Kim Petras is hardworking, but that’s not what you can accuse her of. She was born in Cologne in Germany. Kim has been actively pursuing a career in pop music since she was a preteen. In fact, her debut single was released back in 2008 when she was still a teenager. Petras made headlines in 2008 when she stated that she wanted to undergo gender affirmation surgery at 18 years old, which was illegal in her native country. Petras made her pop debut in 2017 with the tongue-in cheek brat song “I Don’t Wanna It at All.” She has been a consistent stream of hits since then, and has played at “every gay clubs in America” and Europe. Petras shares her childhood dream of becoming a Disney Imagineer.
When you were a teenager, international attention was first attracted to your story when you appeared on German television and in a documentary about gender transition. In those days, you spoke out about your desire to become a pop star. It’s been many years since you actually achieved your goal.
People don’t take seriously your statement that you want pop stardom, even though you’re from the middle-of-nowhere in Germany. It’s almost a joke. I remember that when I was twelve years old I bought a MacBook Pro with GarageBand and began writing demos every day in my bedroom after school. I started by writing jingles about laundry detergent and cell phones. I quickly realized that no one was going to write me songs. I will need to learn how to songwriter well and continue working hard on my craft. I don’t earn my money. I don’t have any connections. I saved from my waitress job to move to L.A. at 20. After that, it took three to four years for other artists cut my songs.
Pop music is often viewed as a commodity. Artists who make it are chosen for their ability to be successful overnight. However, pop musicians have to work harder than ever at building themselves in the same way as a punk group or a rapper.
I’ve spent years playing in every gay club in America or Europe. It started with, “What is that bitch doing upstage?” It went from “No one’s ever heard about you” to, like 500 people, then 5, 000 people, and 10,000 people. My fan base has grown naturally and I’m very happy about that. Many people have great hits and chart successes, but they can’t fill the venues.
Madonna and Lady Gaga used to be gay club members before they were famous. It’s refreshing to see that the queer club pipeline is now helping people within the community.
Thank you, God! It’s amazing, since gay clubs have been part of my culture, my friend group, and my chosen family ever since I was young. I could just listen to pop songs and not feel like a freak like I felt in school and straight clubs.
It is clear that you care about pop music and are passionate about its craft.
I love storytelling. As a child, my dream was to be a Disney Imagineer. Then, I wanted a career as a fashion designer. The most amazing feeling is having an idea in your head, then seeing it in action.
You can have your top pop albums but you also have the option to create something totally different, such as the Slut Pop EP, or your Halloween album Turn Off the Light.
Sometimes, I have a phase where I feel bored and need to express my feelings through writing. I want music that has a different character. Each person has a million sides. The best part about being an artist? Being able to reveal those sides. It doesn’t really matter what’s true or false or how embellished it is. Some critics might believe that real music is all about your truth, and blah blah blah. I want to make a world that is different. The Lord of the Rings is a great example of someone who came up with a whole new language. You don’t have to talk about your boyfriend, your life or anything else. It can be much more exciting to create worlds.
Sometimes it feels as though men are more permitted to create worlds. However, women will write songs and there will be blog posts detailing what those lyrics mean for their real-life relationships.
Totally. Completely unfair. Transgender women have different experiences than cisgender women. The LGBTQ community has many opinions on what I should and shouldn’t do. This can make it difficult to navigate. My opinion is that music should not be defined by gender. Gender should not be a barrier to art. However, it is something I do not believe most people are willing to do. I want to get out of the “What can you be as a transgender woman?” box.
Dylan Chavles for hair at MA+ Group. Grace Ahn at Julian Watson Agency. Lauren Machen of Lalaland Artists designed the set.
Jorge Solorzano (photo assistant), Nick Tooman (photo assistant), Chris Whitaker (retouching: D–Touch); fashion assistant: Antonio Soto. Hair assistant: Alison DeMoss. Makeup assistant: Christina Roberson. Set assistant: Kevin Carniero. Tailor: Irina. Production assistant: Asher Gardner. Special thanks to the Revery LA.
