Christmas Queens 4

{{Infobox album

| name = Christmas Queens 4

| type = Compilation

| artist = various artists

| cover = Christmas Queens 4.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 16, 2018

| recorded = 2018

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Christmas

| length = 29:49

| label = Producer Entertainment Group

| producer =

| prev_title = Christmas Queens 3

| prev_year = 2017

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

Christmas Queens 4 is a holiday compilation album featuring covers of Christmas songs by contestants of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race. The album was released by the label Producer Entertainment Group on November 16, 2018.{{cite news |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8484363/christmas-queens-4-sneak-peek |title=Alaska, Manila Luzon & More Get Into the Holiday Spirit With Sneak Peek Of 'Christmas Queens 4:' Listen |last=Daw |first=Stephen |magazine=Billboard |date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112235957/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8484363/christmas-queens-4-sneak-peek |archive-date=November 12, 2018 |url-status=live}} It is the fourth installment of the Christmas Queens album series.

Composition

The album opens with Jinkx Monsoon performing a "jazzy" rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957) by Bobby Helms. Jinkx Monsoon contributed to all four Christmas Queens albums.{{Cite web |last=Biese |first=Alex |title=Jinkx Monsoon: RuPaul's Drag Race winner on tour for the holidays |url=https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/events/2018/12/06/jinkx-monsoon-rupauls-drag-race-winner-tour-holidays/2209948002/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Asbury Park Press |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108062304/https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/events/2018/12/06/jinkx-monsoon-rupauls-drag-race-winner-tour-holidays/2209948002/ |url-status=live }}

Blair St. Clair performs an "EDM-infused" cover of "Last Christmas" (1984) by Wham!, and BeBe Zahara Benet performs a "dragged-up" remix of "Little Drummer Boy", written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. Manila Luzon covers "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (1963), written by Edward Pola and George Wyle. Alaska Thunderfuck follows with a "campy" rendition of "Santa Baby", originally released in 1953 by Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra.

Eureka O'Hara performs the novelty song "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (1979). Kameron Michaels sings "Let It Snow", written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. Asia O'Hara follows with a rendition of "'Cause I'm Rich". Jujubee performs "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (1934), written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The song marked her first and only solo recording, until the release of her debut extended play (EP) Good Juju: Vol 1 in 2020.{{Cite web |title=All Stars Jujubee Announces Debut EP 'Good Juju: Vol 1,' Performs New Track 'Don't Wanna Love' – Culture Fix |url=https://www.culturefix.co.uk/?p=11166 |access-date=2024-01-08 |language=en-GB |archive-date=2022-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519022650/https://www.culturefix.co.uk/?p=11166 |url-status=live }}

Sharon Needles follows with "Brothers in Our World". The album closes with Ginger Minj's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis.

Promotion

File:Christmas queens 2018.jpg, Eureka O'Hara, Sharon Needles, Bob the Drag Queen, Asia O'Hara, Manila Luzon and Jiggly Caliente performing at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki on December 21, 2018, as part of the Christmas Queens tour]]

File:Manila Luzon at Christmas Queens 2018 3.jpg" (1963) received a music video. ]]

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" received a music video. According to Stephen Daw of Billboard, in the video Manila Luzon "prances around her expertly-decorated set, making herself and models over for the holiday season". The album's first five tracks were made available on Billboard{{'s}} website on November 12, 2018. In November and December, five of the album's artists—Sharon Needles, Manila Luzon, Kameron Michaels, Eureka O'Hara and Asia O'Hara—embarked on a Christmas Queens tour in Europe, together with Bob the Drag Queen and Jiggly Caliente, performing some of the album's songs.{{cite news |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/rupauls-drag-race-queens-star-15316665 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race Queens to star in Christmas show at Liverpool Empire Theatre |last=Rice |first=Elle May |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=October 23, 2018 |access-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023161908/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/rupauls-drag-race-queens-star-15316665 |archive-date=October 23, 2018 |url-status=live}} The tour was produced by Voss Events and Producer Entertainment Group, and saw stops in the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, between November 29 and December 22, 2018. Following is a full list of dates and venues:{{cite news |last=Radesh |first=Sundeep |date=October 16, 2018 |title=Stars from RuPaul's Drag Race brighten the season in new holiday show, Christmas Queens |url=https://meaww.com/ru-pauls-drag-race-tour-europe-christmas-queens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115123146/https://meaww.com/ru-pauls-drag-race-tour-europe-christmas-queens |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |access-date=November 15, 2018 |website=Meaww |publisher=MEA WorldWide}}

November 29: Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
November 30: Sunderland, UK – Sunderland Empire Theatre
December 1: Glasgow, UK – SEC Armadillo
December 2: Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Empire Theatre
December 3: Brighton, UK – Brighton Dome
December 6: Belfast, UK – Waterfront Hall
December 8: London, UK – Troxy
December 9: Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo
December 10: Dublin, Ireland – Bord Gáis Theatre
December 11: Bristol, UK – O2 Academy Bristol
December 13: Amsterdam – Theater Amsterdam
December 16: Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
December 18: Oslo, Norway – Folketeateret
December 19: Stockholm, Sweden – Göta Lejon
December 21: Helsinki, Finland – Finlandia Hall
December 22: Helsinki, Finland – Finlandia Hall

Reception

Queerty{{'s}} David Grant wrote, "No shade to Bing Crosby, but after hearing BeBe Zahara Benet's new cover of 'Little Drummer Boy', it’s safe to say this Christmas classic has reached its apex." Grant said her performance "gives the otherwise-sleepy song the musical equivalent of a few 5-hour energy shots".{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=David |date=2018-12-13 |title=WATCH: BeBe Zahara Benet's 'Little Drummer Boy' is the only version that's necessary now |url=https://www.queerty.com/watch-bebe-zahara-benets-little-drummer-boy-version-thats-necessary-now-20181213 |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Queerty |archive-date=2020-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922180055/https://www.queerty.com/watch-bebe-zahara-benets-little-drummer-boy-version-thats-necessary-now-20181213 |url-status=live }} In 2019, Chris Malone included "Last Christmas" in Billboard's overview of eleven "of our favorite Christmas tunes from some of our favorite drag queens".{{Cite magazine |last=Malone |first=Chris |date=2019-12-06 |title=Slay Ride: 11 Drag Queen Holiday Tunes to Jingle Your Bells |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/drag-queen-holiday-christmas-songs-8545532/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122213324/https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/drag-queen-holiday-christmas-songs-8545532/ |url-status=live }} Ethan Moser of Gay Community News included "Last Christmas" in a 2023 list of 25 "amazing Drag Race Christmas songs to make the Yuletide gay".{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-12-19 |title=25 amazing Drag Race Christmas songs to make the Yuletide gay |url=https://gcn.ie/drag-race-christmas-songs/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Gay Community News |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223081511/https://gcn.ie/drag-race-christmas-songs/ |url-status=live }} Ginger Minj has said BeBe Zahara Benet's version of "Little Drummer Boy" is her favorite rendition of the song.E! Online:

{{Cite web |date=2020-11-17 |title=Meghan Trainor, Ally Brooke and More Singers Reveal the Christmas Music They Can't Stop Listening to |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1209402/meghan-trainor-ally-brooke-and-more-singers-reveal-the-christmas-music-they-cant-stop-listening-to |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=E! Online |archive-date=2022-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125212806/https://www.eonline.com/news/1209402/meghan-trainor-ally-brooke-and-more-singers-reveal-the-christmas-music-they-cant-stop-listening-to |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |title=Photos from Stars Reveal Their Favorite Holiday Music |url=https://www.eonline.com/photos/31811/stars-reveal-their-favorite-christmas-music |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=E! Online |archive-date=2021-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123214845/http://www.eonline.com/photos/31811/stars-reveal-their-favorite-christmas-music |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web |date=2021-11-26 |title=Listen Closely to Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce and More Singers' Favorite Holiday Songs |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1310879/listen-closely-to-carrie-underwood-carly-pearce-and-more-singers-favorite-holiday-songs |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=E! Online |archive-date=2022-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127172230/https://www.eonline.com/news/1310879/listen-closely-to-carrie-underwood-carly-pearce-and-more-singers-favorite-holiday-songs |url-status=live }}