Dragula season 5 arrived on Halloween, and as usual, we, the viewers, were in for one frightful treat. The Boulet Brothers gave us a new level of drama, with extermination challenges that saw queens bungee jump in the dark, receive inappropriate tattoos, and be zapped by powerful electric volts. One queen that left a strong impression was Cynthia Doll: We saw her exterminated in a glow-in-the-dark labyrinth challenge avoiding to be shocked by strong tasers. No one said this season was easy; however, this cast brought a stellar lineup of creativity and chaos.
This particular ghoul, stood out for her confessionals;(a personal favourite was her confidently declaring “A cube is a circle, right?”) her brightness, enthusiasm and loud personality went on to become someone we could rely on to encapsulate the storytelling throughout the show. Not only funny, but eccentric, her Pleasure Planet X runway may have slightly confused the Boulets, but we at home loved the outfit for its uniqueness and high level of camp.
Alongside making an impact, her departure saw a cryptic killing, in which fans had convinced themselves she’d come back; unfortunately, the narrator really was killed off. Hope is high for a future return should there be a season two of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans. Besides being an icon, she’s an emo queen, combining her love of music and drag with her new single, My Territory, which is out now.
Having two albums under her belt, Brainwashed (2021) and Dollmination (2022), she released her third in May 2023, titled Your Diary Knows Everything About Me. It’s a personal reflection, presenting a story with many being able to relate to Cynthia’s own experiences. Just like her storytelling, she has a wise and positive outlook on life. During our interview, we discussed her time on the show, leading her to talk candidly about discovering the power of regaining control and believing in yourself. Discussing her track Growing Up, she inspiringly states, “It’s a trap. Live for you, and be a good person while doing so.” For many of us, we all need this reminder, and that’s all we can do. This is why Cynthia Doll truly is a star, and I hope to see her perform in the UK soon!
Hi, Cynthia Thank you for featuring on WERRRK.com. How’s it been since your whirlwind of an adventure on the Boulet Brothers Dragula?
Cynthia Doll: Thank you so much fer having me! This is truly an ICONIC moment! After Dragula, life has been so surreal. I’ve always seen my life going in this direction, and after soaking my city up for everything it’s worth, it was the perfect timing to move forward. Now I get to soak up the world for all that it is, and it’s such an amazing experience.
Your confessionals turned out to be the highlight of the season, with you becoming the storyteller of the show. Did you ever think the fans would respond so positively to your character out of drag?
Cynthia Doll: I had no idea what the season was going to look like after filming. I know I have a big personality, but I only show it when I truly get comfortable. In the beginning, you see this shy entertainer, while still trying to give off that energy I know I have. After the first episode, you see me all warmed up and showing the world who I am, not just as a drag artist but as the queen who lives behind the drag.
I never set expectations for anything I do, because if something goes wrong, I won’t be too hard on myself. Seeing that I was a narrator and the funny shit I said, I was happy it made the final cut.
For me, your alien look on the Pleasure Planet X runway was one of my favourites in the series. It was so creative, unexpected and something we hadn’t seen before. Where did you get the inspiration for such a look, and where do you like to pull style references from?
Cynthia Doll: Going into Dragula, you have the four tenants: drag, horror, filth, and glamour. I really wanted to showcase a side of me that would highlight CAMP. Camp belongs in a world like Dragula, so for that challenge, I took bits and pieces of who I was and what I do outside of the show to turn that into this Bimbo Girl, streaming online and promoting her werk via cell phone.
In the era of Y2K, all these beautiful models were dating the guys in punk bands. I wanted to dress up like those girls, but I wanted to take every element and make it bigger. Capturing the over-the-topness while only wearing a crop top and jeans shorts, knowing you’re the hottest alien in the galaxy.
As you brought so many interesting looks, if you could create a future runway for the next season of Dragula, what would it be?
Cynthia Doll: We’ve seen an 80’s campy challenge in Season 2. I think bringing something like that into a future season would make the fan base even more obsessed because it’s light-hearted and so fun to watch as a viewer.
Even your extermination ending was punk rock and led many viewers to believe you would return in the next episode, refusing to accept you’d been killed by the Boulets. Would you consider returning to a future Dragula Titans season?
Cynthia Doll: I don’t think my story is done. A lot of the time, in reality competitions, they would bring back someone whose story was told and wrapped up. It makes no sense as to why they would bring someone like that back.
For me, I didn’t have any wins (W’s), and I never mentally clocked out from filming. That tells me I still have something that I’m not finished with at the Boulet Manor. I wouldn’t want to come back just to come back. I would only want to come back if I fulfilled Boulet’s vision and where they wanted to take the show. I would do anything for Boulet’s because they gave me the biggest opportunity of my drag career, and I owe them a lot of it.
The Battle of the Band challenge is always a fan favourite since it combines glamour, rock, and punk. Despite the other contestants expecting your group Chaotik, to fail, you all outperformed and became a fully formed rock supergroup. How do you stay motivated to overcome challenges, not just during the competition, but in life as well?
Cynthia Doll: Communication in any situation is key. There has to be passion for what you do and trust in the process for it to succeed. Failure happens, but it’s not how you fail that defines you. It’s how you get back up that will define you. We were all motivated and hyper-focused on the challenge to make sure we got that win.
This leads to my next question about music. You’re also a singer and released your new album, “Your Diary Knows Everything About Me,” back in May of 2023. The title itself seems like a throwback to the emo scene of the 2000s. Having ten tracks featured, to the listener, it sounds like a personal story. Did you find writing and creating the album a cathartic experience? What inspired you to create the album, and how would you describe your sound to new listeners?
Cynthia Doll: When I became a full-time drag artist, I wanted to continue to have hobbies. Creating music was such a passion I’ve always had. Writing about personal experiences from show directors telling you “you’re fired” because you’re not their friend or people in this industry trying to put you down just because of how much you were booked really allowed me to find my voice and stick up for myself for the first time in my life.
Instead of putting others down while defending myself, I put that energy into writing, finding strength in protecting myself, and finding peace. It is such a personal album, and listening to it makes me smile so hard because I now know I am able to overcome anything. It makes me feel invincible. The album is raw. I am one with my emotions, and when you realise that you have control over the things you know you have control over, you’re powerful.
The opening track of the album, Diary, can only be described as a fusion of Aiden’s Die Romantic and would fit perfectly in a soundtrack for a teenage angst movie. I’m curious as to how you gather inspiration, do you find yourself bringing nostalgia from the emo era, and which artists, in particular, do you feel drawn to? When growing up, did you have any specific musicians who influenced you?
Cynthia Doll: I’ve always wanted to make a synth-wave, punk-sound kind of record. I never knew I’d be able to execute it as well as I did. I believed in the sound, and I believed in myself to make it as personable as possible.
I found my energy and influence in music at such a young age, listening to classic rock and watching a lot of concerts on DVDs and VHS. It wasn’t until the band “Shiny Toy Guns” came along that it made me feel like one with music. The grimness of their sound, with the synthesisers just all in your face doing the most. I was heavily inspired by them making this album.
Grow Up is an interesting track, and I think the majority of us can relate to the theme of you repeating ‘You don’t want to grow up’; does this tie in with the message as to why you chose your drag name Cynthia Doll from the 90s show Rugrats?
Cynthia Doll: Not really, but there’s a lot of expectations people expect from you (when you’re older), and the fear of seeing the disappointment of others when not exceeding those exceptions is such an unhealthy standard. It’s a trap. Live for you, and be a good person while doing so.
For example, some parents have an expectation of their child being heterosexual, or they’re saving themselves for marriage, or they go to college. Having those pressures on a CHILD and not letting the child live life for themselves and their happiness creates this divide.
When the child finds themselves as a teenager and the parent’s vision of their child is out the window because it’s not the life the parents envisioned, and the child feels like a letdown. Growing up means change, and we’re all just trying to adapt.
When Rugrats came around, Cynthia was the main character. She was in the sewer, at the top of the mountain, and just going places. I’ve always seen that for myself (laughs).
This month, you recently released the new single, My Territory, which sounds like a future-esque song and wouldn’t sound out of place in a club. What inspired you to shift from your previous pop-punk sound?
Cynthia Doll: I’ve always listened to punk music, but as a drag artist, I’m always performing in clubs. In the queer community, you don’t have many spaces that play alternative or rock music at the club. I feel I am both. Punk rock music will be for me, my personal sound, and electronic music will be for the club. I never want to put myself in a box.
Before the latest single, you released two full-length albums titled Brainwashed (2021) and Dollmination (2022). Is creating music and performing something you’ve always wanted to do? And how did you end up blending your love of drag and singing? Was it a natural progression?
Cynthia Doll: It was very natural mixing the two. When I became a full-time drag artist, I wanted hobbies. During my downtime, I would produce music and werk with different sounds until I had something complete. I merged the two, and I have been having fun with it ever since.
After appearing on Dragula, and now with many new fans, if you had to play a new listener a Cynthia Doll song to introduce them to you, what would you pick?
Cynthia Doll: This is hard. If the fans like a more edgier moment, I would suggest Jokes on You. If the fans are looking for a club banger, I’d suggest The Doll is Here. In making that song, I wanted to capture what it would feel like to enter the club with VIP status. That song makes you feel like the baddest bitch in the room. A great song to cry to would be Glowing, I have music for everything across the board.
With a jam-packed music catalogue and collaborating with artists such as your Dragula sister Onyx, would you ever consider creating a pop punk/emo tour? I’m sure fans would love to feel like they’re back in the 2000s relieving their emo past!
Cynthia Doll: I would love to take my music on tour. I normally don’t perform my own music unless requested. At the end of the day, I lip-sync and perform other artists’ music first. My music will always come second to me.
2023 was action-packed; what does 2024 hold for Cynthia Doll, and what would be the ultimate goal for you to achieve next?
Cynthia Doll: 2024 I’m hyper-focusing on meeting all of my cynners across the world. I’ve toured with Hard Candy Events in 2023, and I plan on continuing to perform EVERYWHERE in 2024. I would like to think I’ll release another album in 2024, and I do have a full 14-track album ready to go, but at the moment I’m really enjoying touring.
