Frock4Life | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | 11 December 2020 |
Length | 23:25 |
Label | World of Wonder |
Producer | Leland |
Singles from Frock4Life | |
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Frock4Life is the debut studio album by the Frock Destroyers, released by World of Wonder Records on 11 December 2020. It includes "Break Up Bye Bye", which was performed by group members Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo as contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK . The song was a commercial success, peaking at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, with it leading to the recording of the album. Leland served as executive producer and the main songwriter. "Her Majesty" and "Big Ben" served as singles for Frock4Life in 2020; the former also received a music video.
Frock4Life is the debut studio album by the Frock Destroyers, a group formed by drag performers Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo as contestants on the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019. [1] The album has ten tracks, including six songs, three interludes and a bonus remix. [2] [3] American singer-songwriter Leland served as executive producer and Frock4Life's primary songwriter. [1] [4]
Attitude 's Jamie Tabberer said the album has " Chromatica -esque anthems". [5] Nick Levine of The Independent said the "cheeky" vocal hook performed in unison by the trio on "Her Majesty" is reminiscent of the 1990s British female pop musical duo Shampoo, while he described "Big Ben" as "a Lady Gaga-style pop stomper about a man so well endowed he becomes a celebrity". [2] Billboard 's Stephen Daw called "Her Majesty" a "tongue-in-cheek kiss off to those who would try to detract from the trio" with a chorus in which they "[declare] their rightful place on the throne of drag music". [6]
"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, [2] 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]
Frock4Life was released on 11 December 2020 via World of Wonder Records. [1] "Her Majesty" had been released as a single on 25 November, along with the album's cover art. [14] The song received a music video, which features the trio on the set of Drag Race wearing Victorian fashion. [3] "Big Ben" was released as the second single in December 2020. [15]
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, [16] [17] [18] becoming the highest chart position for a drag group. [14] [15] 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]
Following the album's release, Levine called Frock4Life "witty and entertaining". [2] Sam Damshenas of Gay Times described "Big Ben" as "infectious" and "quintessentially British". [15] Christopher Rudolph of Logo TV's NewNowNext said "How's the Lighting?" is "really good". [21]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Frockmatica 1" | Leland, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Gabe Lopez, Freddy Scott | 0:37 |
2. | "Her Majesty" | Leland, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Lopez | 3:22 |
3. | "Frockmatica 2" | Leland, Gabe Reali | Leland, Lopez, Scott | 1:00 |
4. | "Big Ben" | Leland, Reali | Leland, Lopez | 3:03 |
5. | "Fame Whore" | Leland | Leland, Lopez | 2:39 |
6. | "Frockmatica 3" | Leland, Scott, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Scott, Lopez | 0:29 |
7. | "Frock4Life" | Leland, Scott, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Scott | 2:59 |
8. | "How's the Lighting?" | Leland, Scott, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Scott | 3:03 |
9. | "Break Up Bye Bye" | Leland, Scott, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Scott | 2:31 |
10. | "Break Up Bye Bye" (Much Betta Remix) | Leland, Scott, The Frock Destroyers | Leland, Scott | 3:36 |
Total length: | 23:25 |
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).
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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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The pop trio ... made history with the single when it entered the UK top 40, becoming the highest-charting song by a drag group.
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