Salome, the “Mother” of drag collective House of Blaque, owner of Wigs by Salome, and a legendary “look queen,” has long been a central force in Singapore’s queer nightlife. Alongside her are her daughters: Opera Tang, who gained national attention after the release of Baby Queen, a Busan International Film Festival-selected documentary; and Jan Blaque, a resident DJ and seasoned performer from Singapore’s iconic party circuit.
We caught up with the trio for a no-holds-barred kiki on hotel scandals, drag wardrobe disasters, and the future of queer spaces in Singapore.
If this hotel were a drag queen, what would her name and personality be?
Opera: This I know. Standard Opera-Ting Procedure.
Most scandalous thing you’ve done in a hotel?
Salome: I slept with the bellboy. Can I say that? [cackles] Belly my bells!
Where was that?
Salome: I cannot disclose!
What’s one drag trend that needs to die?
Salome: A corset outside of the costume. That needs to die.
Opera: Misogynistic men dressing up as women just to humiliate them. That’s not drag. Drag is a celebration of femininity, masculinity, and everything in between.
Salome: Depends. A gay friend, or a girlfriend? Or you know what, just give me a room to myself.
Cocktails or shots?
Salome: Shots first, and then cocktails.
Sweet or spicy?
Opera: Sweet. Always.
Pool or beach?
Opera: Beach.
Heels or sneakers?
Opera: Heels. At least ten cm—four inches.
Blonde or brunette?
Salome: Brunette.
Day drag or night glam?
Salome: Night glam.
Gaga or Beyoncé?
[All scream]
Salome: Oh my God, that’s a tough one. I pass.
Opera: Double it and pass it on.
Salome: Cannot, cannot, cannot.
Opera: Gaga.
Favorite song to perform?
Salome: Any soulful song.
Glitter or rhinestones?
Opera: Glitter on the face, rhinestones on the costume.
Worst wardrobe malfunction?
Opera: When your wig falls off mid-performance. And then you have to compensate by climbing the scaffolding.
Salome: That’s your number, every time.
Salome: Yeah, it is 100%. In every show.
Lip sync or live vocals?
Jan: Oh. Lip sync. 100%.
Favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant?
Jan: Bosco.
Night out tips?
Salome: Bring your eyelash glue.
Jan: Bring your spirit gum.
Salome: Bring slippers.
Jan: Foundation powder.
Opera: Friends and confidence. Oh my god, I’m so philosophical.
Worst place you’ve had to get ready?
Salome: Everywhere, girl.
Opera: Drag queens are adaptable, flexible, anywhere.
Salome: You can finish your essay while putting on lashes.
Opera: My master's in drag-ology or whatever.
What’s one thing we should know about the drag community in Singapore?
Salome: Drag is an actual job.
Opera: Yes, we will be full-timers again.
Salome: In due time.
The queens of House of Blaque may make it look effortless, but their journey has been anything but. They cut their teeth at Tuckshop, Singapore’s beloved drag bar that shuttered during the pandemic and has since reemerged as Catch Us Move Queens.
Opera: Tuckshop changed me. I’m actually not that extroverted. But being surrounded by so much queer joy helped me grow. It wasn’t just a bar. It was a queer-owned, queer-run, for-the-queer-people space.
Salome: We miss it. We need more spaces like that. Queer-friendly? In Singapore? No lah. There could always be more.
Jan: But we don’t wait for permission. Salome creates spaces, for herself, for us, for the whole scene.
From crafting wigs to commanding DJ booths, from lip syncing to lecturing on queer resilience, Salome, Opera, and Jan are more than performers. They are community builders, culture shapers, and fierce defenders of Singapore’s queer creative heart.
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