In case you missed it, we covered Ariana Grande posting about the Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan Pasig rally on her IG story, and how this was all thanks to makeup and drag artist Min Ortiz.
Ortiz, who goes by the drag name Minty Fresh, performed Grande’s hit “Break Free” during the political rally held at Emerald Avenue. Videos of the crowd of thousands singing in unison went viral and apparently left the pop star floored. “I could not believe this was real,” she said.
It turns out that all of this may have been manifested by Ortiz. On Twitter, he shared an old meme showing a photo of Grande in her iconic pink outfit designed by Michael Ngo for the Sweetener World Tour (the exact outfit that he wore a recreation of in the performance) superimposed on a photo of Robredo on her campaign. “Gusto ko lang naman gawin tong meme na to, hindi ko inexpect na ganito ka pasabog mangyayare. I’m so happy. Lavan!!!” he wrote.
We talked to Ortiz about the rally, his performance, and Ari’s reaction.
Hi, Min! Why did you choose to perform “Break Free”? What was it like performing at the rally?
I just felt like it was the right song to perform. There are a lot of negative things happening the past few years and personally I wanted to break free from those things. Also its a very hype and positive song very fitting for [the] event.
Of course I was very nervous before going on stage. I [had] zero sleep that day because I [had] a show the night before but when I felt the energy of the crowd I just broke free and enjoyed [it] with them. Everything was worth it.
You single-handedly got Ariana Grande to post about the Leni-Kiko rally. How does that feel?
I was in shock. I did not expect that. I was emotional seeing that post because I really did not expect that my performance [would] reach her and be viral.
Can you tell us more about your drag artistry?
Minty Fresh, the persona I created, is my way to channel my fantasies. She is like my armor. Whenever I’m Minty Fresh I feel confident, strong, and powerful.
Can we talk about your outfit? Your caption says it was made last minute but it doesn’t seem like that at all—it looked so good!
The outfit was created by my kakampink friend, Iji Montalbo. Yes, it was last minute. Hours before the performance I was still doing finishing touches.
Is there anything you want to impart to our readers?
To my fellow kakampinks, we will win this! Let us all break free to a brighter future for this country.
Art by Pammy Orlina
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