Pearl (drag queen)
{{Short description|American drag queen (born 1990)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pearl
| image = File:Rupaul Dragcon 2018-182 (42030795432) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Pearl at RuPaul's DragCon LA in 2018
| native_name =
| birth_name = Matthew James Lent
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|09|11}}
| birth_place = St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
| occupation = {{flat list |
}}
| other_names = Pearl Liaison
| years_active = 2012–present
| website =
}}
Pearl, occasionally known as Pearl Liaison, is the stage name of American drag performer and record producer Matthew James Lent,{{cite news| url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/26316/1/pearl-venus-as-a-boy| title=Pearl: Venus as a Boy| first=Isaac| last=Lock| work=Dazed| date=Autumn–Winter 2016| access-date=March 28, 2017| archive-date=September 19, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919231946/http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/26316/1/pearl-venus-as-a-boy| url-status=live}} who came to international attention on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race, finishing joint runner-up.
Early life
Lent grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida with his mother and two sisters.{{cite web |url=http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/shea-van-horn-interviews-pearl.htm |title=Shea Van Horn Interviews PEARL |last=Van Horn |first=Shea |date=June 11, 2015 |publisher=Brightest Young Things |access-date=June 18, 2015}} He spent time drawing "rich old ladies with big diamond rings and furs" and female nudes, which eventually morphed into his drag persona.{{cite web |url=https://www.nextmagazine.com/content/flawless-pearl |title=Flawless Pearl |last=Lindsay |first=Benjamin |date=February 27, 2015 |website=Next Magazine |access-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619001355/https://www.nextmagazine.com/content/flawless-pearl |archive-date=June 19, 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=PEARL: EXPOSED (The Full Interview) | website=YouTube |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AXugVpJORls&feature=youtu.be |language=en|date=July 18, 2019 |access-date=July 14, 2023}} When first beginning her drag career, she was unable to afford anything besides "thrift store lingerie" and "cheap furs"; however, Pearl has stated that she cared more about her makeup and wigs than the quality of her outfits, and that the aesthetics of what she previously illustrated translated easier with her cheaper wardrobe than "fashionable garments".
Drag career
After moving to Chicago, Lent began performing in drag in 2012, alongside Kim Chi and Trixie Mattel, using the stage name Pearl. He first went out in public in drag while wearing a "she-devil" outfit for Halloween alongside Kim Chi. He has described Pearl's persona as a "Stepford wife robot bitch".{{cite web |url=http://www.out.com/television/2015/5/27/pearl-liaison-rpdr-drag-queen |title=A Real Pearl |last=Fernandez |first=Cory |date=May 27, 2015 |website=Out |access-date=June 18, 2015}} Lent initially only planned to use drag as a hobby, but quickly began booking gigs at increasing frequency. He later moved to Brooklyn, New York.
In December 2014, after a year and a half of performing in drag, Pearl was announced to be a participant on the seventh season of the Logo TV reality television series RuPaul's Drag Race.{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/07/rupauls-drag-race-season-seven-cast_n_6276782.html |title='RuPaul's Drag Race' Season Seven Cast Revealed (PHOTOS) |last=Nichols |first=JamesMichael |date=December 7, 2015 |website=The Huffington Post |access-date=June 18, 2015}} She had hired a friend of hers who had produced videos for other Drag Race queens, such as DiDa Ritz, to create her audition video, and received her acceptance call 3–4 weeks after moving to Brooklyn. Despite a slow start to the competition, Pearl rebounded to win two main challenges and eventually became a finalist alongside fellow competitors Ginger Minj and Violet Chachki.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/rupaul-reveals-drag-race-final-5772352|title = RuPaul reveals Drag Race final 3 in holographically dragtastic Born Naked video|website = Daily Mirror|date = May 27, 2015}} In the season finale, Violet Chachki was crowned the winner, leaving Pearl as the runner-up.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/01/rupauls-drag-race-season-7-winner-crowned |title=RuPaul's Drag Race season 7 winner talks about being the 'shadiest queen' |last=Lee |first=Stephan |date=June 2, 2015 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 18, 2015}} After the series, Pearl claimed that her lack of enthusiasm towards the show while appearing on it was due to an early negative comment towards her by RuPaul which was off-camera : “Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling." As a result, she says she has not been invited back for an All Stars series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/pearl-told-shell-never-return-to-drag-race-all-stars-following-rupaul-drama/|title=Pearl told she'll 'never return to Drag Race All Stars' following RuPaul drama|date=August 24, 2018}}
Pearl has been described as the drag mother of Scarlet Envy, who appeared on season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race.{{Citation|last=Rudolph |first=Christopher|title=RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE INTERVIEW: SCARLET ENVY: "IF ANYONE WAS THROWN UNDER THE BUS, IT WAS ME"|work=MTV|date=April 5, 2019|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3119805/rupaul-drag-race-interview-scarlet-envy/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406124809/http://www.mtv.com/news/3119805/rupaul-drag-race-interview-scarlet-envy/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 6, 2019}} Pearl denied this in an interview in July 2019, describing Scarlet as a good friend of hers.{{cite web |last1=Shepard |first1=Joseph |title=Pearl: Exposed |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXugVpJORls&t=1407 |website=Youtube |date=18 July 2019 |publisher=Joseph Shepard |access-date=July 19, 2020}}
In mid-2019, she announced the possibility of moving to Hawaii to live with her boyfriend; however, as of 2023, she is located in Phoenix, Arizona.{{Cite instagram |user=pearliaison |postid=Ct1qDzxxe7 |title=hiii, i'm looking for a sick'ning tattoo artist for large scale pieces in the phoenix, az area 🌵🏜️ |date=June 23, 2023}}
Other ventures
On June 2, 2015, Lent released the album Pleasure, along with a music video for its first single, "Love Slave".{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/03/drag-race-season-seven-music_n_7497540.html|title=Violet Chachki, Pearl And Ginger Minj, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Finalists, Release New Music|last=Nichols|first=JamesMichael|date=June 3, 2015|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=June 19, 2015}} Unlike other albums released by Drag Race alumnae, Pleasure does not feature any vocals from Lent; he instead produced the entire album. The album charted at number eleven on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart and number sixteen on the Heatseekers chart.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6591687/pearl/chart?f=322|title=Pearl - Chart history|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 20, 2015}}
On June 2, 2015, Lent announced the release of a fragrance, Flazéda, with perfume company Xyrena.{{cite web|last1=O'Donnell|first1=Carey|title=Pearl Releases New Signature Fragrance, Flazéda|url=http://www.newnownext.com/pearl-releases-fashion-film-teasing-her-new-signature-fragrance-flazeda/07/2015/|website=Logo NewNowNext|publisher=Viacom International Inc.|access-date=September 28, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://xyrena.com/product/flazedaedp/|title=Flazéda By Pearl – Extrait De Parfum|work=Xyrena|access-date=June 4, 2015|archive-url=http://www.freezepage.com/1433451336GQFTDVICCD?url=http://xyrena.com/product/flazedaedp/|archive-date=June 4, 2015}} In doing so, he became the first Drag Race alumnus member to release a scent. The fragrance started shipping on June 30, 2015.
Discography
;Albums
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:19em;"| Details ! colspan="2" | Peak |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Dance {{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6591687/pearl/chart?f=322|title=Pearl – Chart History – Top Dance/Electronic Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 20, 2015}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row"| Pleasure
|
| 11 || 16 |
;Singles
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;"
! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" style="width:10em;" | Album |
| scope="row"| "Love Slave"{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/love-slave-feat-jaylee-maruk/998948284|title=iTunes - Music - Love Slave - Single by Pearl|date=2 June 2015|publisher=iTunes|access-date=June 4, 2015}} {{small|(featuring Jaylee Maruk)}} | 2015 | Pleasure |
|---|
;Other appearances
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" style="width:20em;" | Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Other artist(s) ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album |
| scope="row"| "Hey Booty"{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/rupaul-presents-covergurlz2/960466886|title=iTunes - Music - RuPaul Presents CoverGurlz2 by RuPaul|date=3 February 2015|publisher=iTunes|access-date=May 30, 2015}}{{Cite web |date=2015-01-30 |title=RuPaul Teases "Covergurlz 2," New Album With Season 7 Queens, On Instagram |url=https://www.logotv.com/news/nq5ew5/rupaul-teases-covergurlz-2-new-album-with-season-7-queens-on-instagram |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=www.logotv.com |language=en-us}}
| rowspan="2"| 2015 | RuPaul, Miles Davis Moody |
|---|
Filmography
=Television=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| 2015
| Herself (Contestant) | Season 7 - Runner-up |
=Web series=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| 2015
| Untucked | Herself | Companion web series to RuPaul's Drag Race | {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNL2cpieWJs|title=Untucked: RuPaul's Drag Race Episode 1 - Born Naked|publisher=YouTube|date=March 3, 2015|access-date=May 30, 2015}} |
=Music videos=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" |
| Title
! Year ! Director ! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| "Hey Booty"
| 2015 | Matthew James Lent | {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB9ejgJ_W28|title=Pearl - Hey Booty: RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz2|publisher=YouTube|date=February 3, 2015|access-date=June 4, 2015}} |
| "Love Slave"
| 2015 | Michael Serrato | {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ivO01_BW2o|title=Pearl - Pleasure - Love Slave (Official)|publisher=YouTube|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=June 4, 2015}} |
=Music video appearances=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;" border="1" |
| Title
! Year ! Director ! {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| "Bettie" {{small|(Violet Chachki)}} | 2015 | Michael Serrato | {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NL3oViJNO0|title=Violet Chachki - Bettie [Official]|publisher=YouTube|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2015}} |
| "Nerves of Steel" {{small|(Erasure)}} | 2020 | Brad Hammer |
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category|Pearl (drag queen)}}
- {{Official website|pearlliaison.com}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20150716053220/http://pearlliaison.com/ Archived] from the original on July 16, 2015.
- {{IMDb name|7088537|Pearl}}
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/4438801-Pearl-38 Pearl] discography on Discogs
{{RuPaul's Drag Race}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearl}}
Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people
Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people
Category:Drag performers from New York City
Category:LGBTQ people from Florida
Category:People from St. Petersburg, Florida
Category:RuPaul's Drag Race contestants
Category:Drag performers from Florida
Category:Drag performers from Chicago