الكاتب: admin

Spacex’s Dragon Spacecraft SuccessFully Docked at the International Space Station on Sunday, Clearing the way for Stranded US Astronauts and Sunni Williams to Return Home After Than Months in Space.

The Crew-10 Mission Arived at the Iss Around 29 HOURS AFTER LAUNCHING FROM KENNEDY SPACE Center on Friday Evening, Carrying NASA Astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Astronaut Takuya onishi, and Russian Cosmonaut Cosmonaut Kirilutan Cosmonaut Cyrill Peskov.

A Livestream of their Arrival Showed Joyous Scenes as they entered the ISS and embraced the expedition 72 Crew Members – Including Wilmore and Williams – on Board.

Wilmore and Williams’ Mission, Which Had Been Scheduled to Last Just Eight Days, Has SEEN STRANDED ON THE ISS SINCE JUNE 2024.

Nasa and boeing had identified helium leaks and wills with the thrusters of the Starliner spacecraft that tok the wills as it apprrooched the space station, leading the agency to decreurn it uncrewed to minimize risk and gather data.

Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft Safely Returned to Earth in September, Touching Down at the White Sands Harbor in New Mexico.

Wilmore and Williams have spent their extended time on the ISS Supporting Station Research, Maintenance, and Starliner System Testing and Data Analysis, Acciting to NASA.

The Pair Will Return to Earth No Earlier than Wednesday, March 19, Following a Handover Period With the Crew-10 Members, The Agency Said.

They will be joined by American Astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov, WHO ARRIVED IN SPPTEMBER.

The crew-10 astronauts are set to spend roughly the next six months on the ISS, Carrying out scientific research and testing to help Humans for Space.

Let’s Get Something Out of the Way First: Very Few People Really Know What Forms Apple Design Chief Jove and Openai Ceo Sam Altman Are Building.

That hasn’t stopped the Internet from Bursing at the seams with wild guests, gorgeous renders, Speculative Hots, and a Healthy Dose of Meme-Fueled Imagination.

SO, WHAT IS THIS MYSTERY DEVICE THAT IVE IS COING UP FOR OPENAI’S CATGPT? Do Wearable Screenless? Do Next-Gen Smart Assistant? Do you pocketable he oracle? A Glorified Paperweight?

Here’s the Roundup of the best guessses – Serious, Speculative, Satirical, and Everything in Between. Thank you to my business insider Colleagues for control to this friday’s fun.

Serious Guessses: Industry Analyst Weighs in

Ok fine. We’ll Start With Some Serious Ideas.

TF International Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a Credible Source in the Tech Hardware and Supply-Chain Space, especilantly when it is comes to Apple. HIS take On the Ive-Openai Gadget is Valuable:

• Form Factor: Think Small. Maybe ipod shuffle-sized. Portable, minimal, and delightfuly ive -i.
• Wearable: One of the USE CASES INCLUDES WEARING IT AROUND YOUR Neck. Shades of Sci-Fi, Star Trek, OR spread or tamagotchi on steroids?
• No Screen: It Will Have Cameras and Mics for Environmental Awareness But No Display. The idea is to not add another screen to our lives.
• Companion Device: It will connect to your smartphone or laptop for processing and visual output.
• Timeline Production: Mass Production is Expective in 2027, Giving US Plenty of Time for More Leaks, Renders, and Conspiracy Theories.

Quo Suggested on x that the announcement was timed to shift Away from Google I/O. Openai positioned this as a new hardware-Software Narrative, Riding the trend of “Physical He”.

He Also References A Great Quote from Apple Fog Alan Kay: “People who are really serials about Software Should Make their Own Hardware.” That’s Exactly What Altman and Openai Are Trying to DO Here.

Clues from Altman and WSJ

Break Wall Street Journal Reported This Week that Altman offered Openai Staff a preview of the Devices He’s Building With Ive:

• The Device was described as an he “Companion.” Altman Wants to Ship 100 Million of them On Day One.
• It will be aware of it Surroundings and Fit in Your Pocket or Sit on Your Desk.
• It’s not a Phone or Smart Glasses. Ive Reportedly wasn’t keen on a wearable, though the final design May Still flirt with that concept.
• Altman Said the Device Should Be the Third Major Object on Your Desk, Alongside a MacBook and iPhone.
• There will be a “Family of Devices,” and Altman Event Floated the Idea of ​​Mailing Subscribers New Chatgt-Powered Computers.

They Aim to Shift Away from Screen-Based Interaction and Rethink What he Companionship Really Means in A Day-to-Day Human Context.

Renders, Memes, and Vibes

The Brilliant Designer Ben Geskin Imagined Several Cool Form Factors on X, Including This Circular Disc.

Geskin’s Ideas Blend Apple-Grade minimalism with futuristic whimsy, perfectly on brand for Jone Ive.

• Some Smart Glasses, Because of Course.
• A Dangly dongle, Equal Parts Techie and Jewelry.
• Square/rectangular objects with eerie elegance.

Echoing Geskin, another user on x proposed a disc-saped Device, sleek enough to pass a high-end coaster or futuristic hockey puck. Think of it as an ai dess companion, quiethly listening and gently glowing.

One bi colleague mentioned a smart chatgt lamp, post -insided by “The sopranos” episode where the fbi bugs tony’s basic. Funny, but not impossible. AFTER ALL, A LAMP Fits Altman’s Desk-Fryently Criteria.

Another x uses unjust that the device could reemple those emergency pendants worn by Older adults – “Help! – But with chatgpt instead of a nurse. A brutal meme, but it raises a valid point: if the device is meant to be always-on, context-aware, and worn, why not market to Older users, too?

Although, if this is for the Olds, Should it use Google Gemini Instead? Burn!

X user Peter hu proposed an ai-powered Nail clipper. Yes, it’s absurd, and no, it doesn’t make sense. But The Design? Low-Key Fire.

Here’s mocked up a vape pen with a chatgpt twist. Inhale wisdom, existential dread.

Some of the Most Surreal Concepts Look Like Direct Plugs ino Your Skull. There’s a “Matrix” or “Severans” vibe here, suggesting a future where chatgt lives in your head a helpful parasite.

This one below is cute!

I Asked Chatgt to take a guess. The Answer was not impressive. No Wonder Openai Paid $ 6.5 Billion for Ive’s Hardware Design Startup.

This Last One Is A Silicon Valley Insider Joke. IT’S ALSO A WARNING THAT IT’S EXTREMELY HARD TO REPLIC SMARTPHONES AS The Go-To Tech Gadget. It ‘s riff on the human pin, an ai Device that bombed already.

Cannai Openai Compete with Apple and Google?

This Device Matters Beyond Its Shape Because of What IT Represents. Right Now, Apple and Google Dominate the Interface Layer of Computing Through ios and Android Devices. If Openai Wants to Define How People Interact With ChatGpt, It Needs A Hardware Beachhead.

Humane’s he pin tried and failed. The Rabbit R1 Got Roasted. The Jury’s Still Out on Meta Ray-Bans. Can Ive and Altman Actually Crack the Code?

Knowing ive, we’ll probably be surpassed no matter what. The Real Product Could Be Something No One Predicted.

The breed to define the next Major Computing interface is officiously on. With Ive and Altman Teaming Up, Openai is MAKING A MAJOR BET THAT WE INTERACT WITH HE IS JUST AS IMPORT AS WHAT DO.

Wen the curtain lifts, and ive whispers “aluminum” in a design video, jaws will probably drop, and Competitors Will Scramble.

UNIL THEN, KEEP YOUR ENRERS WEIRD, YOUR GUSESSES WILD, AND YOUR BRAIN TUMBER IN TO BI. We’ll be here to cover every hilarious, ambitious, and brilliant twist along the way.

See you in 2027.

My name is chad. I’ve learned to love that, but probably not for the reasons you miss.

There are many things that the name conjures. Its been a Cultural Touchstone All My Life. When I Was Young, Chad Was the Beach Blond Surfer, Living for Gnarly Waves. For a while in High School, it was the symbol of an ERA-DEFINING ELECTION ISSUE. Remember Hanging and Pregnant Chads? I got a couple of Easy Halloween costumes out of that.

Nowadays, IT’S HARD to KEEP Track of the Rotating Cast of Stereotypes for Which “Chad” has Become the default name. There’s the loud “frat chad,” entitled and way too Too into Drinking. Or, the Eternally Patagonia Vest-Clad “Tech Chad” oozing iSearned confidence and cluelessness in equal measure.

Maybe Worst of the Bunch, in the Moldy Bazents of the Internet, is “Alpha Chad,” The Alpha Male Poster Boy Who Lacks or Intellect but who is still inexplicly admired.

It doesn’t help that I look the part

Let me tell you, doomscrolling taxes on an entirery different meaning when your name is shortnd for all the internet’s boogeymen.

IT DOESN’T HELP THAT I KIND OF LOOK THE PART. I’m a White Guy Who Works a Desk Job. I had a vest once, but i looked weird in it. And in College, I used to Display Emplay Beer Bottles. That’s where the Similarities end, though.

Still, I worry about it, Because my name is chad and hows look like what people think that means – tan if i’m not.

That guarantees a daily dosse of perspective, and i’m determined to use it well. It ‘s reminder not to take myself too. I like that part. Besides, as an introvert who heats small talc, the name is a built-in Icebreaker, a quick way to move past superficial and intoo-meaningful.

I’ve learned a little self deprecating mood is the quickest way to make friends. Self-awareness is the anti-chad; Ultimately, none of this is that serious anyway. People aren’t that attailed to hating the name or with for Havinging it.

The Only Time I Truly World About My Name is in Professional Settings. Its hard not to picture a Hiring Manager, Potential Client, or Editor SEEing My Name and Shaking Their Head. SO, I hedge from time to time, using my initials “cw” in place of chad.

I DON’T WANT SOMETHING SO TRIVIAL TO BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE. I feel i oWE to mySelf to let the work speak for me, not the name.

For Better or Worse, It”s My Name

That’s that, I was to be Change it.

I know some things about the name chad that others don’t. Like, when i Hear it spoken by my wife, who doesn’t say it offten, i can’t help but feel a small flutter in my chest. Or, we do i think of my childhood best friend, who hasn’t spoken to in years, I remember the way omways were always said in a pair: cam and chad, and i smile storre of stories caught in between the utterance of those names togeter.

For Better or Worsse, Chad is my name, and I Still Long to Hear it again in the voice of People who are no long and who miss dearly. I Can Remember Writing It on My First Love Note, Signed Slow and Scared. And one day it may be the lone signifier of Havinging been at all, Written on some family -name, place, and dates.

All this to say, i’m chad. No, it is not the one you’re thinking about, but it is a pleasure to meet you.

We have a House Full of Boys – Three of me, to be exact.

Before the twins came Along, Our eldest Had enjoyed four years of undivided attention being a pampered, only child. He was the center of my world, My Little Shadow.

When the Twins Arrived, he was genuinely excited to meet his new siblings. He’s joked, “it”s great we got two babies. One can Bowl and the Other Can Field while I!”

Behind the smile, howver, i sensed a quiet worry in hisyes, and one of our biggest concertns how he was sharing to the newborns. The Shift in Family Dynamics was undoubtedly going to be a challenge, and we know we had at Attentive, swimming to the babies, but, just as imported, to his emotions.

Over the Last 10 Years, We’ve Learned A Few Things and Made Conscious, Thoughtful Choices – Choices that have helped prevent siblling jealousy;

The Approach wasn’t a one-time fix but a series of small, intentional choices that made all the difference. Here’s how we navigated the transition.

We make Small Moments Count

With two newBorns demanding Constant Care, we have just imported it was to carve out one-on-ion time with Our Oldes Child every day. Whether it was Reading His Favorite Book, Playing A Quick Game, Or Simply Chatting About His Day, these small moments helped reassure Him he was still “Little One.”

I ALSO MADE IT A POINT TO BE AVAILALABLE WANT HOT BACK FROM SCHOOL, JUST SITTING WITH HIM CHICKING AND TALKING ABOUT HIS DAY. Those Little routines Reminded Him that HIS SPECIAL PLACE IN MY LIFE HADN’T CHANGED AND NEVER WOULD.

We asced Him to Help Care for the Twies

We are also made sura to involve ours eldest in caring for the Twins. From the very start, I enCouned Him to help with simple, age-apppropriate tasks like pinching for say or fetching diapers. This not only only Made Him Feel Important But Also Allowed Him to Develop a bond with his new siblings. He took pride in his Big Brother Role, Which Helped Him Feel Included and Valued.

We made SURE TO VALIDATE HIS FEEELINGS

One of the Important Parts of the Transition was reassuring Our eldest that ours love haadn’t divided, but multiplied. Sounds cliché? Maybe. But Trust with, Small – SEEMINGLY CLICHéD – ACTIONS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. It is when the twins needed attention, we made sura to check in with Him and Express Our Appreciation for His Patience.

Still, there were moments when he felt frustrated or left out, and his emotional needs those unintentionally overlooked. I Remember Him Saying, “They’re Crying Too Much … Maybe We Should Just Return to the Doctor.” I reassured Him that babies CRY SOMESTEMES BECAUS they’re Little and Still Learning How to Behave. I ALSO REMINDED HIM OF THE JOYS OF HAVING SIBLES, LIKE How they smile at the Him they have him, and we talked about the fun they have playing together and the special bond.

We knew we were playing the long game

Our Ultimate Goal Was to Nurture a Strong Sibling Bond. As the twins GREW, we emphasized equity and Respect in Our Household. The eldest had the respectibilies, but we are also gave him the autoritity that comes with the olst. We taught Him to love and be kind to his youunger brothers, and we made sura the twins learned to respect and love their Older Brother. When Disputs Arose, We Listned to All Sides and Made Decisions Without Age Discruption.

Over time, the twins naturally formed a Strong bond with Each Other, but fortunately, They Also Developed An Equally Strong Bond with their Older Brother. Now, They Talk, Share Things, Play Together, Have their Own Secrets, and Honor Their Little Disputs on their Own. Watching this has haen Such a joy, and it strands with with pride to see the special connection they are created.

IT’S an ongoing journey

The Arrival of the Twins undoubtedly Changed Our Family Dynamic, but it Also Brought Immensing Joy. Watching My Children Grow and Bond, Both as individuals and as siblings, has been an incredible experience.

Preventing Sibling Jealousy is an ongoing Journey, but by Making Small, intentional choices and fostering equity, I can see they now share a deep, suportive bond with each Other. They are not just just siblings, but also friends, and i’m confident that this Connection will Only Grow Stronger.

Dry Cleaning Have Added Three US Headline Shows to Autumn Slate. The New Dates –in Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn – BIG OUT A SCHEDULE THAT ALSO INCLUDES IN DETROIT AND CHICAGO SUPPORTING Godspeed you! Black emperor. Support for the Headline Shows Comes From Infinity Knives and Brian Ennals.

LAST YEAR, DRY CLEANING REISSED THEIR EARly EPS Sweet Princess and Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, But the London Post-Punkers haven’t released a proper album SINCE 2022’s Stumpwork. This Summer, They’ll Play an Assortment of European and UK Festivals. Check out all of Dry Cleaning’s 2025 Shows Below.

Read About Dry Cleaning’s 2021 album New Long Leg at no. 50 in “The 100 best albums of the 2020s so far.”

Dry Cleaning: North America 2025 Tour

Dry Cleaning:

06-13 Ipswich, England – Brighten the Corners Festival
07-20 Dour, Belgium – Dour Festival 2025
08-15 Bergen, Norway – Landmark
08-16 Oslo, Norway – Langs Akerselva Festival
08-24 London, England – All Points East
09-06 London, England – The Victoria (DJ Set)
09-18 Hamburg, Germany – Webel & Fefärlich – Reeperbhan Festival
09-25 Cleveland, Oh – Beachland Ballroom *
09-26 Detroit, Mi – Russell Industrial Center ^
09-27 Chicago, Il – Beyond the Gate ^
09-28 Milwaukee, Wi – Cactus Club *
10-02 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw *

* With Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals
^ with Godspeed you! Black emperor

Photo-illustration: Intelligenmer; Talk Tuah Podcast

In 2024, podcasts are About as Mainstream as Media Gets. Sure, Their audiences are hugely excerpts and far -so Invisible to one another – the monoculture Remains Dead and Rotting. But the medium is, on the whole, very popular, and individual hosts have become Major Celebrities with Serious Cultural and political influence. What Started As A Loose Group of Diy Online Broadcasters Has Long Since Become a full-Fledged industry with its Own trends, booms, and busts.

A LOT HAS CHANGED FOR PODCASTING IN TWO DECADES, but One Shift is bot underrecognized and obvious: it’s not really an audio medium anymore. Edison Research, The Gold Standard of Podcast Analysts, laid Out Last Month:

Youtube, typically known as the go-to platform for video continent, has reencilizes to the top as the most popular service is used for podcast listening in the us… 31% of weekly podcasts age 13 and up choose youtube as the service well to podcasts, surpass spotify (27%) and Apple (27%) and Apple (27%) and Apple (27%) Podcasts (15%).

The trend is more pronounced Among Younger Listeners, Edison Says, Citting Research from Earlier This Year, Which Found That “84 Percent of Gen Z Monthly Podcast … Listen to or Watch Podcasts with Video Component.” That more podcasts now have “video components” is obvious Enough – when People think of Joe Rogan, the Most popular podcaster in the world, they don’t juar him, they see him in his studio – but this report suggests a maore fundamental chnge. Ben Cohen argues in The Wall Street Journal That for Younger Listening, Podcasts Aren’t the New Radio. They’re More Akin to a New TV:

For a decade, podcasts be something something you listen to while you were doing something Else: Driving, Working Out, Unloading the Dishwasher. That was a passive experience. Now an Entire Generation has ben been conditioned to think of podcasts as something they can active any time on any Kind of Screen – a Phone, a Computer, A TV.

This might be overreading the date; Most Video Podcasts Are Still Primaryily Audio Products, Legible to Listening with Video Feed from the Studio (or Sofa or WebCam). While Edison’s Research Notes That Video Helps Young Listens Feel “More Connected” to podcasters, we’re still to wonder how, in a few short years, youtube swim just a popular place podcasts new default. In 2016, Apple was the Only podcast gatekeper that mattered; JUST A FEW YEARS Ago, the prospect of its podcast app dropping to third place beynt a video platform have been hard to waist. YouTube has been around nearly as long as podcasting, and spotify – which this month announedd A plan to offer podcasters YouTube-Style Monetization-Has Been Pushing Hard Into Podcasting SINCE 2016. What Changed?

The Answer, I Think, Is Slightly CounterinTurative. And, like so much about the media landscape recently, it involves tiktok.

Ten Years Ago, Near the Beginning of the Serial-Led (and in hindsight, sort of quote) podcast boomindustry figures were puzzling over a long-standing Question: Why doesn’t audio go viral? Videos were going viral, obviously, as well images, articles, and virtual anything else you could share on social-media platforms like Facebook. Theories Varied: Were Podcasts too Long? Too hard to clip? Was audio fundamentally disconnected from the so-calared viral internet? This wasn’t just an interesting problem – Now that podcastting was Attracting Major Investment, with Attendant Goals for Growth, it was a missed opportunity and an industry crisis. Podcasters didn’t really crack it, but there were clues. By the late 2010s, it was clear that publishing podcasts on youtube was a vaable audience strategy and use to great By Podcasters Like Roganwho posted full episodes on the platform but saw actual grill From Shorter Clips that Got Traction Among USSERS AND, CRUCIALLY, IN YOUTUBE’S RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM.

THEN, JUST AS The 2010s Podcasting Bubble was About to peakTiktok Arrived. Here was a video-first platform that was basically only A Recommendation Engine, minus the pretense and/or the Burden of Sociality – A Machine for Automating and Allocating virality. Its Rapid Growth DROVE OLDER, LESS VIBRANT Social-Media Platforms Wild with Envy and/or Panic. They all immediately copied it, refashioning themeslves as algorithmic short-video apps almost overnight. Suddenly, on Every Social-Media Platform-Including YouTube, Which Plugged Vertical Video “Shorts” into Its Interface and Rewarded Creators who published with Followers, ATTENTION, AND MONEY-Major New Opportuny for Rapid, viral Growth. Tiktok’s Success (and imitation by existting megaplatforms) Triggered a formal explosion in video content as millions of USSERS figured out what sorts of short videos worked in this new context: vine-like comedy sketches; dances; Product recommendations; Rapid-Fire confessionals. The list expanded Quickly and widly, but one Surpring Category Broken Through: Podcast Clips.

These clips were usablely highlights, teases, punch lines, or moments of conflict that cououl briefly hold users’ attention. The dearth of social context on these new video platforms COULD WORK IN PODCASTERS ‘Favor: You Encounter People in A Studio, Mid-Conversation, Laughiing or Scowling to Each Other About something. Why not hear say out for a few seconds? (A Similar Dynamic Hennamic Fuel the Rise of Tiktok Crowdwork COMEDIANS: while their Videos don’t look overproduced or professional, they show someone on a real stage, implying a real audience.) Ryan Broderick Garbage Day NOTED LAST YEAR THAT Video Podcast Clips-People in Rogan-Style Studios or Streamer-Style Rigs, Just Just Sitting on A Couch with Handheld Mics-Were so effective on tiktok (and on reels) that DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST. As for why People are doing this, broderick suggestted, the podcast microphone is “a way to visually signify that you’re important Enough for someone to record you.” Audio was finally going viral – albeit in short clips, as video.

These clips aren’t just chum for tiktok. They’re genuinely effecative marketing for real podcasts, provided casual social-medi uses can Easily find and list to the shows they’re sourced from. (Edison’s Report on Young Podcast Listens notes, in 2023, a Majority of listeners were finding new podcasts through social media, Mostly through apps with short-video functions.) This Might Mean Taping Over to Spotify, Where You Can Listten to or Watch Episodes of A Show or Subscribe for Future Installments. Maybe it means opening up a conventional podcast app, searching for a show, subscribing to the show, and then finding and downloading the episode you were looking for. But the shorts to a full podcast from tiktok or instagram-or, obviously, from Shorts-Runs through YouTube, an open platform that every already use, which is perfectly to recapture some of this new and abundant attentational by-Product. (The Story of Haliey Welch, AKA Hawk Tuah Girl, Traces a Less Deliberate But Extreme Version of A Similar Dynamic Running in Two Different Directions: A Short, Funny Tiktok Clip From A Street with Welch Went Ec Long-fork Podcast, Your talcmanifested both to absorb and capitalize on sudden Demand and to enure a steady new supple of clippable moments for tiktok.)

While tiktok helps explain how we got here, it can’t tell us everything about being podcasting is going. Podcasting’s Shift to Video is Interesting and Broadly Significant, but the Most Important Change, as far as the industry is Concerned, is probably the corresponding and slightly lagating to centrally controltles youtube and spotify. For Years, Podcasting’s Independence from Major Tech Companies were core to it Identity: Most Shows Were Distributed Primarily Through RSS Feeds, Hosted by Their Publishers, and Listenable Through what App ussers chose. This Almost Certainly Hindered Growth and Might Have Prevented Podcasts from “Going Viral,” But, In Conttrast to the Surrounding Media World, It ALSO Insulates The Face of Companies Like Facebook. Podcast audiences were Slow to Build, but, More than Most Media Online, They Were Your Once You Had.

Now, A New Generation of Podcasters is Crossing over. (Plenty of Estabished Podcasters, Howver, Have Mixed Feelings About pivoting to video.) It is a massive opportunity: podcasters are still in a relatively good position to be find new audiences on Social-media platforms and meaningFully onto say as subscribers or paid patrons Elsewhere. But if the Independent Eco Ecosystem Starts to With Platform Growth Becomes the Only Vaable Way to Build and Reach an Audience, Podcasters Will Become, Material Terms, More Like YouTubers, Tiktokers, and Other Influencers. They’ll be working not just in a new medium, but at the mercy of the platforms.

Photo-illustration: Megan Paetzhold; Photo: Ewing Galloway/Alamy Stock Photo

The 2008 Crash Ripped A Giant Hole in the Incomes and Wealth of Americans, Limitting Their Ability to Afford EveryThing Big-Ticket Purchas Like Cars. The Government declined to thread that hole in deference to a superstitious fear of deficits. This Kept Milions of US Workers on the Economy’s Sidelines and Myriad Industrial Facilities underutilized. For Years, America’s Capacity to Produce Goods and Services exceeded consumers’ ability to pay for say.

This was a tragic State of Affairs for the US Economy But, in Some Respects, A Convenient One for American Liberalism. Since the days of lbj’s great Society, liberals’ reform ambitions have far-so-focused on demand-policy. The Affordable Care Act Effectatively Giives Americans More Money to Spend on Medical Services Through Insurance Subsidies. Food Stamps Give Low-Incom Households More Money to Spend on Groces. Social Security Increasses Seniors’ disposable income.

In a demand-constrained economy, these Kinds of police are free lunches: SINCE IS SPARE PRODUCTIVE, PUTTING CASH IN PECOPLE’S POCKETS NOT ONLY BENDFITS BUT AIDS THE BROADER ECONOMY, AS HIGHER CONSUMER ENCOANTING ENCOPER

Relatedly, in an economy with relatively low inflation – Like America’s From 2009 Through 2020 – The Government Need Not Offset with Taxes in order to Keep From Shooting Through the Roof. And that too much convenient for liberals, who are perennily tasKed with reconcilling their movements of expansive vision for the wellfare strates with the Americans’ aversion to Higher Tax Rates.

But the wind of weak demand is over. The Covid Pandemic, and the Government’s Response to it, fundamentally Changed Our Economy’s Challenges. To say, liberals Will Need to Change their Approach to Building Out the Welfare State and Green Economy. Specific, they will be Need to make voters more comfortable with tax increas and themselves more comfortable with delegulation.

Joe Biden’s Agenda was formulated During the Decade of Weak Demand and Bore the Marx of That Bygone Era. The Build Back Becter Plan Sough to drastically increes Americans’ Capacity to Acquire Child Care, Health Care, Pre-K, Higher Education, Housing, and Elder Care and Estabish a monthly Cash Benefit for Nearly All Households with Children. Yet Biden Did not Ask Taxpayers to pay the full bill for Such Expansions. Instead, the White House Concealed the Mismatch BetWeen Its Ambitions for Social Spending and Avention to Tax Hikes Beneath a Panoply of Budget Gimmicks.

By the middle of 2021, Howver, The Economy’s Free Lunches Had Been Consumed. Thanks to trillions of dollars in pandemic-relief spending, the covid recession left no substantial hole in consumer spending, but it hammered the economy’s productive capacity. Outbreaks shuttered factories while Worldies About illness chased vulnerable workers out of the Labor Force. Meanwhile, MANY MANUFACTURERS Expective the recession to be Much Deeper and Longer than it was and prematureely SLASHED ORDERS. When Uncle Sam Started Mailing Out COOPED-UP CONSUMERS BEGAN SPEING A Massive Share of Their Incomes on Goods, Producers Were Caught Unprepared. DEMAND OUTRAN SUPPLY. Inflation soared. BUILD BACK BETTER GOVE WAY TO THE MORE MODEST INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, and BIDEN’S PLANS FOR GREATLY EXPANDING WELFARE Went unfulfill.

The age of excess supply probably is Coming Back Anytime Soon. The US Population is Old and Getting Older. Demand for Medical Services and Elder Care Will Grow Eve as the proportion of Prime-Age Workers in the Nation Will Shrink. Meanwhile, The Green Transition Will Stress the Economy’s Resource Base: The More Critical Minerals Needed for Electric-Vehicle Batteries, The Fewer Avilable for Cell Phones; The More Construction Laborers Needed for Building Transmission Lines, The Fewer at the Housing Sector’s Disposal.

And if America fails to budild out renewables as fast as fossil-fuel Production declines, Energy-Price Shocks Could Ense. The Asset Manager Blackrock Recently Declared that america has entered a new economic regime characterized by “Production Constraints” and “Brutal Trade-Off.”

It is posseible that the federal reserve’s interest-rate hikes will plunge the us into a deep recession, there Generating mass unmplyments and tilting the supply-demand ledger. But that is not the futures that liberals want. Rather, They Want an america in Which UNEMPLOYMENT IS virtual nonexistant, the provision of social services is vastly expanded, and the economy is rapidly decarbonized.

Liberals Cannot realize that vision with sweating the details of supply-side policy. Contrary to Much Conservative Commentary, Our Economy’s Supply Constraints have not weakened the case for biden’s proposed expansion of social services but strengthned it. Growing America’s Productive Capacity Requires Increasing Women’s Labor-Force Participation Rate, Which Currently Trails that of Men Nearly 12 Percentage Points. And doing that Requires Increasing the Avoralbility of Child Care.

Left to Its Own Devices, The Private Sector Has Proven Incapable of Supplying an Adequate Number of Child-Care Workers. As Labor Scarcity Increated Job Over the past two years, 80,000 Workers fled the child-care sector, typically for better-paying Fields. The solution to this problem is to simultaneously increes the ability of work families to pay for Child Care (by giving say subsidies) and the caare sector’s attractiveness to workers. Meeting The Rising Demand for Elder Care Requires Similar Reforms.

Yet in a suply-constrained economy, increasing demand in the care sector with triggering inflation necesitates reduction it someone else. That means raisiting taxes on ordinary Americans so that they are Reduce their spending on the social vital things.

Biden Famously Forswore Tax Increas on Households Earning Less Than $ 400,000 A Year. Liberals Can No Longer Deficit Finance Their Way Around the Problem Such Pedges Create, Which Means They Need a Strategy for Increasing the Political Palatability of Tax Hikes. In the long term, this should involve boosting voter confidence in government by improving the public sector’s performance at bots supplying services and executing projects. In the short term, democrats must live the ceiling on the tax-exempt middle class; The party must be able to collect more revenue from Households Earning More than $ 250,000 a Year.

Liberals Will Also Need to Loosen Their Attachment to Supply-Constraining Regulations. America’s Current Regulatory Framework Makes IT exceedingly Difficult for Both the public and private sectors to build housing and clean-energy infrastructure. Environmental Laws that Help Nimbys Kill renewable-Energy Projects or tie say up in court for years must be rewritten. Zoning rules that make it extramely Challenging for Developers to Build Housing in High-Demand Areas Must Be Abolished.

Eve in the Care Sector, Excessive Regulations Stymie Supply. The US is Currently Sufofering from a lottage of doctors, in no small part Because of its Stringent Licensing Requirements. Other Nations Also Make It MUCH EASIER FOR FORIGN-TRAINED PHYSICIANS TO PRACTICE WITH THEIR BORDERS. But Rather than Fighting to Reduce Unnecessry Licensing Requirements, Some Liberals Have Recently Sangu to Expand by Making College Mandatory for Child-Workers.

By reflexively opposing calls for delegulation, liberals will not uphold progressive ideals so much as they undermine say. An america in which Housing, Energy, and Medical Care Area Chronically undersupplied is one in Which progressives’ Vision for the Country Will Be Impossible. In other words, liberals Will Need to Developed Own Supply-Side Economics.

Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: WOWPresents via YouTube

After approximately 752 seasons of Drag Race, certain patterns have emerged; you can expect to see a plucky underdog, a staggeringly polished youngster, and an overwhelming yet charming theater queen in each cast. That reliability also applies to the challenges, and the Girl Group Challenge has become an undeniable staple of drag entertainment. It also has one of the most practical applications in the real world for drag queens, many of whom make nightclubs bearable on a nightly basis.

Thanks to streaming, the Girl Group Challenge has also become a key revenue stream for production company World of Wonder; songs go viral and, in some rare cases, they’ve even charted in their respective countries! The difference in quality, however, is vast. In some instances, you’d think these queens perform in these very girl groups for a living. In others, you’ll wonder how they ever made it onto a stage. But we’re going to rank every. Single. One of them. Yes, that includes international and All Stars seasons.

A few notes. We’re not counting girl groups where queens don’t write their own lyrics, which is why you won’t see Italia season three and France season two here. Some performances that look like girl groups are actually classified as Rumixes (like “Read U Wrote U”), so those aren’t here either. And each girl group is ranked individually, not by challenge, because sometimes the difference in quality is so vast from one group to the other that trying to put them together would be cataclysmic. (The challenge winning queens are denoted in bold.) Sometimes there are individual wins, sometimes a group wins, occasionally there are top twos. This is a franchise that likes to make up rules as it goes along.

Let’s get into it and see which queens serve up glorious divadom, and which ones create moments of utter horror onstage. There’s nothing quite like girl groups!

Queens: Coco Jumbo, Etcetera Etcetera, Scarlet Adams, Antia Wig’lit

Drag Race Down Under has a terrible reputation thanks to its lackluster and confusing first season, and the awful Girl Group Challenge does not help matters. It’s lifeless and underproduced, and only Anita stands out (slightly) for being kooky; everyone else is giving nothing. Even the backing vocals sound bored. The nadir of Drag Race.

Queens: Elektra Shock, Kita Mean, Karen from Finance, Maxi Shield

Here’s a marginal improvement on the Outback Fake-Hoes because the outfits are nicer and Elektra’s choreo is fab. But this is still dreadful: Karen sings about admin, and the others deliver cliches about how they’ll snatch the crown. A perfect example of why the season is a mess: Elektra Shock deserves the win here for her elite dancing, but gets put in the bottom because she’s … too good? Choices …

Queens: Scarlett Harlett, Charity Kase, Kitty Scott-Claus, Krystal Versace

The pop version of “B.D.E” should be a recipe for success, but the Slice Girls’ performance is anything but. There are many predictable beats like rapping about snatching the crown, and less obvious things like Charity singing about having snot on her face, which is at least unique, even if it’s a bad choice. Scarlett has strong lyrics, but she flubs the lip-sync, throwing off her entire performance. It makes for one of the most uncomfortable, skin-crawling moments in the show. It physically hurts to watch! Kitty deserved so much better than this.

Queens: Black Peppa, Baby, Jonbers Blonde, Starlet, Sminty Drop

There seems to be a curse on Drag Race UK: If you are born to be in a girl group, you will not win a challenge. Baby is sensational here, but she follows in the tragic footsteps of Cheryl and Kitty Scott Claus, being placed in an underwhelming team. Underwhelming is actually quite generous because the only thing the Triple Threats are threatening is to bore the life out of you. Baby is exceptional, and she could have won if she picked better teammates. Starlet delivering the line “I’m a little goofy” while being completely stone-faced is uproarious in the worst way. Half the girls don’t know their own words. It’s all just … unfortunate.

Queens: Roxxxy Andrews, Vanessa Vanjie Matteo

The worst girl-group concept in all of Drag Race. Blending girl groups and the makeover is fun in theory, but it results in each girl-group song being about 45 seconds long, which isn’t enough to do anything. The queens don’t even get a full verse! Why bother? Roxxxy needed more space to create something on the level of her iconic “Read U Wrote U” verse.

Queens: Chloe Clarke, Loulou Velvet, Madame Yoko, Star

I know we saw the queens practising choreo in the episode, but after watching this group, I’m not sure any of them were present at rehearsal. Everyone’s doing something different, and they don’t sound good either.

Queens: Shannel, Angeria Paris VanMicheals

“Hissin’ while I’m pissin’” is hysterical. The rest? Meh.

Queens: Jorgeous, Plastique Tiara

Jorgeous and Plastique look incredible and sound great. They belong in a real girl group, not this.

Queens: Gottmik, Nina West

Fun for the 30 seconds it exists, but then fades from memory like all All Stars season-nine numbers. Who approved this format that reduces the girl groups to mere seconds? I just wanna talk.

Queens: Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Lady Camden, Kerri Colby

It’s a boring song and the performances are uninspired (though everyone’s decision to have unsettling makeup is … unique). At least Angeria sounds amazing! Trying to emulate the iconic Supremes is a fool’s errand, and this performance proves it. Honestly, it’s hard to watch. The Supremes would never.

Queens: Kahanna Montrese, Heidi N Closet, Alexis Michelle, Naysha Lopez, Kandy Muse, Darienne Lake

Six queens are too many for one group, especially when the song is only a few minutes long. The queens look great in various silver/black getups, but the lyrics — about being famous and successful — are pretty generic. It lacks a real standout performance, but at least there’s no disaster here.

Queens: Mrs. Kasha Davis, La La Ri, Jessica Wild, Monica Beverly Hillz, Jimbo, Jaymes Mansfield

Practically indistinguishable from the Fame Tarts, the Glitter Chicks seem to have a bit more fun with their number (except Monica, who looks/sounds bored and is a few beats behind). The eternally underappreciated Mrs. Kasha Davis is hilarious here (“1,2,3 … 7!”, her shout of “Brunch” at the end), and Jessica Wild and La La Ri are hypnotic every time they’re onstage.

Queens: Kween Kong, Pythia, Soa de Muse

Sticking to new mixes of RuPaul songs for a Global competition is a wise choice; the pink/orange outfits these queens are wearing are not. They look hideous. Pythia is so out of place with two great dancers that the entire dance looks like a hot mess. The lyrics aren’t much better, recycling various cliches about self-love.

Queens: Alyssa Edwards, Eva Le Queen, Miranda Lebrão, Tessa Testicle

Credit where it’s due: These queens really go for it in the choreo. There’s a lot going on, and almost none of it works. Superstar dancer Alyssa Edwards took the lead here, but seemed to forget to check if her group was actually capable of doing the moves. Miranda is distressingly stiff. The lyrics are forgettable, just like the overall number.

Queens: Inti, Arantxa Castilla La Mancha, Drag Vulcano, Pupi Poisson, Dovima Nurmi

It’s sloppy. Arantxa devotes half her verse to saying her name, Dovima looks bored, Vulcano is an awkward, lumbering giant, and everyone looks like they’re dressed for a different universe. The track isn’t good either, and sorely lacks a good beat.

Queens: Freya Armani, Lucina Innocence, Mandy Moobs, Nikita Iman, Vybe

A bad song like “Mr. Right Now” begets forgettable performances. Thankfully, Vybe exists, and she lifts the Bad Sandys from being truly awful to just pretty bad.

Queens: Alvilda, Gabanna, La Veuve, Morphae

Avilda brings an electric punk vibe to the generic pop proceedings of “Be Yourself,” but the rest of the song is a bore. Can these queens sing? Well, no! But “Be Yourself” is a passable song, even if, like the Belgique itself, it struggles to make an impact.

Queens: Deja Skye, Gorgeous, Jasmine Kennedie

Look, the gals tried, but this song is dead on arrival. Deja is the standout, delivering a subtle manic energy behind her solid vocals. But the balance between sincerity and satire doesn’t work, and the number doesn’t go anywhere.

Queens: La Big Bertha, La Grande Dame, Paloma

It’s as if each queen performs a separate song, which does not make for a great girl-group performance. The sound mixing does Paloma dirty — why does it sound like she’s doing an ASMR video? There are some gaggy moments, though, like La Grande Dame doing half of her verse upside down.

Queens: Crystal, the Vivienne, Cheryl

Cheryl (f.k.a. Cheryl Hole) is born to be in a girl group. Her energy and dance moves are top tier, and her verse is perky with an edge (“I’m sick of playing games now / And working with these trolls”). The rest of the group is not on her level. The Vivienne sounds good but struggles with the choreo, and Crystal’s verse is atrocious, to put it gently. If anything, it makes their competitors (the Frock Destroyers) so much better, as it proves that even a terrific song can be rendered forgettable by underwhelming verses and lackluster performance.

Queens: Elecktra, Fontana, Vanity Vain

I tried to understand what’s going on in the Swedish girl groups. I really did! But there must be a cultural barrier, because these made no sense to me. They’re like parodies of Eurovision songs. “Another Kind of Makeup?” is just three queens reading each other in song for a few minutes. It’s weird? I feel like I’m missing something — they don’t sound good, and I can’t tell if it’s part of a bit. It just doesn’t feel like a song. Objectively not terrible though!

Queens: Admira Thunderpussy, Antonina Nutshell, Santana Sexmachine

Again, I feel like I’m not a part of the joke, because the judges seem to enjoy what’s happening. Or maybe they’re as baffled as I am; it’s hard to tell. Still, this one sounds better than the Powderpuffs.

Queens: Eve 6000, Kimora Amour, Kendall Gender, Synthia Kiss

The Dosey Hoes do well to match the energy of “Bye Flop” — a song with virtually no energy. This was just four queens hanging around onstage with mediocre lyrics. The only thing these queens should say bye to is this total flop of a song. Nobody deserved “Bye Flop,” but the Dosey Hoes were easily the weaker group.

Queens: Ellie Diamond, Joe Black, Sister Sister, Tia Kofi

A victim of circumstance; namely, coming immediately after a legendary performance from the competing United Kingdolls. Joe Black is not built for an upbeat campy pop number, and it shows. Otherwise, there’s good energy and some cute lyrics, but nothing really stands out. It’s not terrible, but it’s such a comedown from the United Kingdolls version that RuPaul doesn’t even clap.

Queens: Molly Poppins, Yuri Guaii, Beverly Kills

A great example of how two different girl groups doing the same song can have drastically different results. Beverly smashes “Bosom Buddies,” but her group suffers from lackluster lyrics and low energy. Girl groups aren’t for them, and that’s okay!

Queens: Zahira Zapanta, Chanel O’Connor, Kyran Thrax, Marmalade, Actavia

For some reason, season six of UK gave the girl groups a Halloween theme. As Tatianna says, choices. “Dead or Alive” is a pretty good time, but the theming lacks the replay value of other U.K. Drag Race bangers. Kyran and especially Actavia are standouts, serving up sexy, sultry, and murderous (perfect for the Halloween theme). But everyone else gives varying degrees of mediocrity. Actually, Zahirah is actively bad — her lyrics don’t rhyme, they’re not remotely creepy, and she doesn’t look particularly excited to perform the number.

Queens: Kitten Kaboodle, Melinda Verga, Kiki Coe, the Girlfriend Experience, Aimee Yoncé Shennel

Everyone in the Vixens looks beautiful. The energy is all over the place for a breakup song, with most of the queens seeming over it. The missed choreography and lyrics don’t help either. Except for a delightfully ferocious Aimee, there’s little in “Heartbreak” that stands out. The moment it’s over, you’ve forgotten it even happened.

Queens: Jaylene Thyme, Uma Gahd, Minhi Wang, Helena Poison

A ’90s throwback is a superfun idea for a girl group, but there are one too many references in place of satisfying lyrics. The Backdoor Girls look cohesive, and their energy is infectious, but Canada’s Drag Race has always struggled with giving the queens memorable songs, and this season is no exception.

Queens: Gia Metric, Icesis Couture, Adrianna, Pythia

The performances are high-energy, but a country-themed breakup song is certainly a choice. The queens lyrics are decent enough, but “Bye Flop” itself is one of the worst songs in Drag Race herstory, one with no staying power whatsoever. Gia sounds great, but Adrianna probably should have won for her unhinged verse that incorporates three languages.

Queens: Naysha Lopez, Derrick Berry, Chi Chi De’Vayne

Everything about this song is a disaster — it’s also incredibly watchable. Every second is off-key. The costumes and the lyrics — bafflingly about “Rectangle Girls of the World” (??) — are awful. It’s memorable for all the wrong reasons, but memorable nonetheless.

Queens: Jan, Pandora Boxx, Trinity K. Bonet, Kylie Sonique Love, Ginger Minj, Eureka, Ra’Jah O’Hara

This one is technically two competing groups, but there’s no real distinction between the two, so they only get one spot on this list. Regardless, “Show Up Queen” is messy. It’s supposed to be an empowerment anthem, but Jan (a sensational vocalist) completely misses the assignment, singing about her peppy energy. It gets worse. Pandora Boxx devotes half her verse to going “ha ha,” creating an out-of-body experience in the worst possible way. But the serves are strong; Trinity, Ra’Jah, and Eureka are delightful. Side note: There are some truly disgusting wigs in this challenge — what were Ginger and TKB thinking?

Queens: Dakota Schiffer, Le Fil, Danny Beard, Cheddar Gorgeous, Pixie Polite, Copper Top

There’s a reason the Girl Group Challenge usually comes later in the season. Four queens per group tends to be the sweet spot in giving each queen a chance to show what they’ve got. Six queens is simply too much to take in. It doesn’t help that “Come Alive” is the weakest number that the U.K. franchise has dabbled in, relying entirely on a come joke that gets less clever each time you hear it. Everyone’s fine, but nobody has that coveted “wow” moment. Winning groups don’t tend to be this forgettable.

Queens: Joslyn Fox, BenDeLaCreme, Trinity K. Bonet, Milk

The very first Girl Group Challenge, “Oh No She Better Don’t” sends up ’90s hip-hop. The Ru Tang Clan is aggressively, painfully white and largely lacks anything resembling a flow (Joslyn Fox innocent). It’s mostly a fever dream: Milk’s “If you’re lookin’ for a dude / Or in the preggers mood” is an unhinged work of lyricism.

Queens: Banksie, Kate Butch, Miss Noami Carter, Ginger Johnson

Hampered by a queen with an injury (poor Naomi), most of the M-52s performance is centered around a couch, which is certainly unique, but also boring. Verses are cute and campy, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Queens: Angelita la Perversa, Chloe Vittu, Miss Khristo

Pop is usually the key to great girl groups, but Kiss My Ass have fun performing the rock version of “Mis Amigas y Yo”. The vibe is strong, but the performance is a mess, with sloppy choreo and a slew of missed lyrics in the lip-sync.

Queens: Xana, Makayla Couture, the Virgo Queen, Perla

Xana is a lyrical terrorist, delivering an overflowing disaster that is unintentionally hilarious. “Not” suffers from lyrics that are so heavy on ’90s references that it’s hard for any real personality to come through, as fun as it is to watch these gals perform.

Queens: Astrid Mercury, Bernie, DeeDee Marié Holiday, Hana Beshie, ØV Cünt, Veruschka Levels

I won’t stop complaining about girl groups coming so early. These queens don’t know each other, and have no time to build the chemistry that’s so essential to great girl-group performances! That shows in this version of “Boogsh.” Choreography? Messy. Lyrics? Dull. A rare miss for the Philippines, who’ve gained quite the reputation in the girl-groups sphere (and everything else — seriously, watch Drag Race Philippines).

Queens: Bumpa Love, Flor, Ashley Madison

RuPaul cannot resist an obscure reference, so he dedicated an entire Girl Group challenge to the ’80s cult movie BMX Bandits starring Nicole Kidman. They have to perform with actual BMX bikes, a bonkers decision that results in robotic, tough-to-watch performances. The chorus is freakishly catchy, but its a bit dead-on-arrival (Flor excluded, she’s a delight).

Queens: Captivating Katkat, Arizona Brandy, M1ss Jade So, Matilduh, Nicole Pardaux, Tiny Deluxe

Yet another problem with Girl Group coming early, and especially being the first challenge of the season: Queen love singing about how they’ll win the crown at the start. It’s boring! As a song, “Boogsh” is too busy, trying to shove too many lyrics into a chorus that doesn’t need them. The queens impress, especially Arizona Brandy, and everyone has a great voice, but the lyrics across the board underwhelm.

Monique Heart, Monét X Change, Farrah Moan, Naomi Smalls

Oh, Farrah Moan. She’s a wonderful drag queen, but dancing is not her thing. That makes the entirety of “Everybody Say Love” a rough spot. It’s an awkward clash of strong verses across the board (Farrah’s is the weakest, but her opener “Love, it’s crazy right?” is irresistible) with train-wreck choreography. Gia’s talking head is startlingly accurate: “They’re all just kinda bopping around.” Monique’s vocals are fantastic, and her bottom placement was underserved. Unpleasant to watch, but a blast to listen to.

Queens: Brenda Bressed, Karna Ford, Lazy Susan, Max Drag Queen, Olivia Dreams

Look, Girl Groups just can’t come this early in the season! The queens don’t get enough space to write full verses, and there are always some queens who are leagues behind everyone else. Thank the Lord for Lazy Susan (who dog walked the entire season) going full camp with a stalker character: “You’ll ask ‘Why are you in my house?’ / I’ll say ‘I’m Lazy’.”

Queens: Trinity the Tuck, Valentina, Manila Luzon, Latrice Royale, Gia Gunn

All Stars 4 decided to feature Henny (legendary Drag Race contestant Stacy Lane Matthews) in the girl groups. As a Henny stan, it’s a fun idea but clunky in execution — the competing queens spend a lot of time in the background, and Henny never actually sings. The funky beat keeps the energy up, but the verses are lacking. Gia reminds us she’s a woman (fair enough), and Manila spends her time whispering for some reason. The outfits are wildly incoherent, and the choreography is boring. But Latrice is amazing in her rapid-fire verse, and Valentina looks astonishingly beautiful and delivers a show-stopper.

Queens: Frankie Wonga, Spicy Sunshine, Gawdland, Kara Might, Shortgun

Gawdland (what a name) is an explosion of energy, which is great, except none of the other queens can meet her level on “Sip Sip Sip.” Most of these queens look terrified to be on stage, and some forget to lip-sync. The dancing is clumsy, too.

Queens: Le Cocó, Megui Yeillow, Kelly Passa!?

Group Dream Nerd gets a disco twist on “Mis Amigas y Yo,” which proves to be mostly good. One section features a super fast-paced rap, which Megui nails, and Kelly Pasa!? (punctuation in a drag name is so iconic) fumbles badly, and looks lost and bewildered.

Queens: Benze Diva, Zepee, Gigi Ferocious, Nane Sphera, Siam Phusri

“Sip Sip Sip” is a bit of a banger! The Gurlden Flowers look like a cohesive girl group and have some clever gossip-themed choreo. Zepee is especially electric. The lyrics, however, leave quite a bit to be desired, making this one a bouncy yet forgettable rendition.

Queens: Charra Tea, La Voix, Lill, Kiki Snatch, Rilesa Slaves

Rilesa is a deserved winner: I can’t say I know what she’s saying, but she sounds great, her look is to die for, and her stage presence is undeniable. As a group, it’s not very cohesive, with La Voix and Charra delivering pure camp, while Kiki and Rilesa go for pure sex. And the wonderful Lill is just trying to do the choreo.

Queens: Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Luxx Noir London, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Salina EsTitties

It’s always fun when Drag Race goes in an unexpected direction, and a country number is a surprise. Luxx and Marcia sound great, and Mistress and Salina do well speak-singing. It’s solid, but I can’t help but find the whole parodying-old-people thing baffling. It’s tired, and it tanks the replay value of these numbers. It doesn’t help that it lacks a truly hilarious or memorable line.

Queens: Jaxx, Robin Fierce, Anetra, Loosey LaDuca

I don’t understand why the judges had such a problem with this hip-hop-granny number. It’s not groundbreaking, but the choreography is fun (Jaxx and Robin break out impressive moves) and the outfits are cute. And Loosey’s lyrics and old-lady voice are very funny (“All I need are my girls and some butterscotch” is fab). It does the job, but again, the whole old-lady parody stops any of the season-15 songs from greatness.

Queens: Q, Sapphira Cristál, Morphine Love Dion, Dawn

The performances are too varied; Sapphira and Dawn are fantastic, Morphine is good, and Q looks like performing in a girl group brings her great pain. She’s five steps behind the whole time, and her dance moves are robotic (that’s being generous), but her lyrics are at least passable. It’s a tough watch, but you can’t see how uncomfortable it is on your favorite music streaming service!

Queens: Eva Blunt, Horacio Potasio, Luna Lansman, Suculenta, Ava Pocket

I love how Mexico adds props to the stage for girl-group performances. It goes a long way in making it feel like a legit band is performing. “Ya No Quiero” is cute, danced well, and the queens harmonize really well together. Sadly the track is forgettable.

Queens: Carmen Farala, Killer Queen, Sagittaria, Hugáceo Crujiante

Carmen Farala is among the best winners any Drag Race season has had. Just watch her explode onto the scene with her terrific verse and Beyoncé-level command of the stage. Other people are technically in this group, but it’s hard to see anyone else with Carmen present. The song itself is just okay.

Queens: Jenary Bloom, Elektra Vandergeld, Leexa Fox, Unique, Garçonne

Can every drag queen in Mexico sing? Everyone here sounds lovely, which really elevates the proceedings. They all look fab if disparate (this seems to be the thing in Mexico, there’s no visual cohesion in any DR Mexico Girl Group). The song’s a bit lackluster, but it’s executed well.

Queens: Hornella Gongora, Pupi Posson, Sagittaria

3HC gets the urban version of “Superstar,” which already puts them at a disadvantage; it lacks the vibrancy of the pop version. It’s a low-key number, and while the queens deliver strong performances, there’s no wow factor or particularly memorable moment here, though Hornella does have a fun line about her ass.

Queens: Isis Avis Loren, Gabriella Labucci, Hollywould Star