Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. She initially released music independently under her label, BunHead Records, from 2016 to 2020. In 2021, she signed with Amigo and Republic Records, marking a shift from independent artist to major label recording artist.
August 1992: Kim Petras' Birth
In August 1992, Kim Petras was born in Germany.
2006: Television Appearance
In 2006, at age 13, Kim Petras appeared on a German television show to discuss her medical gender transition.
September 2007: Modeling and Approval for Surgery
In September 2007, Kim Petras worked as a model for a German hair salon chain and was approved for gender-affirming surgery at 16 years old.
November 2008: Completion of Gender-Affirming Surgery
In November 2008, Kim Petras announced that she had completed her gender-affirming surgery.
July 2013: Billboard Artist Chart Ranking
In July 2013, Kim Petras was ranked number 19 on Billboard's Artist Chart for developing artists due to her social media contributions.
2016: Independent Music Release
In 2016, Kim Petras began releasing music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records.
August 2017: Release of Debut Single
In August 2017, Kim Petras released her debut single "I Don't Want It at All," which reached the Spotify Global Viral chart.
2017: Release of Singles - "Era 1"
From late 2017 until early 2019, Kim Petras referred to this release period of singles as "Era 1".
2017: Singles Release
In 2017, Kim Petras began independently releasing various singles, initiating what she termed "Era 1".
2017: "Unlock It" Release
In 2017, Kim Petras released song "Unlock It" with Charli XCX and Jay Park went viral on the app.
January 2018: Music Video Premiere
In January 2018, the music video for Kim Petras's single "Faded", featuring Lil Aaron, premiered on Noisey.
October 2018: Release of Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1
On 1 October 2018, Kim Petras released Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1, a Halloween-themed extended play.
November 2018: Featured on Cheat Codes' Song
In November 2018, Kim Petras was featured on Cheat Codes' song "Feeling of Falling".
February 2019: Release of Three Singles
In February 2019, Kim Petras released three singles: "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" featuring Sophie, "If U Think About Me...", and "Homework" featuring Lil Aaron.
March 2019: Performance at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
In March 2019, Kim Petras headlined the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
June 2019: "Broken Tour" and Magazine Covers
In June 2019, Kim Petras embarked on the 24 date "Broken Tour" across North America and Europe, and was featured on the covers of Galore and Notion magazines.
October 2019: Release of Turn Off the Light
In October 2019, Kim Petras's second mixtape Turn Off the Light was released.
2019: First Full-Length Project Release
In 2019, Kim Petras independently released her first two full-length projects, Clarity and Turn Off the Light.
February 2020: Release of "Reminds Me" and Tour Announcement
In February 2020, Kim Petras released the single "Reminds Me" and was announced as the supporting act on the European leg of Camila Cabello's The Romance Tour.
November 2020: Featured on K/DA's EP
In November 2020, Kim Petras was featured on K/DA's EP All Out, appearing on the song "Villain".
2020: Independent Music Release
In 2020, Kim Petras continued to release music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records.
2020: Releases and Collaborations in 2020
In 2020, Kim Petras released the single "Malibu", collaborated with Kygo on "Broken Glass", and released "Party Till I Die" on the reissue of Turn Off the Light.
August 2021: Signing to Republic Records and "Future Starts Now" Release
In August 2021, Kim Petras signed to Republic Records and released "Future Starts Now" as the lead single from her major-label debut studio album, Problématique.
September 2021: Performance at MTV Video Music Awards
On 12 September 2021, Kim Petras performed at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show, as the first out trans artist to perform at the VMAs.
November 2021: Performance at MTV Europe Music Awards
In November 2021, Kim Petras performed at the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first out trans artist to perform at the EMAs.
December 2021: Release of "Coconuts"
On 3 December 2021, Kim Petras released "Coconuts" after fan response on TikTok.
2021: Signing with Amigo and Republic Records
In 2021, Kim Petras signed with Amigo and Republic Records.
2021: Signing with Republic Records
In 2021, Kim Petras signed with Republic Records.
2021: Featured on Remixes and Viral Success
In 2021, Kim Petras was featured on remixes of popular TikTok songs, and her 2017 song "Unlock It" went viral on the app.
February 2022: Announcement and Release of Slut Pop EP
On 10 February 2022, Kim Petras announced a surprise EP titled Slut Pop, which was released the following day.
June 2022: Performance at Los Angeles Pride
On 11 June 2022, Kim Petras performed at Los Angeles Pride with Christina Aguilera.
July 2022: Confirmation of Problématique being scrapped
On 30 July 2022, Kim Petras seemingly confirmed via Twitter that Problématique (2022) had been scrapped.
August 2022: Album Leaks
On 2 August 2022, songs believed to be on the scrapped Problématique album leaked online, prompting a response from Kim Petras on Twitter.
September 2022: Release of "Unholy"
On 22 September 2022, Kim Petras released the song "Unholy", a collaboration with Sam Smith.
October 2022: "Unholy" Tops Billboard Hot 100
In October 2022, "Unholy" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making Kim Petras the first openly transgender woman to achieve this.
November 2022: Release of "If Jesus Was a Rockstar"
In November 2022, Kim Petras released the single "If Jesus Was a Rockstar".
2022: Release of Slut Pop and "Unholy"
In 2022, Kim Petras released the EP Slut Pop and her collaborative single "Unholy" with Sam Smith topped international charts.
January 2023: Release of "Brrr"
In January 2023, Kim Petras released the single "Brrr".
February 2023: Album Announcement
On 17 February 2023, Kim Petras stated that an album that she had been working on "for three years" was ready to be released the next summer, sharing her excitement for people to hear the songs.
February 2023: Grammy Win for "Unholy"
On 5 February 2023, Kim Petras and Sam Smith won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy".
September 2023: Surprise Release of Revised Problématique
On 18 September 2023, Kim Petras surprise-released a revised version of Problématique.
2023: Grammy Award Win
In 2023, Kim Petras received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy", making her the first openly transgender artist to achieve this.
March 2024: Departure from UEFA Euro 2024 Theme Song Project
On 20 March 2024, it was announced that Kim Petras would no longer participate in making the theme song of UEFA Euro 2024 due "unforeseen scheduling issues".