Shantay, she slays! Rupaul’s Drag Race UK series 2 icon Tia Kofi is going all out Eurovision as she continues her musical journey. Ms. Kofi is back with her latest track, a cover of Lena’s “Satellite” — Germany’s 2010 Eurovision winning song. And like a satellite, Tia will be orbiting around Liverpool as the BBC’s digital presenter.
Tia’s cover of Lena’s originally quirky pop song takes on new meaning with a darker ’80s synth sound.
Tia Kofi — “Satellite” (Germany Eurovision 2011 cover)
With the lyrics telling us of a relationship where the protagonist tries to do everything they can to impress their lover, Tia’s take feels like it showcases this more in a bad way. More in a way of someone desperately telling or begging their partner to appreciate them.
Tia trades the girl-next-door look and iconic Little Black Dress from Lena, and instead wears a fierce denim shoulder and trouser look with a glittery bra. We also see her out of drag and into a powerful sparkling dress later in the clip. This marks the depart into a more adult theme, of a toxic relationship. One where one side is giving all the effort, and not getting anything in return.
Rupaul’s Drag Race UK star Tia Kofi — Drag legend, Eurovision superfan
Tia has been a huge fan of Eurovision for a long time — even appearing on a Wiwibloggs twitter takeover previously. She’s also built up a great relationship with the BBC since her time on Drag Race UK. She appeared on BBC online content in 2022, which involved a particularly hilarious moment with Subwoolfer. Whilst interviewing the fanged duo, Little Red Riding Hood appeared causing them to shake with fear.
On TikTok, she mentioned some of her favourite tracks from Eurovision 2023 include “Cha Cha Cha” from Finland’s Käärijä, Alessandra’s “Queen of Kings” for Norway, and of course Loreen with “Tattoo” for Sweden.
Her cover of “Satellite” follows several successful singles, including ‘Outside In’ and ‘Loving Me Like That’. With her name becoming a household name in the UK, could we see her waving the Union Jack at Eurovision in the future?
We can’t wait to see her content for the BBC in Liverpool! What do you think of Tia Kofi’s latest single? Could you see her representing the UK at Eurovision in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Love the original but think I like this more despite the auto tune
i don’t know why BBC asks her to be involved with ESC so much, don’t we have other people?
I think the lyrics have always highlighted a toxic, one-sided relationship, it’s just that now, almost 15 years later, we are better at identifying this. Revisiting past love song lyrics is an interesting exercise of how much (or how little) we have advanced as a society.
Talk about a glow up!
I adore Tia! She’s really down to earth.
Spoiler alert: She’s in UK vs the World season 2 ; )
Oh nice! I hadn’t seen UKvsTW was filming again. The rumoured cast looks set to be a very diverse line-up, and the first time having no two queens from the same season.
I was hoping the vsTW format would quietly discontinue and be replaced by an International All Stars. No cash prize on the UK seasons is rough, especially considering all the effort and money they put into their looks.
I mean the vs the world series is basically an international all stars haha. I’m excited to see Kofi, Scarlet Envy and Choriza May back!
But no prize money! (I just think they deserve more than what they seem to get from the vsTW format.)
Yeah, Tia, Scarlet and Choriza will be fun! Scarlet always seems to be eliminated too early, glad she’s getting another walk on the main stage!
Is “down to earth” something to look for in a drag queen? I always thought it was the opposite.
Yes. Look at the winners. You can be over the top but also down to earth…
RuPaul did not invent drag, but now that show seems to own the “brand” it seems.
I’d say so. What opposites did you have in mind?
Over-the-top extravagance, both in style and personality. I thought drag is an art that covers more than just clothes and make-up. A performance, exaggerated to the max.
I’d say all of those things can be achieved while keeping yourself grounded and down to earth. Being good-natured, approachable, and unpretentious are great qualities for anyone but particularly drag queens, who have always had such an important social and activist role in LGBT communities, bringing people together in shared spaces and being at the front line as champions of social progress. That said, the features you mention aren’t the only type of drag, and I wouldn’t ever say extravagance (materiality) is a defining feature of drag. Some of the best drag queens can wear nothing but a bin bag… Read more »
I’d also say that drag doesn’t have to be art of avant-garde and can still be highly valuable and credible. A bit like Madonna, drag is good at reinvention and expanding its own definitions. 🙂
Like actually singing? Another thing I always thought was part of the talent was lip-syncing. Almost exactly, with personality. Not easy.
Lip-syncing is certainly the classic performance talent of drag queens. That’s so much the case that Drag Race episodes generally always end with a ‘Lip Sync For Your Life’ between the two bottom-placed queens as the elimination format.
Here’s a good recent one: https://youtu.be/HxMvZ7OeXYc
I was only talking about the onstage persona, in “drag” character. Not the real person offstage, where of course I can understand why all those qualities you mention would be valuable. I’ve never actually watched Drag Race, so maybe the two have become a bit blurred now. I don’t know.
Ok, I see what you mean. Drag has certainly moved away from characters like “Dame Edna” and “Lily Savage”, who were played as entirely fictional people. It’s more blurred now—I find that’s the case in ‘local drag’ scenes as well as on TV as popularised by Drag Race. I think that blurring is partly because those kind of character drag queens were of their time and were often mostly played for straight audiences, whereas now drag is much more visibly queer and authenticity is important. Now drag queens can talk about their experiences as queer people, rather than hiding queerness… Read more »
Verka. Conchita. After Dark. Courtney Act. Away from the Eurovision bubble, the two you’ve mentioned. Characters like Lola from Kinky Boots. Pedro Almodóvar movies. I vaguely know Trixie Mattel. I remember Panti Bliss gave a speech a few years ago which caused a stir. Probably more, this is off the top of my head. I’m just a little confused what makes it drag if it stops being fictional. Men can wear whatever they like to express themselves, as can women and everybody else. The meaning of the word “drag” seems to have changed, making it redundant? I obviously am out… Read more »
P.S. Did you know that Conchita Wurst is from Colombia? Although I think that backstory was dropped when Tom remembered that he can not speak Spanish.
That’s funny. Not sure I did know that, but I can certainly believe it 🙂
I thought those might be your references, and that you might not know any that you’ve seen in person. Maybe see a live drag performer, if you’re able to? I’m slightly surprised you know Trixie Mattel if you’re not familiar at all with Drag Race, but she’s become one of the most successful drag queens in the world after RuPaul, so that makes sense. About definitions, I think drag is much better understood as an art form that pulls gender apart and challenges gender expression, rather than it being strictly about ‘men wearing women’s clothes’. For one, I’ve never met… Read more »
Just to say, I never thought drag was ever about men wearing women’s clothes. More the outrageous persona, on top of the glamour. In 2023, I don’t even think there is such a thing as “men wearing women’s clothes”, which is what I meant when I wondered if drag was redundant. I’ve never doubted it was art, which is why I wondered in the first place why it would be important for the artist to be down to earth. It’s a skill. Or so I thought. Things have evolved, and that’s good too.
I was quite sure you wouldn’t think that.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
I just remembered Enda Turnblad. I think she counts as a down-to-earth drag queen. Case closed.
Edna
Trixie is bigger name that rupaul nowadays
Would she be your favourite to replace RuPaul if she ever dies? I can’t imagine anyone else in the role other than Sasha Colby.
Tell me if you do ever get round to trying Drag Race! It’ll be nice to know what you think of it. I’ve seen quite a lot of the more famous ones in person. Sasha Velour, Sasha Colby and Jinkx Monsoon are some of my top favourites/recommendations.
I will!
Good Eurovision remix. I like the 80s approach and Stranger Things vibe!
Cue the “This is not ESC related we don’t care about Drag Queens” comments.
I love Tia Kofi, this cover is great!