For those in the know she’s been quietly circling the mainstream since the release of her 2017 debut single, I Don’t Want It All.
But a collaboration with close friend Sam Smith on the number one smash Unholy arguably pushed her into the spotlight – and earned her a new legion of fans.
A commercial breakthrough of sorts came in 2023, when Petras joined Smith onstage for a provocative live performance at the 2023 Grammy and BRIT Awards, watched by millions across the globe.
And speaking to Cosmopolitan UK’s April-May issue, the trans-singer, 31, admits her collaboration with Smith – both onstage and in the studio – represented a significant change to her professional fortunes.
‘It was insane… It took over my life – suddenly I was travelling a lot, and there were more eyeballs on me than ever before,’ she said.
Kim Petras has credited close friend Sam Smith for breathing new life into her pop career
The German-born trans-singer has developed a close friendship after working with the British star on his number one hit, Unholy
‘It felt like a huge breakthrough, as it shifted the music industry’s perception of me and what I could do.’
Petras was assigned male at birth before undergoing gender reassignment in her teens, and she believes her friendship with Smith – who identifies as non-binary – has been strengthened by the inevitable public interest it affords her private life.
‘Sam’s such a wonderful person, and has been my coach in a lot of ways,’ she said. ‘If I feel in a crisis, or read something about myself that I can’t deal with, I’ll text or call them.
‘That level of media attention is really scary; it forced me to grow as a person, and it’s so inspiring to see Sam be able to brush that off.’
Unholy topped the charts in 20 countries before winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards
But the intense scrutiny that inevitably followed would force Petras into therapy as she processed the track’s unprecedented success.
‘Therapy was necessary for me after having a huge song, to learn how to shut everything off,’ she said.
‘I had a therapist in my teen years and stopped when things got busy. But I missed having someone to let everything out to.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK’s April-May issue, the singer admits her collaboration with Smith represented a significant change to her professional fortunes
Petras was assigned male at birth before undergoing gender reassignment, and she believes her friendship with Smith has been strengthened by the interest it affords her private life
‘I recommend therapy to everyone; it’s an essential tool… the music industry can get very hectic.’
So hectic that she rarely has time for dating, and when she does her elevated status can often be problematic.
‘I’m someone who really enjoys my life, and I’m interested in people who enjoy theirs… In general, when I date, I’m looking for people who are passionate,’ she said. ‘But dating when you have a public persona is strange.’
Read the full interview in Cosmopolitan UK’s April/May issue, on newsstands from Tuesday 19th March 2024.
Smith put on a VERY raunchy performance of Unholy at the BRIT Awards in 2023, where he was joined by Petras
The singer put on a busty display in black bra underneath a boiler suit during the performance
The BRIT Awards performance came just days after another, equally raunchy performance with Smith at the Grammy Awards
Read the full interview in Cosmopolitan UK’s April/May issue, on newsstands from Tuesday 19th March 2024