CREATIVE COULEÉ: BETWEEN DETAIL AND DREAM IN DRAG ARTISTRY

BY A BOOK OF EDITORIAL TEAM

Fresh off the glittering success of three sold-out shows in Chicago, Atlanta, and NYC, Shea Couleé, the trailblazing drag queen, recording artist, model, and activist, took a moment to share the magic behind 'The Love Ball' tour with us. Riding high on the waves of gratitude and excitement, Shea opens up about the electrifying atmosphere of the shows, the heartfelt connections made with fans, and the unforgettable experience of bringing 'The Love Ball' to life. With an eye for detail and a heart full of passion, Shea's reflections on the tour's impact and her vision for its future illuminate her dedication to her craft and her community. This intimate chat offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a tour that's much more than just a performance; it's a celebration of love, artistry, and the power of connection.

As Shea recounts memorable moments from the tour, the energy and support from hometown crowds stand out, underscoring the special bond between artists and their roots. From the vibrant venue of The Masquerade in Atlanta to the collaborative spirit among the selected queens, Shea delves into the careful curation and creative synergy that define 'The Love Ball.' With insights into the meticulous planning, artistic vision, and the promise of an even more spectacular show on the West Coast, Shea Couleé invites fans and newcomers alike to anticipate what's next with excitement. This sneak peek into the heart and soul behind 'The Love Ball' not only celebrates Shea Couleé's incredible journey but also teases the thrilling continuation of a tour that's breaking barriers and bringing communities together, one show at a time.

Hi Shea! CONGRATS on your sold-out tour! How are you feeling?

I'm definitely feeling overwhelmed with gratitude because The Love Ball wouldn't have been possible without the contributions of the entire team and all the fans who bought tickets and came to support a show that was brand new and that they had never seen before. Knowing that it had such a positive impact is really humbling. I'm just excited to keep growing.

Speaking of the fans, were there any memorable moments on this tour with fans that had a lasting impact on you so far?

Honestly, I think it was looking out in the crowd and seeing how truly engaged and excited the fans were to be experiencing this show. There was such a special energy that was created with the Love Ball, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. I’m so excited to have the ability to take it to other markets and have more fans experience it.

ATL is Lala Ri’s hometown, NYC is Monét & Luxx’s hometown, and Chicago is your hometown. What is the energy like playing a hometown show?

There is so much love and support when you're in your hometown. In the beginning, I wanted to route this tour so that everybody would get a hometown show. The fans went up for every cast member at all three shows, but it was great to see the way that Atlanta went up for LaLa, how Chicago went up for me, and how New York went up for Monét and Luxx. To have that experience, to play in a place that is home, is really, really nice.

So would you say that LaLa Ri being from Atlanta was a big reason that you wanted to take the Love Ball to Atlanta?

It wasn’t only because LaLa is from there but because I had an incredible time filming Marvel’s Ironheart in Atlanta last summer. I've really grown to love Atlanta as a city. The entire time I was there filming, I didn't get a chance to perform in drag, so it was cool to come back after having spent so much time there and finally be able to put on a show for all my friends and fans in Atlanta.

How would you describe the venue (The Masquerade) in Atlanta?

The Masquerade in Atlanta was really, really cool. They had such an expansive balcony and a large, fun space to play in. Overall, the energy was on another level. The Atlanta audience—they were so attentive and interactive throughout the whole show. I was actually told that was really rare with an Atlanta audience, so that made it feel extra special for me.

What does this group of queens you selected mean to you in terms of the Love Ball vision?

For me, it was really important to choose queens whose music I felt had a really strong intent and point of view that leaned into contemporary pop and R&B sounds versus leaning into campy drag tropes. Which is totally fine. I'm not knocking that music, but I wanted to feature queens that I could tell really put a lot of work and thought into creating their songs so that we could put on a one-of-a-kind concert experience for the fans.

PHOTOGRAPHER: SOPHIE HARRIS

Can you share any insight on the collaboration process with the other drag musicians? As a curator, what was it like merging these different perspectives?

All the queens exist in R&B, pop, and hip-hop spaces, so for me, the only job that I had to do was to contextualize the production of each girl's number to make sure that it all fell within this cohesive world that I was trying to create with The Love Ball. I was really grateful that these artists allowed me to come in and say, “hey, I have this idea and this concept and this vision for your music.” They really just trusted me, and that was a lot of fun, and I'm really grateful that they did.

We know you have amazing attention to detail. How do you maintain a balance between detail and perfectionism, but also creative freedom?

For me, the details develop as I continue to try and create the vision as a whole. It’s about trusting the process and allowing myself to try and find those specific details and execute them in a way that feels really organic and natural to the process.

We know that the next Love ball is planning to hit the West Coast in LA. What can folks expect?

We only got to do this show thrice, so it will evolve in form before it gets to the West Coast. But, we have a really good structure and a skeleton built. You can expect to see an even more realized version of the show when it comes over to the West Coast!