Sugar Solay Steps Out From the Sugar and Spice Era

For years, Sugar and Spice were inseparable icons in the digital drag universe: twin performers who turned TikTok into their personal runway, amassing millions of fans through their synchronized looks, bubblegum Y2K aesthetic, and living-doll fantasy. Their joint entrance onto season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race was a moment many in the queer community had been waiting for—the first twins to compete side by side, turning the mainstage into a family affair and serving up double trouble with every strut.

But even the sparkliest partnerships can hit a snag, and this November, Sugar and Spice finally confirmed what fans had been whispering about: the viral twins are officially going their separate ways. Sugar, in a heartfelt and unfiltered statement, announced a striking rebrand—she is now Sugar Solay, and the transformation isn’t just cosmetic. It’s a metamorphosis years in the making, echoing a universal queer story: sometimes, you have to break the mold to find your own sunbeam.

For Sugar, this isn’t just a name change; it’s a “re-birth and arrival of the individualized light that’s been lying dormant inside of me, ” she wrote in her announcement. The decision comes after years of feeling “disconnected from the initial ‘y2k bimbo’ character I was hiding behind”—the very persona that launched the twins to TikTok stardom, but eventually began to feel more like a shadow than a spotlight.

“I knew there was much more to my consciousness as an artist, and it was up to me to do the inner work and unlock my own divinity. Solay was waiting for me until I awoke to my true essence and broke free from the fear of being seen as my spiritual and whimsical self, ” Sugar revealed, radiating the kind of self-actualization that feels both intensely personal and deeply relatable to anyone on a queer journey.

The new name, Solay, riffs on the French word “soleil, ” meaning sun—a symbol of warmth, positivity, and, for Sugar, the golden energy she hopes to channel into her next act. “She’s been the sun in my darkest moments and now I’m ready to share her with you all… I hope I can lead the way for other blocked creatives/aspiring artists to reclaim their own magnificence. It’s never too late, ” she wrote, offering a manifesto that could double as a queer rallying cry for self-love and transformation.

Sugar and Spice’s twin act was more than just a viral gimmick: it was a living, breathing love letter to queer siblinghood, mutual support, and the power of chosen family. Their Drag Race run was legendary for its novelty, but also for the way it challenged the show’s format—bringing duality, harmony, and, ultimately, a dose of realness when the show forced them to face off in a lip sync that left fans gagged and emotional.

Their elimination order mirrored the natural, bittersweet drift that can happen in any partnership: Sugar left the competition in episode four, while Spice continued on to episode nine, each charting their own course in the aftermath. It was a split that, in hindsight, foreshadowed the real-life unraveling of their duo persona.

Now, with Sugar Solay’s rebrand, the split isn’t just confirmed—it’s being celebrated, reframed as an act of courage and self-actualization. For a generation of queer fans raised to believe in the power of reinvention, Sugar’s journey offers a glittering example of what it means to step out of even the closest shadow and into your own light.

It’s tempting to read the Sugar and Spice split as a simple case of creative differences, but in the context of queer culture, it resonates much deeper. There’s a universal queer experience in learning to rewrite your story, even when it means leaving behind something beloved and familiar. The drag world, after all, is built on the bones of reinvention—of finding new names, new bodies, new ways to love and to be seen.

For fans, Sugar Solay’s message is clear: the sun rises, even after the best double act comes to an end. “I will always be the Sugar of ‘Sugar and Spice, ’ but Solay is my own personal extension of source energy, ” she wrote, inviting audiences to see not just the end of an era, but the dawn of something new.

And if there’s a lesson for the broader LGBTQ+ community, it’s this: breaking up is not the same as breaking down. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is let go—with a wink, a whip of a synthetic ponytail, and a promise that your brightest self is still ahead.

As Sugar Solay steps out solo, the world waits to see what she’ll do next. One thing’s certain: this sun isn’t setting anytime soon.