Kim Petras

Kim Petras

Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. She is born in 1992 in Uckerath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and grows up with two older sisters; her mother is a dancer and her father is an architect. She begins identifying as female at a very young age and starts hormone therapy at 12. As a teenager, she appears in German media discussing her transition and her early access to gender-affirming surgery, which brings her wider attention.

Early work and songwriting

Petras begins writing music in her early teens, teaches herself English through online media, and makes early songs using GarageBand. While still in school, she visits recording studios and makes demo recordings, which leads to a publishing deal with Universal Music Germany during her teenage years. She later moves to Los Angeles at 19 and initially lives in a music producer’s garage while continuing to develop as a songwriter. She later secures a publishing deal with Prescription Songs in 2016.

Recorded releases

Her debut EP, One Piece of Tape, is released in 2011. Her debut single, “I Don’t Want It at All,” appears in 2017, followed by “Heart to Break” in 2018, which reaches number 52 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. She then releases the EPs Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 and Clarity in 2018 and 2019, as well as Slut Pop in 2022. Her singles include “How It’s Done,” which appears on the soundtrack of Charlie’s Angels, and “Broken Glass,” which reaches number 23 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

She also releases Problématique in 2023 after it is delayed and later issued in revised form, and Slut Pop Miami in 2024. Her album Feed the Beast is released in 2023 and reaches number 44 on the Billboard 200. She later releases Detour in 2026.

Collaborations and wider recognition

Before and alongside her solo career, Petras works as a songwriter for Fergie, JoJo, Skylar Stecker and Twice. She also collaborates on tracks including “Unlock It” with Charli XCX and “Reminds Me,” both of which later gain renewed attention through covers and viral trends. Other collaborators include K/DA, Kygo, David Guetta and Katy Perry.

In 2021, she signs to a Republic Records imprint and becomes the first openly transgender performer to appear at the MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2022, she features on Sam Smith’s “Unholy,” which reaches number one in several countries including the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 and wins the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. This makes her the first openly transgender woman to have both a number-one Billboard Hot 100 single and a Grammy in that category. She then releases “Alone” featuring Nicki Minaj, which peaks at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Media use and reception

Petras’s music appears in film and television projects including The Bitch Who Stole Christmas, Bridesman, The Lead Up and This Is Me... Now: A Love Story. She also faces criticism for working with producer Dr. Luke. Her labels include BunHead and Republic Records, and her music is associated with pop, electropop, dance-pop, EDM and related electronic styles.