Naia, or Brian Black, named as first-ever ‘Drag Supreme’ in ‘Drag Den Philippines’
NAIA, or Brian Black. Image: Noel Monzon via Instagram/@naiablack_
Naia, whose real name is Brian Black, has been crowned as the first “Drag Supreme” of the reality competition series “Drag Den Philippines”.
Black was named as the winner of “Drag Den PH” during the show’s finale on on Thursday, Jan. 26, and was awarded by host, — dubbed as “Drag Lord — Filipino American drag queen Manila Luzon at a viewing party in Taguig City.
Prior to crowning the winner, Naia competed for the title with fellow finalists Shewarma and Maria Cristina during the final national costume, swimsuit, long gown, and a lip-sync performance to Sarah Geronimo’s “Kilometro”.
The show also congratulated NAIA on her win, as seen on the show’s official Twitter account on the same day.
“She officially took off…with the crown! [emojis] Our first ever Pinoy Drag Supreme has landed—RISE, NAIA,” Drag Den PH’s tweet read.
Article continues after this advertisementShe officially took off…with the crown! 👑🇵🇭
Our first ever Pinoy Drag Supreme has landed—RISE, NAIA! #DragDenFinale #DragDenPH #PrimeVideoPH pic.twitter.com/hGBPgi3CYw— Drag Den Philippines (@dragdenph) January 26, 2023
In an ambush interview with INQUIRER.net, Naia revealed that she used to be “experimental” prior to competing in the reality show.
“Naia before Drag Den was very experimental because she wanted to do a lot of things all at once. I mean, she wants to do everything kasi hindi pa niya kilala ang sarili niya at kung ano ang strengths niya, kung saan ‘yung kailangan niyang ayusin. I mean, I had a good idea of what I was good at, but I haven’t honed it as much. I mean, it’s been 13 or 14 months since we shot Drag Den and I’ve grown immensely from them. I have a better sense of myself, and my capabilities,” she said.
Naia also added, “I always had a voice naman, regardless of how long you’re doing drag. But right now, I feel more confident in my skills and it’s something I didn’t have before Drag Den. Kaya ako na-intimidate sa mga veterans before, it’s just that simple but if they were to have a competition now with Naia 2023 version, hindi talaga ako magpapa-apak sa mga ‘yun.”
The “Drag Den PH” winner also opened up about the significance of honesty and how it impacts her advocacy and artistry as a drag performer.
“It’s very weird because in Drag, you’re not honest to everyone. It’s a transformation, and you’re fooling everyone into thinking that you’re a glamorous being but when you remove the wig and everything, you’re not there. So, the honesty is inside, knowing yourself and knowing what you can do and your worth.
Naia also revealed that competing on “Drag Den PH” was a “very fun” journey.
“[Drag Den PH] was a very fun journey, knowing myself because I think I’m still learning about myself. Being honest with yourself is very, very crucial in improving your art. Kasi kung hindi ka honest sa sarili mo, paano ka magi-improve? If you’re going to be lying to yourself, there’s a brand of delusion in drag but too much delusion will kill you,” she added. EDV
