Pop Goes The Future

Kim Petras photo by Thom Kerr

It was only two years ago that we witnessed up-and-coming pop sensation Kim Petras praying before a shrine to Paris Hilton in her video for ‘I Don’t Want It At All’.

In that moment the world knew that pop music as a whole had a fighting chance, and could be pulled up from its deathbed in nothing less than extravagant splendour.

Since then, Petras has opened for the likes of Troye Sivan on The Bloom Tour, and teamed up with Charli XCX on her acclaimed mixtape Pop 2 to create the shimmering party-starter ‘Unlock It’, (not to mention she has also been featured multiple times on Charli’s ‘The Motherfucking Future’ playlists on Spotify.)

On top of this, she has also released a slew of vibrant and futuristic bubblegum bops in the form of one-off singles, and in 2018 dropped a halloween EP titled Turn Off The Light, which featured the likes of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Kim has been perfecting the art of teasing fans who await her debut album for months now. Just this February, she released a fresh trio of glossy and emotional singles to complete her ‘Era 1’, one of which, ‘1,2,3 dayz up’ featured grammy-nominated electronic producer SOPHIE.

With ‘Era 1’ complete, and as no stranger to high-profile collaborators, she now has her eyes set on finally releasing that first album, which will no doubt cement her place as “the future of pop”, a title which has followed Petras’ career since it took off in 2017.

Her career has been on a constant up-and-up, and now she prepares to headline Sydney’s Mardi Gras performance alongside electronic dance music trio PNAU.

I can’t wait to share my new era of music with everyone”

What excites you most about headlining Sydney’s Mardi Gras performance?

Kim Petras: Well, I’m excited to meet all of my Australian fans. I’m super stoked because there’s gonna be a huge stage and huge production. There will be big screens and big crowds, so it’s gonna be amazing. I’m really just excited to have my first ever show in Australia - and to be headlining it! Mardi Gras is such an amazing thing. My hairstylist is Australian and I’m so excited he’s coming with me. He keeps talking about how amazing Mardi Gras is so I can’t wait to experience it for myself.

How does it feel to have amassed such a cult following before the release of your debut album?

Kim Petras: Amazing! I’m really, really thankful and I feel like I’ve just found people that get me, which is the coolest thing. I really feel like they’ll roll with me forever and I feel like they’re my friends. I have a bunch of their numbers, I follow them on Twitter, I go through their DMs, and I feel like we’re doing something together which is really cool because for years and years and years it was just me. I was by myself writing in the studio and my friends would know my music but no one else would and now it’s just like this whole music family, so it’s really incredible.

Now that your halloween EP Turn Off The Light, Vol. 1 (2018) has been released, what’s next musically?

Kim Petras: I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ve been in the recording studio a lot and there’s lots of new stuff coming that I’m really excited about! I can’t wait to share my new era of music with everyone.

Being such a prolific LGBT icon, what would you say to other LGBT individuals looking to pursue music as you have?

Kim Petras: For me, it’s all about the music. If your music is great, it shouldn’t matter what your sexuality is or what your gender identity is. It can be hard, but I feel like music breaks barriers and if you work on yourself and work on becoming really, really good then you’ll make it.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be now?

Kim Petras: I think the one thing I’m really good at is writing songs, so I’d probably be a songwriter. I always wanted to be a shoe designer as a kid, though – so I’d probably just design heels if I couldn’t do music.

How important is fashion to you in informing an image for an artist?

Kim Petras: It’s very important to me. I think it’s important in storytelling, in music videos, and in performances. Outfits express your point of view and show people where you’re coming from. It gives people a sense of the kind of person you are. So, I love trying out different things and dressing it up or dressing it down. I’ve just always been obsessed with fashion. I’m just happy I get to wear sick shit and make my own style choices. It’s really fun.

And what are you listening to at the moment?

Kim Petras: Post Malone, Travis Scott, Kacey Musgraves – especially since the Grammys because I think she’s amazing and I cried at her performance - and also 808s and Heartbreak by Kanye West.

How many woo-ahs should we expect on the upcoming album?

Kim Petras: I don’t know yet, definitely some, I don’t want to spoil it!

Where: Moore Park When: Saturday March 2 And: ‘1,2,3 dayz off’, ‘Homework’ and ‘If U Think About Me…’ are out now

“I’ve just always been obsessed with fashion. I’m just happy I get to wear sick shit and make my own style choices. It’s really fun”