On May 31, Trixie Mattel and folk musician Shakey Graves graced “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with a performance of Mattel’s song “This Town.” Mattel glittered in a vibrant pink gown, bringing her own twist to country-folk nostalgia.
“This Town” was released on Jan. 28, and it explores Mattel’s memories of her own hometown, Wausaukee, WI. “You either work the land or the fiberglass plant in town,” she sings, going on to paint a vivid picture of small-town life. “You maybe got out or you never did settle down.” The song’s video also features real footage of Mattel’s early years in Wausaukee.
Mattel certainly made it out of her hometown, and she has a number of projects in the works. “This Town” is a single from her upcoming double album, “The Blonde & Pink Albums,” which will be released on June 24. She’s also starring in the eight-episode series “Trixie Motel,” which chronicles Mattel’s efforts to turn a derelict motel into a fabulous destination. It will be released on Discovery+ on June 3.
Mattel, who won the third season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” in 2018, also stars in the web series “UNHhhh” alongside fellow drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova. Her first book, “Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood,” was a New York Times bestseller, and she is also the founder of makeup line Trixie Cosmetics.
If “This Town” is any indication, the new song seems poised to provide a more intimate window into the drag icon’s life. “‘This Town’ was written during the depth of 2021 lockdown when I was fantasizing about quitting drag and moving to my hometown,” Mattel said in a press release about the song, per Consequence. “The simplicity of such an honest place appealed to me at a time when the city (LA) seemed doomed. However, even the sweetest small towns have a dark side and all the reminiscing made me remember the duality of such a place.”