Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. From 2016 to 2020, she independently released music under her own label, BunHead Records. In 2021, she signed with Amigo and Republic Records.
August 1992: Birth of Kim Petras
Kim Petras was born in August 1992 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
2006: Early Advocacy for Transgender Rights
At the age of 13, Kim Petras appeared on German television to discuss her gender transition. A year later, she was featured in a documentary and a talk show advocating for early sex reassignment surgery.
September 2007: Modeling and Gender Confirmation Surgery Approval
In September 2007, Kim Petras worked as a model for a German hair salon chain and received approval for gender-confirmation surgery.
November 2008: Gender Confirmation Surgery
Kim Petras underwent gender-confirmation surgery in November 2008 at the age of 16.
2008: Early Music Releases
Kim Petras began her foray into music by releasing a string of singles under Joyce Records, starting with "Fade Away" in 2008.
2009: Continued Music Releases and Collaborations
Kim Petras continued releasing music in 2009, including the singles "Last Forever," "Die for You," and "Boomerang," all under Joyce Records. She also collaborated with Sobertruth on the song "Taste."
2011: Debut EP Release
Kim Petras released her debut extended play (EP), "One Piece of Tape," under the Bionic Ballroom imprint in 2011.
July 2013: Billboard Recognition and Continued Collaborations
Kim Petras was recognized by Billboard, ranking 19th on their Artist Chart for developing artists in July 2013. She also continued collaborating on music, including the singles "Flight to Paris" and "Heartbeat" with German DJ Klaas.
2015: Kesha Accuses Dr. Luke of Assault
Kesha accused producer Dr. Luke of sexual and verbal assault.
2015: Collaboration with Isaac Phase
Kim Petras collaborated with musician Isaac Phase on the song "You" for his album, "Phase 00001," in 2015.
2016: Start of Independent Music Release
Kim Petras embarked on her music career as an independent artist, releasing music under her own imprint, BunHead Records in 2016.
August 2017: Breakthrough with "I Don't Want It at All"
Kim Petras released her debut single, "I Don't Want It at All," in August 2017. The song gained significant traction, reaching the Spotify Global Viral chart, and its music video featured a cameo appearance by Paris Hilton.
2017: Conclusion of "Era 1"
Kim Petras concluded what she referred to as "Era 1" of her music career, a period marked by independent single releases that began in late 2017.
2017: Release of "Unlock It"
In 2017, Kim Petras released "Unlock It" with Charli XCX and Jay Park. The song went viral on TikTok in 2021.
2017: Debut Single and "Era 1"
Kim Petras released her debut single, "I Don't Want It at All," marking the beginning of what she later dubbed "Era 1," a period of independent single releases.
January 2018: Music Video Release and Media Appearances
The music video for Kim Petras's single "Faded," featuring Lil Aaron and directed by Nicholas Harwood, was released on Noisey in January 2018. Petras also appeared in the January issue of Galore magazine.
October 2018: Release of 'Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1'
Kim Petras released the Halloween-themed extended play 'Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1' in October 2018. The project, a departure from her usual style, featured a guest appearance by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
November 2018: Collaboration with Cheat Codes
Kim Petras collaborated with the musical trio Cheat Codes on their song "Feeling of Falling" in November 2018.
February 2019: Release of Three Singles
Kim Petras released three singles in February 2019: "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" featuring Sophie, "If U Think About Me...," and "Homework" featuring Lil Aaron.
March 2019: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Performance
Kim Petras performed as a headline act at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, one of the world's largest pride festivals, in March 2019.
June 2019: Release of 'Clarity' Mixtape and "Broken Tour"
Kim Petras released her debut mixtape, 'Clarity', in June 2019, preceded by promotional singles like "All I Do Is Cry" and "Sweet Spot." She also embarked on her 24-date "Broken Tour" across North America and Europe.
October 2019: Release of 'Turn Off the Light' Mixtape
Kim Petras released her second mixtape, 'Turn Off the Light', in October 2019, featuring songs from 'Vol. 1' and nine new tracks, with a bonus track added a year later.
2019: Release of First Full-Length Projects
Kim Petras independently released her first two full-length projects, the mixtape 'Clarity' and the Halloween-themed 'Turn Off the Light', in 2019.
2019: Release of "Clarity" and Controversy with Dr. Luke
Kim Petras released her debut mixtape, "Clarity." However, the release was met with criticism due to her involvement with producer Dr. Luke, who had been accused of assault.
February 2020: Release of "Reminds Me" and Canceled Tour
Kim Petras released the single "Reminds Me" in February 2020. She was also scheduled to support Camila Cabello on the European leg of "The Romance Tour," which was subsequently canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
November 2020: Collaboration with K/DA
In November 2020, Kim Petras was featured on K/DA's EP "All Out," on the song "Villain" with Madison Beer.
2020: End of Independent Music Release Phase
Kim Petras concluded her time as an independent artist under her own label, BunHead Records, in 2020.
2020: Musical Releases and Collaborations
In 2020, Kim Petras released her single "Malibu" and was featured in Kygo's song "Broken Glass." Additionally, her song "Reminds Me" was sampled by Kid Laroi for his song "Reminds Me of You."
August 2021: Signing with Republic Records and Release of "Future Starts Now"
In August 2021, Kim Petras signed with Republic Records and released "Future Starts Now," the lead single from her debut album, "Problématique."
September 2021: Performance at the MTV Video Music Awards
Kim Petras performed "Future Starts Now" at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show, marking her as the first openly trans artist to perform at the VMAs.
November 2021: Performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Kim Petras performed at the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first openly trans artist to do so. She also performed at the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, making history as the first openly trans performer.
December 2021: Release of "Coconuts"
In December 2021, due to fan demand on TikTok, Kim Petras released "Coconuts" a month earlier than planned.
2021: Signing with Amigo and Republic Records
Kim Petras signed with major record labels Amigo and Republic Records in 2021.
2021: Viral Success and Remixes
In 2021, Kim Petras was featured on several remixes of popular TikTok songs, including "Jenny" and "SugarCrash!" Her 2017 song "Unlock it" also went viral on the platform.
February 2022: Release of "Slut Pop" EP
On February 11, 2022, Kim Petras surprised fans with the release of her EP, "Slut Pop," after teasing some of the songs on TikTok.
June 2022: Performance at Los Angeles Pride
Kim Petras performed alongside Christina Aguilera at Los Angeles Pride in June 2022.
July 2022: Cancellation of "Problématique" Album
Kim Petras confirmed on Twitter that her debut album, "Problématique," had been scrapped.
August 2022: Leak of "Problématique" Songs
In August 2022, many songs believed to be on "Problématique" were leaked online.
September 2022: Release of "Unholy" with Sam Smith
Kim Petras and Sam Smith released their collaborative single "Unholy" in September 2022. The song quickly went viral on TikTok.
October 2022: "Unholy" Reaches Number One
In October 2022, "Unholy" reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Kim Petras the first openly transgender woman to achieve this.
November 2022: Release of "If Jesus Was a Rockstar"
Following the success of "Unholy," Kim Petras released "If Jesus Was a Rockstar" in November 2022.
2022: Continued Controversy with Dr. Luke and "Slut Pop" Backlash
The controversy surrounding Kim Petras's collaboration with Dr. Luke resurfaced with the release of "Slut Pop," leading to further backlash and the trending hashtag #FreeKesha on Twitter.
2022: Release of 'Slut Pop' EP and "Unholy"
Kim Petras released the EP 'Slut Pop', her first project with Republic Records. Her collaborative single "Unholy" with Sam Smith topped international charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, in 2022.
January 2023: Release of "Brrr"
Kim Petras released the single "Brrr" in January 2023.
February 2023: Announcement of Upcoming Album
In February 2023, Kim Petras announced that her debut album, which had been in progress for three years, would be released in the summer.
February 2023: Grammy Win for "Unholy"
Kim Petras and Sam Smith won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy," making Petras the first openly transgender woman to win a Grammy in a major category.
September 2023: Release of Revised "Problématique"
In September 2023, Kim Petras surprised fans by releasing a revised version of her previously scrapped album, "Problématique."
2023: Historic Grammy Win
Kim Petras made history in 2023 by becoming the first openly transgender solo artist to win a Grammy Award, receiving the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for "Unholy" with Sam Smith.
2023: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Feature
Kim Petras was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second trans woman to do so.
March 2024: Withdrawal from UEFA Euro 2024 Theme Song
Kim Petras was scheduled to collaborate on the UEFA Euro 2024 theme song but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts.