Drag g-o-d-d-e-s-s Sasha Colby and hit-making singer-songwriter Leland linking up at WorldPride 2025 seems like our concept of homosexual heaven, so it’s becoming that JUDY—the new party the pair is unveiling June 6 at The Atlantis for WorldPride DC—is billed as an evening of “sweat, sound, and pop divinity.”
They conceived of JUDY as an area for dancing, freedom, and celebration, one embodied by the divine divas of music that carry out neighborhood collectively, from Janet Jackson to Madonna to Sylvester—and, in fact, Judy Garland.
“I’ve this poster from a Judy vinyl that’s resting by my report participant,” shares Leland, the expertise behind a lot of the music from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Troye Sivan, and extra. “And we simply thought, ‘wait, we love this; that’s it!’—this get together is [inspired by] every part in regards to the feeling of Judy; clearly who Judy Garland is, however what ‘Judy’ got here to face for, and the way that has been a time period of connection for queer individuals for therefore a few years.”
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“JUDY instantly feels welcoming,” Sasha provides. “It seems like a protected house that we wish to present for queer artists, for creatives, for individuals who wish to have slightly escape from these exhausting instances proper now and take heed to some good nostalgia.”
Nostalgic, sure, however don’t count on to see Leland on the DJ sales space enjoying a bunch of previous requirements, he clarifies. The sonic temper for JUDY is contemporary, enjoyable, and forward-thinking, a venue the place each artists hope to experiment and check out some new materials—together with particular friends Vincint, Jimi The Kween, and some different surprises—and the place they hope party-goers really feel equally free to launch their inhibitions and reduce unfastened.
“We’re making a protected house—a protected house to exist, clearly, but in addition a protected house to experiment and be curious and be inventive… an area to count on the sudden,” Leland teases.
Just a few years earlier than they birthed JUDY, Sasha and Leland first met—the place else?—on the principle stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, a.ok.a. “The Sasha Colby Meet & Greet.” Their preliminary collab was the lady teams Maxi Problem in Golden Ladies drag, which noticed Sasha go for broke with the Rockin’ Old G’s, hitting heavy-metal highs with lyrics about dentures and joint ache.
It was in that second—with Sasha’s droopy granny breastplate swinging left and proper—that Leland knew he discovered a kindred spirit:
“Sasha was there to have enjoyable and play the sport,” Leland remembers, “but in addition, I really feel like [she was] fairly fearless in the way in which that she wasn’t scared to leap into roles that may not make her look attractive and scorching on a regular basis. Once I see a queen take that route, I actually join with that.”
She introduced that very same power to the “Wigloose” Rusical which Leland wrote (enjoyable truth: he additionally voices her character, Carl Preacher-Trainer, within the recording), however the two actually had the chance to unite their skills when writing “GODDESS” for her finale efficiency.
“Seeing how Sasha introduced that tune to life in simply the fiercest manner, to its fullest potential, was so thrilling,” Leland recollects. “We had these three actually particular experiences all through the season, so when the finale aired and ‘Goddess’ was such a second, it was apparent then, like, ‘we want to work on one thing else collectively.’”
As Sasha tells it, the seeds of JUDY have been first planted at an Emmys after-party, once they have been celebrating Season 15’s win for Excellent Actuality Competitors Program. “We talked [then] about doing music, however we’ve been slightly busy the previous couple of years, so it’s been exhausting to nail down once we’re each actually even in the identical metropolis.”
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After they lastly made it to a studio collectively, the gears began turning—not only for what sort of music they’d wish to make, however what sort of vibe they hope to create, and the place they may showcase all of it in its full potential.
“[One of] the missions for me, for this get together, is to have this as a vessel to hone my musical artistry, and to have the ability to carry out in a spot the place it’s protected that I can experiment and do issues,” Sasha admits. “You recognize, it’s actually self-serving for me and what my my inventive juices want, and that’s all the time good—you all the time wish to feed your self, you already know?”
Leland shares an analogous sentiment: “I see JUDY as an area to check out new remixes that I’ve by no means performed earlier than, or possibly play a tune that’s popping out for the primary time, or have somebody pop up and carry out.” As he says, it’s “a stage for us and our mates to be inventive and be curious collectively”—and so they hope to ask the remainder of us in on the enjoyable.
And there’s maybe no higher place to unveil JUDY than WorldPride DC, throwing a radical celebration of inclusivity and queer pleasure… proper down the road from the White Home.
“To me, it’s not an accident that World Delight is within the place that it truthfully must be,” Leland says, “on the footsteps of the people who find themselves oppressing queer individuals—on the entrance garden of the of the people who find themselves waking up within the morning and investing their time, power and cash into how they will oppress different individuals.”
“Delight is a protest, at first,” Sasha chimes in, “and that is our protest—not essentially being combative, however our queer power is in simply being, and being collectively. That is one other name of motion. That is one other alternative to remind ourselves, ‘What are we going to create out of this? How are we going to be impressed by this second and transfer ahead collectively?’”
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And why cease at WorldPride? Sasha and Leland have large ambitions to take JUDY world. There are already talks of an LA version, however they’re able to go “wherever individuals need it, everywhere in the world.” Its actually sounds just like the little slice of homosexual heaven we might all use in these head-spinningly overwhelming instances.
In the meantime, each artists plan to proceed doing what they do finest: Getting the get together began. Sasha’s already wanting ahead to the autumn and her recently announced Stripped II tour:
“The primary tour was simply form of setting the tone on what my life was, from slightly child to the place I’m now,” she shares. “Now I’m simply actually motivated by what we’re residing by, and I’m discovering a variety of solace in creating this escapist, enjoyable, drag fantasy present. It is going to make you are feeling—for an hour and a half—like [you can] neglect your issues and neglect the issues on the surface, and actually go away with slightly extra power and slightly extra confidence to take that on in your life.”
And Leland, for his half, is simply centered on making it by Delight Month in a single piece. This week, he’s heading to Barcelona together with his mates Troye Sivan and Charli XCX as they carry the Sweat Tour to the Primavera music competition. “They play from 1am to 3am, after which Troye and I get on a aircraft to go straight to DC, and we simply hit the bottom operating with JUDY that night time.”
From there, Leland performs on the WorldPride Musical Competition on Saturday afternoon, shall be supporting Troye’s headlining slot on the fest that night time, adopted by his DJ set at Maurice—LA’s famous dance party making its DC debut on June 7—the place he’ll be joined by mates like Alex Chapman and Symone.
“I’m excited for what I’m contemplating homosexual mania,” Leland jokes, “or homosexual psychosis.”
Greater than something, he and Sasha are wanting ahead to what’s going to really feel like a giant, queer household reunion: “I’m excited to show round and be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so joyful you’re right here!’ It’s simply gonna be fantastic to have all people in a single place. Between JUDY and the World Delight Music Competition and Maurice, it’s going to be a actually enjoyable weekend… after which I’m going to not do something homosexual for a minute.
“However solely a minute!,” Sasha provides.
In the event you’re in DC for WorldPride, don’t miss the debut of Sasha Colby & Leland’s JUDY at The Atlantis on June 6; find tickets and more info right here.
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