Kim Petras

Kim Petras Biography by Marcy Donelson Clarity Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter who specializes in English-language EDM and dance-pop. Her powerful voice and passionate delivery attracted an international fan base, first on social media and then with singles throughout the 2010s, leading to a Top 30 appearance on Billboard's independent albums chart with her first album, 2019's Clarity. She made her major-label debut with the single "Future Starts Now" in 2021 and earned a Grammy Award for her 2022 collaboration with Sam Smith, "Unholy." DK3 By the time Petras was in her teens, she had already graduated from uploading videos of cover songs to working with a producer on her debut single, "Fade Away," released in 2008. Her first EP, One Piece of Tape, followed in 2011, around the time she relocated overseas to Los Angeles. Petras subsequently appeared as a featured singer on two 2013 singles by German DJ Klaas, "Flight to Paris" and "Heartbeat"; lent vocals to Danity Kane's 2014 album DK3; released her own stand-alone single "STFU"; and co-wrote the single "That's What's Up" from Skylar Stecker's 2015 debut LP, This Is Me. TURN OFF THE LIGHT In 2017, Petras re-emerged on the BunHead label with the '80s-infused dance-pop tune "I Don't Want It at All," and in October 2018, she presented the Halloween-themed mixtape Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1. Included were the songs "o m e n," "Close Your Eyes," and "Turn Off the Lights," the latter of which featured a guest spot from Elvira. More singles followed in 2019 including "1,2,3 dayz up" featuring Sophie, "If U Think About Me...," and "Homework" featuring Lil Aaron. Recorded with input from Dr. Luke and producers Made in China and Aaron Joseph, Petras' official debut album, Clarity, landed that June and peaked on number 27 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart. Just months later, she issued another volume of her spooky Turn Off the Light series, which bundled Vol. 1 with a fresh batch of hard-hitting electronic dance-pop. She also contributed "How It's Done" -- a collaboration with Kash Doll, Alma, and Stefflon Don -- to that year's Charlie's Angels soundtrack. In 2020, she had a minor hit in the U.K. with her song "Malibu." Slut Pop Petras made her major-label debut in August 2021 with the Republic release "Future Starts Now." The song's list of contributing songwriters and producers included prior collaborators Dr. Luke, Lil Aaron, and Aaron Joseph. The seven-song Slut Pop EP appeared the following year, as did the Sam Smith collaboration "Unholy," a massive chart-topping hit that earned both artists a 2023 Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.