Honey Davenport : Nothing Can Beat the Power of Love

With more than a decade of experience in the entertainment industry, Honey Davenport has left an indelible mark on the world.The singer, dancer, actor, and drag superstar will release their latest EP, Love Is God, on January 14, which is a collection of songs about love and overcoming dark times with an overarching story of judicial and sexual liberation. 

“During the pandemic, there were so many situations in my life where I felt like my love was tested,” Davenport says. “There was so much emotional struggle that I had to overcome, on top of everything that was already going on in the world. I started writing this project, not about what I had to overcome, but how I knew I was going to overcome it. I knew that the love I was experiencing, even though it was being tested, will pull through. That was in a lot of different situations. My marriage, my friendships, our country, our government—I started writing it from an inspirational place throughout all of the hurt I was feeling.”

From pop and disco to house and reggaeton, each track spreads a message of social justice and change. 

Davenport has made themselves known as a recording artist and vocal activist whose music speaks to the experiences of the oppressed, advocating for equality.

“As somebody who grew up inside that struggle, I think it would be really weird for me to ignore that it’s happening,” they say. “I can’t create without speaking to what’s happening because I am a product of our system. I had to come up out of it to get to where I am today, and if I don’t keep that door open for other people, then I’m a gatekeeper. When you make it to the other side, you shine a light on the injustices that you’ve had to overcome so that, hopefully, somebody else like me won’t have to go through the same struggles.”

Love Is God also features collaborations with DJ and nightlife legend Kevin Aviance, as well as other drag powerhouses including Manila Luzon, Tammie Brown, LaLa Ri, and Jackie Cox. 

“It was so incredible to work with these drag entertainers,” Davenport says. “I believe in collaboration, and it has been one of my favorite things to do with my musical career. I have had the chance to collaborate with some of the dopest people. A while back, when I started toying with the idea of an EP, I wanted it to be an EP of collabs. I wanted to come together with as many artists to celebrate the kind of music I was writing, and that artists that I picked are people who are close with me in some kind of way.”

The EP’s title track was released in December when Love Is God was officially announced, and according to Davenport, they have heard nothing but positive reviews. Another single will possibly drop right before the January 14 release.

They are also working on a short musical film called Love Is God: The Visual Album, which will feature a story woven together by all the songs on the EP.

“We started out by wanting to release the EP and the visual album in conjunction with each other,” Davenport explains. “As I said, you have to sometimes overcome struggle, and the executive producer who I was working with at the time to fund the projects pulled out to fund a different project. So, it’s been another struggle to create and produce the visual album, but we decided to move along with releasing the music because it is so timely and important, and I really do think it’s the best thing I have ever done.”

Hailing from West Philadelphia, Davenport says they have had a passion for entertaining since childhood. Drag came into the mix after completing a national tour of Broadway’s hit Hairspray.

“I did a little bit of drag in Hairspray,” they say. “There are moments where you are in silhouette, and the boys have to put on bustiers and wigs, and I would live my good, gay fantasy life! It was my favorite part of the show. I was a swing, so whenever I got to be one of the characters and do one of those silhouettes, I was living.  When I got home from doing Hairspray, I was dancing around in a nightclub, and guess who came up to me? Peppermint. She said, ‘Would you like to dance for me? I have a show coming up at Lincoln Center.’ I said yes, and forever, my life was changed. I was a backup dancer for Peppermint for almost four years, and as I started my own drag career, she was one of my initial mentors.”

Since then, Davenport has won 18 pageant crowns and accomplished several other accolades. However, their notoriety skyrocketed after competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11. Although they were eliminated early, they still made a lasting impact.

Davenport fondly looks back on Drag Race and says the experience completely changed their life. 

“It has changed the way I look at myself, for better or worse,” they say. “It definitely made me reflect on who I am and how I present myself, and I think that is truly one of the biggest assets that I’ve had in continuing my career. Even though I was eliminated early, I was able to really market and brand myself and my creations in a way that not many people have taken that opportunity and run with. Watching yourself on TV makes you rethink a lot about your reality. It was all life changing for the better. 

Would Davenport compete again for All Stars?

“Absolutely,” they exclaim. “I don’t feel as though there’s anything I have to prove, but there are parts of me that I would love to share. A lot of my story wasn’t told, and I would love the world to have the opportunity to experience that.”

As for upcoming projects, Davenport says we can expect a lot from them in 2022. They are currently working on a podcast with drag favorite Jasmine Masters.

“It’s called Wake and Bake, and we discuss everything from hot topics to popular TV shows while getting our munchies on and having our morning smoke session,” they say. “That is an upcoming project I am super excited about.”

Stay up-to-date and connect with Davenport by following them on Instagram and Facebook @honeydavenportofficial and Twitter @Honey_Davenport. Love Is God will be available on Spotify and all other digital streaming platforms. Click here to pre-save.     

Photos by Davide Laffe