Kim Petras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kim Petras |
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Petras in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Born | 27 August 1992 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
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Kim Petras (born August 27, 1992) is a singer and songwriter from Germany. She lives in Los Angeles, USA.
From 2016 to 2020, Kim released her own music as an independent artist. She had her own record label called BunHead Records. In 2021, she signed with Amigo and Republic Records.
Kim started making music when she was a teenager. Before releasing full albums, she put out many singles from 2017 to 2019. These included "I Don't Want It at All" and "Heart to Break". She called this group of songs "Era 1". Many of these songs appeared on Billboard magazine's Dance/Electronic Songs chart. In 2019, Kim released her first two big music projects: Clarity and Turn Off the Light.
In 2021, Kim signed with Republic Records. The next year, she released her first project with them. In 2022, her song "Unholy" with Sam Smith became a huge hit worldwide. It reached number one on charts like the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100. This made Kim the first openly transgender solo artist to have a number one song in the United States.
Kim Petras also made history at the Grammy Awards. In 2023, she won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy". She was the first openly transgender artist to win a Grammy in a main category.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Kim Petras was born in the city of Cologne, Germany. Her mother is a choreographer and artist. Her father is an architect. Kim also has an older sister who is a singer.
In September 2007, Kim worked as a model for a German hair salon. Kim is a transgender woman. This means she was assigned male at birth but has always known she is a girl. When she was 16, she had surgery to help her body match how she felt inside. This was a very important step for her. She said, "I was asked if I feel like a woman now – but the truth is I have always felt like a woman – I just ended up in the wrong body."
Kim shared in an interview that her very first song was about a boy in second grade. He didn't like her back.
Music Career
Starting Out: 2008–2015
Between 2008 and 2009, Kim Petras released several singles. These included "Fade Away" (2008) and "Last Forever" (2009). In 2011, she released her first short album, called One Piece of Tape.
In 2013, Kim worked with German DJ Klaas on two songs. Over the next few years, she worked with many music producers. She released demo songs on her SoundCloud page. In July 2013, Billboard magazine listed her as a developing artist. In 2015, she was featured on a song called "You" by Isaac Phase.
Breakthrough with "Era 1": 2017–2019
In August 2017, Kim released her first single, "I Don't Want It at All". This song became popular on Spotify. The music video for the song came out in October and featured a special appearance by Paris Hilton.
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Later in 2017, Paper magazine said Kim was "most likely to dominate the pop charts". She also appeared on Charli XCX's mixtape Pop 2 on the song "Unlock It". In February 2018, Kim released "Heart to Break" for Valentine's Day. This song was played on BBC Radio 1.
On October 1, 2018, Kim released Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1. This was a special Halloween-themed album. It had a different sound than her usual music. It also featured the horror character Elvira. Kim then planned to release a new song every month before her first full album. She was also on Cheat Codes' song "Feeling of Falling" in November 2018.
In February 2019, Kim released three more singles: "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" with Sophie, "If U Think About Me...", and "Homework". Kim called this period of releasing singles "Era 1". In March 2019, Kim was a main performer at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. This is one of the world's biggest pride festivals.
Clarity and Turn Off the Light: 2019–2020
Kim Petras released her first album, Clarity, on June 28, 2019. In May and June, she released one song from the album each week. In June, Kim started her "Broken Tour" across North America and Europe. She was also featured on the covers of Galore and Notion magazines. The album included songs like "All I Do Is Cry" and "Icy".
On October 1, 2019, Kim's second album, Turn Off the Light, was released. This album included all the songs from Vol. 1 plus nine new ones. On February 11, 2020, she released the single "Reminds Me". She was also going to open for Camila Cabello on her "The Romance Tour" in Europe. However, this tour was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 7, Kim released the song "Malibu". This song was meant to be the first single from her next album. She performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Kim was also featured on the song "Broken Glass" by Kygo. On October 23, Kim said that Turn Off the Light, Vol. 3 would come out in 2021. She also released a new song called "Party Till I Die".
"Unholy" and Feed the Beast: 2022–Present
On September 22, 2022, Kim Petras released "Unholy" with Sam Smith. This song became very popular on TikTok. It quickly reached number one in many countries, including Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. It was also Kim's first song to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It topped that chart in October 2022. This made Kim the first openly transgender woman to have a number-one song on this chart.
On February 5, 2023, Kim and Sam Smith won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy". Kim became the first openly transgender artist to win a Grammy in a major category. In her speech, Kim thanked her mother for believing she was a girl. She also thanked musicians Madonna and Sophie.
After the big success of "Unholy", Kim released "If Jesus Was a Rockstar" in November 2022 and "Brrr" in January 2023. On February 17, 2023, she announced that an album she had been working on for three years was ready. On April 21, she released "Alone" with rapper Nicki Minaj. This song did well in five countries.
On May 15, Kim announced her first studio album, Feed the Beast. "Alone" was the main single from this album. Other songs like "Coconuts" and "Brrr" were also on the album. Kim went on the Feed the Beast World Tour to support her new album.
On September 18, 2023, Kim surprise-released a new version of her album Problématique. On October 6, she worked with James Hype on the song "Drums". Kim was supposed to make the theme song for UEFA Euro 2024 with OneRepublic and Meduza. But on March 20, 2024, it was announced she would not be able to participate due to scheduling issues.
Artistry and Style
Kim Petras is a pop singer. She also makes electronic dance music (EDM), dance-pop, and bubblegum pop. She says her music is inspired by pop music from the late 1990s and early 2000s. She also loves 1980s Italo disco music.
Kim says she is a big fan of Kylie Minogue. Minogue is a key influence on her pop sound. Other artists who inspire Kim include Katy Perry, Cher, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, and the Spice Girls. She also looks up to Boy George, Debbie Harry, Queen, Freddie Mercury, and Kesha.
Kim shared that pop music helps her escape from problems. She said, "I can put on my headphones and listen to it for three and a half minutes to forget about everything that's bothering me. It's always been that way for me. I feel like pop definitely saved my life in so many ways."
When she writes songs, Kim tries to make them catchy. She wants to create songs that everyone can sing along to. She loves the idea that when you hear a song for the first time, you already know the words by the second chorus.
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brit Awards | 2023 | "Unholy" (with Sam Smith) | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| British LGBT Awards | 2020 | Herself | Top 10 Music Artists | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Nominated | ||||
| GLAAD Media Awards | 2019 | Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Clarity | Nominated | |||
| Grammy Awards | 2023 | "Unholy" (with Sam Smith) | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Won | |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | Best Collaboration | Won | ||
| TikTok Bop of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2022 | Video for Good | Won | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 2023 | Best Collaboration Video (International) | Won | ||
| Queerty Awards | 2020 | Herself | Badass | Nominated | |
| "Sweet Spot" | Anthem | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | "Malibu" | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | "Coconuts" | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | "Unholy" (with Sam Smith) | Won |
Main Albums
- Feed the Beast (2023)
- Problématique (2023)
Concert Tours
Headlining Tours
- The Broken Tour (2019)
- The Clarity Tour (2019–2020)
- Feed the Beast World Tour (2023–2024)
Supporting Tours
- The Bloom Tour (with Troye Sivan) (2018)
- The Romance Tour (with Camila Cabello) (2020; cancelled)
See also
In Spanish: Kim Petras para niños
