When “Unholy” featuring Sam Smith went to #1 in the United States and more than a dozen other countries, Kim Petras‘ life changed dramatically.
The success of the song required her to travel consistently and in an interview with Cosmopolitan U.K. she said that “there were more eyeballs on me than ever before.” The sudden success “felt exposing and scary,” so she turned to a therapist for help.
“Therapy was also necessary for me after having a huge song, to learn how to shut everything ofF.” “I had therapy in my teen years and stopped when things got busy. But I missed having someone to let everything out to. I recommend therapy to everyone; it’s an essential tool … The music industry can get very hectic.”
To help her make sense of sudden fame, Petras trusted in Smith, adding “Sam’s such a wonderful person and has been my coach in a lot of ways,” “If I feel in a crisis or read something about myself that I can’t deal with, I’ll text or call them. That level of media attention is really scary; it forced me to grow as a person, and it’s so inspiring to see Sam be able to brush that off.”
Over time the Grammy award winner adapted to a fuller 2023 schedule where she performed at the Brits, on Saturday Night Live, and at the Grammy Awards, where she and Smith took home the trophy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Unholy.” “I’m learning to have a private life I can treasure,” she said. “I always wanted to be a robot, [glamourizing] the life of a pop star who will show up and do whatever it takes. … I’m just trying to keep doing what feels right for me.”
In Faebruary, Petras released Slut Pop Miami, a new EP, companion to her 2022 Slut Pop EP. She also released two albums last year, Feed the Beast and Problématique.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Ted Eytan