On Valentine’s Day weekend, Kim Petras proved herself to be bold as she tapped into a sore spot that many of us choose to overlook on the special day --- heartbreak.

To be fair, Petras has made a stunning discography out of tackling romantic woes but she doesn’t just pour her raw memories through the words in her compositions. She blends those emotions with the sharp, glossy beats of an electropop arrangement and gets her enamoured crowd up on their feet. The healing power of dance and disco has been mined by many contemporary female artists, such as Lady Gaga, Sia and Dua Lipa, more recently, yet Petras’ vocals and visual aesthetic have a quality about them that truly represents the indulgence and glamour of disco. 

Kim Petras turns once again to the disco era to delve into her feelings; this time she focuses on overwhelming memories of a lover that keeps on intruding into daily activities to the extent that she cannot help but be consumed. Furthermore, the chorus reflects the madness of a fever dream, where the lingering tensions have driven her to the point of hopelessness. But you wouldn’t be able to tell with the high-energy vocals and rhythms that keep on building throughout the song. Petras delivers yet another crystal-clear vocal masterclass, where each and every word reverberates and spills onto the next. It’s the perfect recipe for a beautiful but destructive dance anthem that makes us dance as hard as it makes us cry. 

Kim Petras’s success in the past year has been a major turning point for trans representation in the industry but Petras isn’t concerned with being a spokesperson for the community. Her music speaks for itself, and she just continues to capture everyone’s attention with her catchy, irresistible sound that is equal parts provocative, equal parts relatable. Speaking on she has evolved over the years, she says:

I know that I’ve worked really hard to be here, I’ve worked since I was 14, but I feel really blessed to be in the spot that I’m in right now. I’ve been hustling for years. Getting on the radio and hearing my songs at freaking Starbucks—I was really emotional about that.”

  Singer-songwriter     Pop 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.