Kim Petras credits close friend Sam Smith for her commercial breakthrough after collaborating on Unholy – but admits she needed therapy to cope with its success
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 for the number one hit Unholy arguably thrust her into the spotlight – and won her a new legion of fans.
A commercial breakthrough of sorts came in 2023, when Petras joined Smith on stage for a provocative live performance at the 2023 Grammy and BRIT Awards, watched by millions of people around the world.
And talk to Cosmopolitan BritainIn the April-May issue, the 31-year-old trans singer admits that working with Smith – both on stage and in the studio – marked a significant change in her professional fortunes.
“It was crazy… It took over my life – suddenly I was traveling a lot, and there were more eyeballs on me than ever before,” she said.
Kim Petras has credited close friend Sam Smith with reviving 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 because it changed 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 attention it brings to her private life.
“Sam is such a great person and has been my coach in many ways,” she said. ‘If I feel in crisis, or read something about myself that I can’t deal with, I text or call them.
‘That amount of media attention is really frightening; it forced me to grow as a person, and it’s so inspiring to see Sam be able to shake 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 song’s unprecedented success.
“Therapy was necessary for me after I had a huge number, to learn how to shut it all down,” she said.
‘I had a therapist in my teens and stopped when things got busy. But I missed someone I could tell everything to.
In the April-May issue of Cosmopolitan UK, the singer admits that her collaboration with Smith marked a significant change in 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 brings to her private life.
‘I recommend therapy to everyone; it’s an essential tool… the music industry can be very hectic.”
So hectic that she rarely has time to date, 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 their lives… Generally, 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 the April/May issue of Cosmopolitan UK, on newsstands Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
Smith performed a VERY raunchy performance of Unholy at the 2023 BRIT Awards, where he was joined by Petras
The singer put on a busty show in a black bra under overalls during the performance
The BRIT Awards performance came just days after another equally raunchy appearance with Smith at the Grammy Awards
Read the full interview in the April/May issue of Cosmopolitan UK, on newsstands Tuesday, March 19, 2024