Jaren Kyei Merrell (born February 8, 1989),[1] known professionally asShea Couleé, is an Americandrag queen, singer, rapper, actor, podcaster, and fixture of theChicago nightlife scene. Born inWarsaw, Indiana, they began their drag career in 2012. In 2017, Couleé achieved international fame after competing onseason nine ofRuPaul's Drag Race,[2] placing in the top four.[3] In 2020, Couleé won thefifth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[4][5] Couleé later returned to compete on the all-winnersseventh season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2022, once again placing in the top four.
In 2016, Couleé co-produced, directed, wrote, and starred inLipstick City. In 2017, Couleé released their debutEP,Couleé-D, along with accompanying music videos. Since then, Couleé has continued their musical career, starred in theirweb series, podcast, and has embarked on domestic and international tours, includingWerq the World,Haters Roast, andA Drag Queen Christmas.
Merrell was born to William and Marilyn Elaine Merrell[6][7][8] inWarsaw, Indiana and raised inPlainfield, Illinois.[9][10] The youngest of five children, their mother was a minister.[10][11][12] Their father passed away on January 31, 2017.[8] Couleé has performed in theater since the age of nine.[10][13] They graduated with a degree in costume design fromColumbia College Chicago in 2011.[10][14] In their sophomore year, they were cast inTen Square.[10][15]During their senior year at Columbia, they were the lead designer on Shakespeare'sThe Winter's Tale.[16]
After auditioning five times, every year since they started doing drag[10][17] Couleé became one of 14 queens to compete on theninth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[2][18] After portraying Naomi Campbell in theSnatch Game challenge, Campbell tweeted Couleé in approval.[19] Couleé won their first challenge in the fourth episode, alongside Sasha Velour.[20] They again won the following episode, portrayingBlac Chyna for "Kardashians: The Musical".[21] Couleé won another challenge in the ninth episode, "Your Pilot's On Fire", again alongside Sasha Velour.[22] In the following episode, "Makeover: Crew Better Work", Couleé lip synced for their life againstNina Bo'nina Brown, sending her home toDemi Lovato's "Cool for the Summer".[23] Couleé won once again during the season's "Gayest Ball Ever", after creating a look inspired by theVillage People's "construction worker".[24]
In the season's finale, the final four queens all participated in a "lip sync for the crown", a new format for the show. Couleé was selected to lipsync against Sasha Velour, toWhitney Houston's "So Emotional", but lost. They ultimately placed in joint third/fourth place.[25][26] Couleé's loss was met with controversy, with many people claiming that Couleé should have won the crown.[27] Couleé themself responded to the controversy, defending Velour's win, and saying "Ultimately Sasha was more successful than myself and the other girls."[28]
In April 2022, Couleé was announced as one of the eight returning winners that would be competing inseventh season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, the first ever all-winners season ofDrag Race.[31] Throughout the competition, they won the first and eleventh challenges, and ultimately finished in 3rd/4th place.[32][33][34]
In 2016, Couleé was photographed forGlossed and Found magazine.[35] In May 2017, Couleé performed as part of the Werq the World 2017 tour. Hosted byBianca Del Rio andMichelle Visage, the tour featured drag queensAlaska Thunderfuck,Alyssa Edwards,Detox,Latrice Royale, andViolet Chachki.[36] Couleé co-produced, directed, and starred in their own filmLipstick City in July 2017.[37] Couleé also released three music videos to promote their debut EP,Couleé-D.[38] They co-directed the music videos, and co-produced the EP.[39][40]Azealia Banks and Couleé announced plans to release a studio collaboration.[41] The collaboration never came to fruition after Banksghosted Couleé.[42]
Shea Couleé in 2018
At one point, they were asked to perform as a dancer in a burlesque show "Jeezy's Juke Joint". After an email mishap, they ended up performing a solo act for the show, their first time in drag.[43] They have performed at various venues in Chicago, including Roscoe's, Berlin,Double Door, and Hydrate.[44][45] They also worked as a resident host at Smart Bar,[46] and was a Co-Host for the Tony Soto Show.[15][47] At one point, Couleé competed in Miss Roscoe's Pageant.[46] Before doing drag full-time, Couleé also worked part-time as a sales associate and customer service representative for an adult store, Tulip.[48] In April, Couleé was featured inPeppermint'sToo Funky music video.[49] In April 2018, Couleé premieredCall Me Couleé, a web series documenting their life postDrag Race.[50] The series lasted six episodes, concluding on October 18, 2018.[51] In September 2018, Couleé performed as a background dancer forChristina Aguilera forOpening Ceremony's Spring 2019 collection, alongside otherDrag Race alumni.[52] They were photographed withFarrah Moan forManny MUA'sLunar Beauty palette.[53]In June 2018, Couleé andDrag Race alumAsia O'Hara andMonét X Change performed inThe Vixen'sBlack Girl Magic, a drag show created to showcase the talent of black queens.[54] In November, Couleé was featured as a part ofLush's "Merry DRAGMas" Campaign, alongsideDetox andKim Chi.[55][56] In March 2019, they appeared in the music video forIggy Azalea's "Sally Walker".[57] The same month, they joined theDrag World UK lineup, which began touring in June.[58][59]In May, they were photographed withFarrah Moan andViolet Chachki forHuda Beauty's new Setting Spray.[60]
On May 18, Couleé re-released their song "Creme Brulee" as well as an accompanying music video. The song is inspired by other female rappers such asLil' Kim,Nicki Minaj, and Azealia Banks. The song was originally written in 2013 and was the first song Couleé ever wrote.[61]Billboard named "Creme Brulee" as the best Drag Music Video of 2018.[62] In September, Couleé released "Gasoline" a collaboration with Eddie Gessford, known professionally as GESS, who produced, co-wrote, and featured credit on the track.[63] A month later in June, National Selfie Day, Couleé was featured in Shawn Hollenbach's track "Double Filter Face", along with an accompanying music video.[64] On July 15, Couleé released "Rewind", a collaborative song with them and GESS. The following month, they released a music video for the song, directed by Sam Bailey. The song is about Couleé's former boyfriend who suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide.[65][66]
Couleé was one of the Inspirations for Sina Grace's character of Shade,Marvel's first drag queen superhero.[67][68] Couleé has embarked on several world tours following their success onDrag Race including headlining the "War on the Catwalk"[69] and "A Drag Queen Christmas",[70] among others. Couleé was added to theDrag Race "Haters Roast: The Shady Tour" comedy tour with other Drag Race alumni in 2019.[71] They also headlined a one-woman show in 2019, entitled "Couleé With A 'C'". An autobiographical show, it combined song, story, and comedy, revolving around their upbringing and how they got into drag.[72] Couleé's makeup and look transformations have been featured in publications such asCosmopolitan.[73]In October, Couleé published their first article forMetro.[74] In January 2020, Couleé attended the first ever RuPaul's DragCon UK.[75] In March 2020, Couleé performed alongside fellow drag race alumniBeBe Zahara Benet,Bob The Drag Queen,Mo Heart,Peppermint, andThe Vixen in theNubia tour. The tour began its run with sold-out shows in New York City, and has plans to visit Los Angeles, as well as other major cities across the United States.[76][77]
In May 2020, Couleé announced the release of Shea Coul-Alé, a beer in collaboration with DoStuff Media andGoose Island Brewery as a part of their Drag a Beer campaign. A portion of all the profits went to an organization that supports individuals within the LGBTQ community.[78][79] The following year, they launched another limited-edition beer with Goose Island, Shea Coul-Alé: Royal Edition, with an updated flavor palate,[80][81] as well as their own exclusive burger.[82]
In October 2020, Couleé was featured on the cover ofOut magazine, recreatingCindy Crawford andk.d. Lang's iconicVanity Fair cover.[83] Later that month, they were a featured performer inRihanna'sSavage X Fenty Fashion Show Vol. 2.[84] In November, Couleé was recognised with the GAY TIMES Honour for Drag Hero at the fourth annualGAY TIMES Honours.[85] They also featured as one of the cover stars for the magazine's Honours edition. In May 2021, Couleé launchedWanna Be On Top?, a biweekly podcast themed aroundAmerica's Next Top Model and discussing its impact on the art of drag.[86][87] In an interview withThe Advocate, Couleé announced that for the past three years, they have been working on an album.[88]
In August 2021, Couleé released "$100,000 bar", their own brand of bar soap in collaboration with The Quiet Girl Shoppe, a female, Black-owned business.[93] Later that month, they were a featured performer and host inKlub Kids London Presents: NOIR: The Tour, where 25% of the proceeds from the production will be donated to theBlack Lives Matter movement.[94] In October, they performed withHeels of Hell through their eight-city Halloween tour.[94]
In February 2022, Couleé collaborated with Green Monké to produce their own Cannabis-infused Soda drinks.[95]
Couleé has said it is important to them to use their career in drag to inspire people. In an interview withSeattle Gay Scene, they said, "I would say the influence I would like to have on the queer community would be to inspire people—specifically queer POC—to feel comfortable in themselves and their identities, to understand that they're special, they're amazing, and that anything you want or dream about, you deserve it."[98] They have been particularly outspoken about racial equality, especially within theRuPaul's Drag Racefandom and drag community. In October 2018, Couleé interviewedThe Vixen about racism in America for the UK's Black History Month edition ofGay Times.[99] In another interview withGay Times UK, Couleé discusses the importance of supporting and uplifting trans women of color.[100]
Couleé has spoken againstPresidentDonald Trump.[101] Specifically, in reaction to Trump's potential policy eliminatingtransgender recognition, they wrote:
"Dear Trump: You don't tell women what to do with their bodies. You don't get to define gender. You don't have the qualifications to do so. You don't have a spine. You don't have a clue. We won't take this lying down. November is coming. Look how orange you fucking look girl."[102]
Continuing their political activism, Couleé endorsed presidential candidateElizabeth Warren,[103] and spoke at Warren'sDragCon NYC booth, encouraging people to vote for her in the2020 United States presidential election.[104] They also marched alongside Warren at the Las Vegas Pride Parade.[105] In 2020, Couleé participated and spoke at the Drag March for Change in support for theBlack Lives Matter movement.[106][79] Couleé has also vocally shown their support and solidarity for the Palestinian people and advocated for a free Palestine during theIsrael–Hamas war.
At one point, they suffered frombulimia.[111] In 2018, Couleé received corrective dental surgery, something they wanted since they were a teenager.[112]
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