Kim Petras shot for PEOPLE in June 2023.Photo:Nolwen Cifuentes
Nolwen Cifuentes
Kim Petrasis ready to take her seat alongside the music royalty she grew up idolizing.
On Friday, the “Alone” singer, 30, released her major-label debut,Feed the Beast.And she’s hustled relentlessly to fulfill her pop-star dreams, displaying a penchant for songwriting while fighting transphobia and blazing her own singular trail.
“My purpose is to be an artist. I just so happen to be transgender, but that’s not all that I am,” Petras says. “It’s been a nonstop mission since I was 12 years old to do this, but I feel like I’m just beginning.”
Last fall, Petrasmade historywhen “Unholy” — her deliciously deviant collab withSam Smith— topped the charts, making the duo the first out trans and non-binary artists, respectively, to score a No. 1 hit. The song went onearn them the Grammyfor best pop duo/group performance, another first.
Kim Petras at the Grammys in February 2023.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
“Unholy” marked a turning point for Petras. Not only was it her biggest hit to date, but it also offered her a much-needed boost. Before the duet dropped in September, “I was struggling to get anyone to release my music,” says Petras, whofelt stalledafter her label shelved another album she’d completed. “It was a really s—ty situation that then led to the biggest moment I’ve had in my career. I’m so happy I clawed my way back.”
Kim Petras shot for PEOPLE in June 2023.Nolwen Cifuentes
Bullied as a kid, she found solace in music.
“I look up to creatives who are really authentic and carve out their own lane and are unafraid,” she says. “That’s what I try to be. I’m from the middle of nowhere. I always knew I had to carve my own way.”
Kim Petras & Paris Hilton.Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj.Kim Petras & Sam Smith.Kim Petras & Paris Hilton.PHOTO:Chris Polk/ShutterstockKim Petras & Nicki Minaj.PHOTO:Alex âGrizzâ LoucasKim Petras & Sam Smith.PHOTO: Christopher Polk/Getty
Kim Petras & Paris Hilton.Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj.Kim Petras & Sam Smith.
Kim Petras & Paris Hilton.
Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj.
Kim Petras & Sam Smith.
Kim Petras & Paris Hilton.PHOTO:Chris Polk/ShutterstockKim Petras & Nicki Minaj.PHOTO:Alex âGrizzâ LoucasKim Petras & Sam Smith.PHOTO: Christopher Polk/Getty
Chris Polk/Shutterstock
Alex âGrizzâ Loucas
“It took a while to find the right people who really get what I’m trying to do, but finding a label that supports me was crucial,” Petras says. But she continues to face hurdles most singers don’t: “I still feel people view me as a little bit of a test creature.”
Like many pop stars, Petras has skirted her share of controversy. She’s faced backlash for working with Dr. Luke, the music producer singerKeshaaccused of sexual assault. (Luke denies the allegations; Kesha’s 2014 lawsuit was dismissed because of statute of limitations; and on Thursday, Luke and Kesha revealed that they hadreached a resolutionin his defamation lawsuit.)
“It breaks my heart, and it’s unfortunate,” Petras — who worked with Luke on seven ofFeed the Beast’s 15 tracks — says of the situation, declining to comment further.
“I’m just so tired of people trying to tell certain people what they can or can’t do with their bodies, how they can or can’t live,” she says. “Trans people are such a small percentage of the population. We just want to live, and itisa matter of life or death. It’s really scary, and we have to fight through this.”
But Petras doesn’t consider herself an activist. Rather, she hopes her advocacy shines through her artistry.
“It is important that I show people that you are more than your gender. I have so many sides to me. That’s not all that makes meme,” she says. “For me, reaching equality is being able to be known as a great artist.”
“I’m really pushing myself to my limit. I’ve done this for a long time but never on this level,” she says. “I’ve never been this busy.”
And Petras is happiest when she’s working. In August, she’ll kick off herFeed the Beast Global Tour.
“The stage is the only place where I really feel like I belong. I feel successful whenever I’m on- stage selling out a venue, and that’s what I want to do forever… ” she says. “But the Grammy is nice to have too!”
For more on Kim Petras, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
source: people.com
