Violet Chachki, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is proud to release GAGGED, her five-track album of hard-pounding, dynamic club tracks. “I wanted to create something as a sort of soundtrack to the avant-garde visuals I create,” explains Violet Chachki of her record, packed with dark, dance-y, fun but serious songs that address issues such as gender, conformity, power play, exhibitionism, sex and confidence. She drew inspiration from her past work in dungeons where she worked under a dominant mistress. “She was hired to humiliate subservient men. She’d have me dress the men in drag and parade them in front of her friends.” Along with the EP, Violet is releasing the second single from the album, “Vanguard”, an upbeat track about being at the forefront of the drag movement that showcases Violet’s musical versatility. Violet Chachki’s GAGGED (including her hit single “Bettie” and her new track, “Vanguard”) is available now on iTunes and all major online retailers.Violet Chachki’s love of fetish is highlighted in several tracks on GAGGED. “I love fetish because the line between right and wrong is blurred in a controlled, safe way,” she says. “It is harmless fun that can really give new meaning to someone’s otherwise humdrum life. I also love the fashion!”Many of Violet’s current favorite apparel pieces are displayed in the video for “Vanguard”, releasing alongside the EP. The video depicts Violet rising up against a gang of transphobic thugs who attack her in a restaurant. With the help of her trusty poodle sidekick, Violet becomes a fetish warrior, forcing the thugs into her own special brand of submission.Violet also manages to demonstrate her amazing aerialist skills in the video, blending gorgeous acrobatics into her strip tease and fetish act.
Violet Chachki is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She has been doing drag professionally for nearly three years. She is a collector of clown paraphernalia and other bric-a-brac, including antique Avon bottles and poodle statues. It’s where the Chachki in her name comes from.
At first, drag was a way for Violet to justify her obsession with collecting vintage women’s clothing. However, drag has allowed her to grow as an artist, as seen on this past season’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, where Violet arose as the winner.
She says it was Ru who inspired her to create music. “She is so smart and talented. I love how she presents the entire RuPaul experience. I want that for me.”
She released “Bettie”, the first single from Gagged, last month. In the song’s music video, she played a straight-laced housewife who’s a lady in the street but a freak in the sheets. The single is inspired, in part, by Bettie Page’s born again Christian past and the idea of leading a double life.
“My character is based off of Bettie Page,” she says. “Mixed in with some Lady Miss Kier, Dovima, Thierry Mugler, and Pierre Molinier.”
In addition to her new music releases, Violet Chachki has launched an online store at Shop.VioletChachki.com where she sells playtime products with an adult twist, including her signature jawbreaker candy ball gag and her book of couture paper dolls, featuring her favorite runway looks from season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, illustrated by artist Donny Meloche.
Violet Chachki’s GAGGED (including her hit single “Bettie” and her new track, “Vanguard”) is available now on iTunes and all major online retailers. For more information, visit Violet online at Instagram.com/violetchachki, Twitter.com/violetchachki & Facebook.com/violetchachki.