Kandy Muse is the stage name of Kevin Gabriel Candelario (born November 3, 1994), an American drag queen and performer most known for being the runner-up on both the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2021) and the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2023). In 2024, she starred on the second season of reality television series House of Villains and Slaycation.
Career Kandy Muse was a former member of the House of Aja, a queer collective house ran by Aja, a drag queen who competed on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Kandy Muse was a member of the Doll Haus, alongside fellow former House of Aja members Dahlia Sin and her daughter Janelle No. 5. Now she is the mother of the House of Muse, including Xunami Muse, Papito Suave, and Lucas Skywalker.
In 2021, Kandy Muse competed on the thirteenth season of Drag Race, during which Kandy Muse portrayed a "slutty version" of LinkedIn in "Social Media: The Unverified Rusical" and Patrick Starrr in the Snatch Game episode, and placed runner up to winner Symone.
In 2023, Muse competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, where she was declared the runner-up to Jimbo. After the airing of the season, Kandy's own World of Wonder original series, Inside the Producer's Studio with Kandy Muse, was announced to premiere on August 7, 2023.
Kandy Muse is the drag mother of Xunami Muse, who competed on the sixteenth season of Drag Race in 2024.
Music
In 2017, Kandy Muse was featured on Eureka O'Hara's song "Body Positivity" and appeared in the music video for Velo's "Big Dick Daddy". Serving as the song's inspiration, Kandy Muse appeared on Alaska Thunderfuck's "Sitting Alone in the VIP" as well as the accompanying music video in 2020.
Personal life Candelario was born to parents of Dominican descent and lives in New York, as of 2021. He is also African American and identifies as Black. He was born in the South Bronx, NYC, and was raised between Tremont, Bronx and the Dominican Republic. He grew up Mormon and was baptized at 8 years old.
Discography Singles As featured artist +TitleYearAlbum "ConDragulations"(with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 13)2021 "Social Media: The Unverified Rusical"(with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 13)2021 Social Media: The Unverified Rusical Album "Lucky"(with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 13)2021 "Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" 2023 "Joan! The Unauthorized Rusical"(with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8)2023 Joan! The Unauthorized Rusical Album
Other appearances +SongYearArtistAlbum "Body Positivity" 2017 Eureka O'Hara, Adam Barta & Electropoint "Sitting Alone in the VIP" 2020 Alaska Thunderfuck
Filmography Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2017RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 3)GuestStand-alone special episode: "Exclusive Queen Ruveal"2021RuPaul's Drag Race (season 13)ContestantRunner-up (16 episodes)RuPaul's Drag Race: UntuckedHerselfSeason 13 (14 episodes)RuPaul's Drag Race: Corona Can't Keep a Good Queen DownHerselfStand-alone special Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch Cindy Brady 2022iCarly Cruella Intentions Episode: "iDragged Him" 2023RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 8)ContestantRunner-up (12 episodes)RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: UntuckedHerselfGood Morning America Herself Guest (1 episode) GMA3: What You Need to Know Herself Guest (1 episode) Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Herself Guest (1 episode) 2024House of VillainsContestantSeason 2 (6th Place) 2025 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 17)Herself Special guest; Episode: "The Villains Roast"TBASlaycationHerselfMain castJoey Nolfi, "See the 6 returning Drag Race queens set to be dropped into the wilderness on new Slaycation series". Entertainment Weekly, June 6, 2024.
Web series YearTitleRoleNotes2017Cosmo QueensHerselfGuest2018Hey Qween!Guest (Episode: Aja)2021Ruvealing the LookGuestWhatcha Packin'The X Change Rate2022Out of the Closet Trixie Cosmetics: Kiki with Kandy Muse2023Meet the QueensStand-alone special RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 EW News Flash Guest BuzzFeed Celeb Guest Inside the Producer's Studio with Kandy Muse Host 7 episodes
Music videos
Title Year Notes"Do What U Want"2013By Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly"Big Dick Daddy"2017By Velo"Sitting Alone in the VIP"2020By Alaska Thunderfuck
Awards and nominations Year Award-giving body Category Work Results Ref.2018Brooklyn Nightlife AwardsDrag Queen of the YearHerself 2021MTV Movie & TV AwardsBest Fight (with Tamisha Iman)RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked 2022Queerty AwardsFuture All-StarHerself
See also Drag culture in New York City LGBTQ culture in New York City List of LGBTQ people in New York City
References
External links
Kandy Muse at IMDb