HIGHKEY! With Yvie Oddly and Ryan Mitchell

Jussie Smollett joins Ryan and Yvie for a raw, emotional, and hilarious conversation about art, love, and redemption. Fresh off the release of his new album Break Out, Jussie opens up about how authenticity and healing have reshaped his artistry — and how he’s learned to “go where the love is.” The trio dives deep into identity, fame, and chosen family, reflecting on how community shifts when you’re co...

It’s officially spooky season, and Ryan and Yvie are summoning the queens of darkness themselves — The Boulet Brothers! The masterminds behind Dragula join Highkey! for a chilling, hilarious, and deeply queer dive into the magic of horror, the art of drag, and how embracing your inner monster can set you free. The Boulets reveal the origins of their horror obsession, how they built a global cult following, and why queer...

Ryan and Yvie welcome the iconic Kim Chi — Drag Race legend, fashion queen, and beauty mogul. Kim opens up about her whirlwind tour life, the balance between artistry and survival, and why she thinks modern Drag Race has lost some originality. She spills on launching KimChi Chic Beauty, writing a cookbook, and navigating the toxic mix of body image and online hate while still pursuing her passions.

Expect plenty of shade and ...

This week on HighKey! we bow down to the Queen of the North herself — Brooke Lynn Hytes! From ballerina to Drag Race royalty, Brooke spills on rivalries, evolution, and running her own franchise. She gets real about navigating the in-between spaces of her own gender and sexuality, learning to live with fan opinions, and why finishing second to Yvie in Season 11 still felt like a win. Plus, the ladies spill tea on the Emmys, Y...

Taylor Hale joins Yvie and Ryan on HIGHKEY! for a no-holds-barred dive into her journey from pageants to Big Brother history to The Amazing Race. She opens up about setting boundaries with fellow contestants in reality TV, why stan culture can get toxic, and what it means to be labeled a “girl’s girl.” Taylor also shares stories about pageant life, growing up surrounded by queer family, and navigating fame while k...

Yvie and Ryan ditch the guests and share their own origin stories. From Yvie’s original Drag Race audition tape to Ryan’s early hosting cringe, they revisit the moments that shaped their paths. They spill on slutty massages, self-care routines, awkward exes, and what it means to grow up queer in Denver and Nashville. They dig into fandom drama, fashion fails (fake gauges included), and even why WALL·E might have ...

This week on HIGHKEY, Ryan Mitchell and Yvie Oddly welcome the brilliant writer and activist George M Johnson (All Boys Aren’t Blue, Fighting Words). Together, they dive into internet discourse, the rise of banned books, and why Bugs Bunny in a dress still has conservatives clutching pearls.

George opens up about the realities of being at the center of cultural battles, the absurdity of censorship, and how community shows up ...

Utica is more than just a Drag Race alum — she’s rewriting the rules of fashion, spirituality, and queerness. On this week’s HIGHKEY!, hosts Ryan Mitchell and Yvie Oddly sit down with Utica (aka Ethan from Project Runway) for a conversation that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. From growing up religious in the Midwest to becoming a “slutty little party girl” in Chicago, Utica opens up about...

Emmy-winning writer, producer, and actor Lena Waithe (The Chi, Queen & Slim) joins Yvie and Ryan for a bold, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation about the myths of success, the pursuit of happiness, and creating without fear. From judging RuPaul’s Drag Race to building Legacy Talk, Lena shares how she balances ambition with meditation, why she makes art for herself—not the crowd—and what it means to tell Bla...

Bob the Drag Queen crashes the HIGHKEY! party for a hilarious and candid convo with Yvie and Ryan. The trio dives into everything from Drag Race crowns and All Stars shade to The Traitors drama and podcast partner tension. Bob gets real about nearly quitting Sibling Rivalry, being misunderstood by fans, and why she’ll never care about being “nice.” Plus: inside stories from Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert, her pla...

Jake Wesley Rogers joins Ben, Ryan, and Yvie for a heartfelt conversation about music, identity, and faith. He opens up about his Crohn’s diagnosis, nearly quitting music, and the emotional journey behind his new album In the Key of Love. Ryan and Jake dive deep into reclaiming religion, queer visibility in pop, and why straight men in dresses still get all the credit. Plus, Yvie recounts a nearly explosive PR gift from MrBea...

What happens when weddings don’t feel like they’re for you? This week on HIGHKEY! Ben, Ryan, and Yvie get real about the complicated relationship queer folks can have with weddings—from family estrangement and cultural expectations to chosen family and fantasy ceremony dreams. They share personal stories of being the only Black or queer person in the room, the cost of proving legitimacy through marriage, and wheth...

Can a bad b*tch be soft too? This week on HIGHKEY!, Yvie Oddly sits down with genre-bending rapper and alt-icon Rico Nasty for a raw and riotous conversation about self-love, survival, and the power of staying niche. They talk about rage, queerness, and letting yourself rot when you need to recharge. Rico opens up about her new album, Lethal, her soft girl era, and why being “too weird” can be your superpower.

Pl...

What does it mean to celebrate freedom in a country where so many are still fighting for it? This July 4th, HIGHKEY! welcomes legendary activist, filmmaker, and author Tourmaline for a conversation that reclaims joy, protest, and the radical legacy of Marsha P. Johnson. The hosts unpack Black queer history, trans resistance, and the messy truth about who gets remembered—and who gets erased. Tourmaline shares what she’s ...

“My body is an act of defiance.”

Model, author, and activist Tess Holliday joins HIGHKEY! for a raw conversation about taking up space—on her own terms. A pioneer in the body positivity movement, Tess has become one of its boldest and most influential voices, at a time when that visibility matters more than ever. Now, with her new book Take Up Space, Y’all, she’s helping the next generation step into t...

What does it mean to grow up without a dad — and still want to become one? Ben, Ryan, and Yvie get raw about their relationships with masculinity, parenthood, and the fathers who raised — or failed — them. From Doja Cat’s viral fan moment to growing up queer in homes that didn’t always feel safe, the hosts reflect on forgiveness, trauma, and found family. Plus: the power of queer uncles, the idea of ch...

Conflict, activism, and accountability collide when Yvie opens up about a near fallout with Nicole Byer — and how they both chose grace over beef. Then, our hosts break down protest culture, performative activism, cancel culture, and the complicated balance between standing up for what’s right while maintaining friendships. From LA protests to miscommunication, public call-outs, and how to actually apologize, the crew d...

Laverne Cox joins HIGHKEY! to talk trans erasure, identity, and surviving Hollywood in 2025. She shares how the cancellation of Clean Slate affected her personally and financially, and explains why being palatable to white audiences didn’t protect her. Laverne breaks down her evolving stance on respectability politics and the growing divestment from trans stories. She also revisits a recent speech where she called out Gavin N...

In the premiere of HIGHKEY!, hosts Yvie Oddly, Ben O’Keefe, and Ryan Mitchell get personal — and hilarious — about growing up queer, coming out, and redefining what “queer identity” means today. They unpack how LGBTQ+ stories show up (or don’t) in pop culture, why Pride feels different now, and what happens when queer joy meets corporate branding. From dial-up porn searches to first crushes, to w...