them through her eyes.
Drag is about whatever persona you put on to do a particular task. I could pick up trash in the morning and throw on my navy blue jumpsuit, and that would be that gig!
For me, drag has always been about being someone younger kids can look up to, or even older kids can look up to as well, and I want to continue to tour and travel and entertain.