Kim Petras fired back at accusations she sold out by collaborating with other popular artists. The 33-year-old Grammy winner told People magazine those controversial collaborations were strategic moves to earn her creative freedom for her next record.
"I did a few albums that felt like I was doing what people in the music industry wanted from me, and then I got punished for that as an artist," Kim Petras said, according to People. Fans attacked her after "Alone" dropped with Nicki Minaj, then again when she teamed up with David Guetta on "When We Were Young (The Logical Song)."
Why does she catch heat while others don't? The pop star questioned the double standard. "Everybody would do a Nicki Minaj feature if they got the chance to do it. Why, when I 'sell out,' is it the worst thing in the world?" she said. "I wanted to make a David Guetta song and a Nicki Minaj song, and I wanted it to be tacky, and I love tacky pop music, and I don't feel apologetic for that."
The backlash stung. Kim Petras felt dismissed by fans and the industry alike. She felt that "people really just roped me off and were like, 'You're over, bitch. You sold out,'" according to the interview. "I have a lot of bones to pick."
She made history in 2023 when she became the first trans woman to win a GRAMMY for Best Duo/Group Performance for "Unholy" with Sam Smith. Republic Records released her major-label debut, Feed the Beast, that same year, building on early hits like "I Don't Want It at All" in 2017 and "Heart to Break" in 2018.
She says her next project will be different. "On this one, I just am pulling the curtain back and being like, 'I know you think that I completely sold out, but I did it only so I could have creative freedom completely on a project like this,'" she explained. She'll write the album with friends, making music that mainstream audiences might reject.
Three singles have already dropped: "Polo," "Freak It," and "I Like Ur Look."
After winning her GRAMMY, she stopped caring what people think. "I don't give a f--- about anyone's opinion anymore, and I do what I want," she told People. "My soul can't do this anymore."