Violet Chachki & Gottmik
CHRIS AZZOPARDI | QSyndicate
What do you get when two of drag’s boldest rule-breakers turn their creative tension into a pop anthem? A total knockout — literally.
With their debut musical collaboration, RuPaul’s Drag Race stars and No Gorge podcast co-hosts Gottmik and Violet Chachki aren’t just stepping into the ring, they’re redefining what it means to fight fabulously.
Equal parts glam, grit and campy chaos, the duo’s new single, “TKO,” launches a gritty new chapter for these longtime sisters-in-drag who have clashed like siblings, reconciled like best friends and have now transformed that fiery dynamic into a full-blown tour.
The Knockout Tour, their first co-headlining North American outing, is more than pure spectacle; it’s protest-meets-pageant, a defiant statement that drag isn’t going anywhere despite persistent attacks on the art form. The tour stops in Dallas on Nov 22 at the Echo Lounge.
During our recent conversation, the pair opened up about the inspiration behind “TKO,” why queer power remains vital in 2025 and how being loud, proud and unapologetically visible — whether on a tour stage or the Met Gala red carpet — is still a radical act.
Chris Azzopardi: How did you know “TKO” had to be your debut music collab? Gottmik: It started from the reality of us fighting. [Both laugh.]
Violet: We are definitely a chosen family. And just like any family, you fight. Sometimes you make up; there’s love.
We really are ride or die for each other, and we’ve been through so much already. And there’s a bit of crossover with our drag aesthetics — a juxtaposition of me being more rock-n-roll and Gottmik more classic glam. So we thought, what better way to showcase that than highlight our differences and play it up?
Gottmik: Battle it out. And let the audience decide.
What was the most challenging aspect of working together? Gottmik: We both are such insane perfectionists that sometimes what we think is perfect isn’t for the other person. We always want the same end goal. But the process is extremely different.
Violet: The reason I love drag to begin with is I get to choose the song. I get to choose the makeup. I get to choose the outfit. It’s not a team sport. And even the group challenges on Drag Race — I hate them. I do not think drag is a group challenge thing.
So collaborating with someone like this who is an equal, and we’re both sharing the spotlight, you do have to be like, “OK, we want the same goal.”
Violet, you’ve said that “TKO” feels like “walking into a club and taking over a room.” Gottmik, you called it “queer power.” Why were those the feelings that you wanted to bring to the surface of the song? Gottmik: I said it feels like queer power because I think it’s just that energy of being strong, entering the ring and gearing up for the fight — training for this like it’s a big moment.
I feel like that’s what being queer is like. We’re constantly being thrown crazy stuff every day. I feel like when I wake up, there’s a new bill, a new thing that’s telling me that I’m not the person that I know that I am. Sometimes it feels really tiring. But you have to be like: I know me. I know I’m not going anywhere, no matter what anybody says. I’m gonna win this.
How do you define “queer power” in 2025, Violet? Violet: I’ve always thought of drag as escapism and as a form of therapy for myself, personally. That’s kind of how it started. Since, it’s really evolved into taking up as much space as possible, usually in spaces that drag queens or drag artists don’t get necessarily the opportunity to go to — places like the Met Gala, or other spaces that are reserved for cis heteronormative people. …
Just existing in those spaces is an act of rebellion, an act of progress. And I do like to revisit that kind of escapism.
This show is 90 minutes; you can just come and look at something really beautiful and fantastical and forget about all the chaos and troubles in the real world. With the imagery that we’re using as … aggressive, queer, loud, proud people, we want to relay to the general population that we are intimidating, strong, queer people, and we’re not going anywhere.
Did the sound of “TKO” come first, or or did you build the track with the visual world already in mind? Violet: The visual world was first — it always is with us.
Who’s your dream collaborator for a “TKO” remix? Violet: My dream collaborator of all time — like, I would cry to work with her or do a song with her — would be Kylie Minogue.
Someone more realistic would be Slayyyter, Cobra or Kim Petras.
Gottmik: Definitely Rob Zombie would be my number one. I would just die.
Violet: Rob Zombie versus Kylie Minogue. That basically sums up the tour. [Laughs.]
Given your platform, do you think of yourselves as role models during an era in which trans people and drag queens are being attacked? Gottmik: I love having this platform and standing up for what I believe in and being able to take what’s going on politically, research it, digest it, give my opinion and have an impact. I love getting to travel and meet other queer people that I’ve inspired and get to know them. Their journeys inspire me, and that whole process inspires me.
It feels really hard right now, especially. But no matter what happens, that’s not going to change who we are or who any of us are. We’re not going to go anywhere. We just have to band together and learn from our queer elders and make sure that we are constantly fighting. And we are. We’re queer, and we’re here to stay, honey.
In this political era, The Knockout Tour feels like more than a show; it’s a space for joy, love and community. As the ones leading that, what does it mean to you to create that kind of environment, and how do you imagine it will feel on stage? Violet: I never set out to be a role model, per se. I started out doing drag as a form of therapy, just really embracing the feminine side of myself that I was repressing as a child. I got to a point where I was going to be whoever the fuck I wanted to be, as loudly as I wanted and on purpose. I got power and strength from that and healed myself. And then it turned into this career. It feels like a responsibility. A lot of queer elders have shaped me, and now I almost feel the need to pass the baton.
Every city on the tour will feature queer talent. Why was that important to you? And how does the community element shape these shows? Gottmik: It’s just so important to go to every city and really just engulf ourselves in the vibes of the city. Every time we go on tour, we love to make sure we set time aside to go out and see the bars and see the vibes and shop.
Violet: I worked many, many years as a local entertainer in Atlanta. I miss it. I miss those drag queens in the dressing room, and I really miss what that was like — the local chosen family. It’s so nice to travel and meet queens and other queer entertainers that have that sort of punk, “no-fucks-given” mentality that I almost feel like we’re missing a bit in the mainstream.
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.