"Break Up (Bye Bye)" | |
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Song by Frock Destroyers | |
from the album Frock4Life | |
Released | 31 October 2019 |
Genre | Pop |
Length | 2:31 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | Freddy Scott, |
Producer(s) | Freddy Scott, Leland |
"Break Up (Bye Bye)" is a song recorded by British drag girl group the Frock Destroyers for the Girl Group Battle Royale challenge during their stint on the first series of the reality television competition, RuPaul's Drag Race UK . During the episode the contestants had to create girl groups to participate in the challenge; there were two versions of the song released, the first being by Divina de Campo, Baga Chipz and Blu Hydrangea. The alternate version was released by Filth Harmony, consisting of Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole and Crystal, however the latter did not chart. The song was released on 31 October 2019. The song was also included in the band's debut album, Frock4Life , which was released 11 December 2020. [1] The song was primarily written by Leland and Freddy Scott , with De Campo, Chipzs and Hydrangea writing the lyrics for their individual verses. [2] [3]
Upon the release, the song proved an instant hit with the British viewers, charting at number 35 on the Official UK Charts, becoming the highest charting song by a drag queen, since RuPaul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)", until the following year when United Kingdolls released "UK Hun?" which charted at number 27. [4] [5]
"Break Up Bye Bye" was originally performed by the Frock Destroyers during a girl group challenge on Drag Race, in which contestants were required to write and perform an original song. Lyrically, Baga Chipz alludes to anal sex in the song, [6] which was written by Leland and Freddy Scott. [7] [8] MNEK served as a guest vocal coach during the girl group episode, [9] with him also being credited as a producer. The pop anthem sees Divina de Campo sing "repeated whistle tone notes layered into the chorus". [10] [11]
Following Drag Race, the Frock Destroyers embarked on a three-stop UK tour. Shows featuring individual and group performances were held at Powerhouse in Newcastle upon Tyne, Cruz 101 in Manchester and the Nightingale Club in Birmingham, during 17–19 November 2019. [12] For Digital DragCon, an online event replacing RuPaul's DragCon LA in May 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blu Hydrangea recreated the trio's performance of "Break Up Bye Bye" in isolation by impersonating Baga Chipz and Divina de Campo. Daniel Megarry of Gay Times complimented her work. [13]
Digital download and streaming
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After the girl group episode of Drag Race aired, "Break Up Bye Bye" peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on The Official Big Top 40, [14] [15] [16] becoming the highest chart position for a drag group. [17] [18] The song also prompted a petition for the Frock Destroyers to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest to garner at least 10,000 signatures, [2] [19] while it peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in the United States. [20]
Sophie Anderson was an English pornographic actress and internet personality. She began appearing in pornographic films for such studios as Fake Taxi and Evil Angel in 2017, later finding internet fame in October 2018 when she and fellow porn star Rebecca More, who branded themselves "The Cock Destroyers", posted a video that went viral. Both her and More's videos became internet memes and the pair were subsequently regarded as "gay icons" within the LGBTQ+ community, which saw them go on to front the Men.com series Slag Wars: The Next Destroyer (2020). Anderson appeared on various podcasts discussing her life and also served as a team captain on the Canadian OutTV sex education quiz show Fucking Smart (2022–2023).
I Like to Watch is a 2019 American web series hosted by drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. The series was created by Netflix, and streams on the company's YouTube channel. I Like to Watch films its hosts as they view and react to various Netflix Original Programming and licensed films streaming on Netflix. The first season aired from November 21, 2019, to March 21, 2020. A second season, recorded in the duo's homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered on May 23, 2020. The third season, still recorded from home but with the hosts together in person before moving to a new set, premiered on February 20, 2021. The series won a People's Voice Webby Award in 2022. In 2023 the series won a Bronze Anthem Award in the Awareness & Media categories for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Airline Inthyrath, known by her stage name Jujubee, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, and recording artist from Lowell, Massachusetts. She first rose to prominence in 2010 as a contestant on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and later returned to compete on the first and fifth seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022), becoming one of the most popular queens from the franchise. She has the unique distinction of being the only contestant to reach the finale of the competition four times. Additionally, she was a main cast member on the makeover television series RuPaul's Drag U (2010–2012), Dragnificent (2019–2020), and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (2022). In 2021, she competed in the first season of Paramount+ singing competition Queen of the Universe.
RuPaul's Drag Race UK is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. The show is the fourth installment of the Drag Race franchise, and the second fronted by RuPaul. The show documents RuPaul and a panel of judges' search for "the United Kingdom's next drag superstar", the first series title dubbed "UK's First Drag Superstar". RuPaul plays several roles on the show including host, mentor and head judge for the series, as the contestants are given different challenges to participate in each week. The show also employs a panel of judges: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton.
Rebecca Jessica Middleton-Jones, known professionally as Rebecca More, is an English former pornographic actress. More began her career in pornography in 2010, and went on to appear in an array of films for various different studios until her retirement from mainstream pornography in 2023. During her career, she found internet fame when she and fellow porn star Sophie Anderson, who branded themselves "The Cock Destroyers", posted a video that went viral. Both her and Anderson's videos became memes and the pair were subsequently regarded as "gay icons" within the LGBTQ+ community which saw them go on to front the Men.com series Slag Wars: The Next Destroyer (2020).
Leo Loren, better known by the stage name Baga Chipz, is an English drag queen known for competing on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019) and later the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022). Baga Chipz also appeared in the fifth series of the Channel 4 school drama series Ackley Bridge (2022).
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Cheryl, formerly known as Cheryl Hole, is the stage name of Luke Underwood-Bleach, an English drag queen from Chelmsford in Essex who is known for being one of the first contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019), as well as the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022), and the second season of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World (2024).
Owen Richard Farrow, known professionally as Divina de Campo, is an English drag queen, singer, and actor, best known for competing in the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, eventually finishing as runner-up.
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The Frock Destroyers are a musical group with RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestants Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, and Divina de Campo. They made the UK Top 40 in 2019 with "Break Up Bye Bye", which charted at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. There was a campaign to have the Frock Destroyers represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The group's name is a pun on the pornographic double act, the Cock Destroyers.
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Receiving critical applause and praise, the song made herstory by hitting number three on iTunes and landed a spot on the U.K. Top 40 at number 10, becoming the first top 10-hit on the U.K. charts to be performed by a drag group.
The pop trio ... made history with the single when it entered the UK top 40, becoming the highest-charting song by a drag group.