Volume 1
Since the music industry’s inception, major labels have been a key part of a musician’s career. To be signed to a label was seen as a way of recognition from the music mainstream, the opening of a door leading to mainstream stardom and the recognition that so many musicians have spent their lives chasing. This was mainly through funding marketing, promotion, recording, and distribution. Now, however, all of these have become so much easier and accessible thanks to the rise of digital streaming platforms and social media. As music trends have evolved and developed, obviously the role of a label has evolved as well, and funding now also includes techniques such as playlisting and short form content. But this has also signaled a distinct shift towards business over artistry when it comes to label support, and more and more we’re seeing cases of artists getting signed to major labels and subsequently falling off the map. This can be because of a drop in quality, but we’re seeing that it’s more often a forceful move from an artists’ own label.
On January 20th, 2026, German singer Kim Petras took to Twitter to formally request she be dropped from the roster of Republic Records. She signed onto the major label in August of 2021, and since has seen a massive rise in popularity due to a surprisingly viral collaboration with Sam Smith. This was “Unholy,” a faux-sexy, corporate slice of underbaked slop that wanted you to think it was more scandalous than its lukewarm lyricism truly was. Listening to “Unholy” is about as evocative and thrilling as a sloth sitting on a plank of wood. Yet, The Academy seemed to think otherwise, and Petras earned her first Grammy for her contribution to the song, making history as the first trans woman to win a Grammy. Unfortunately from there, it only seemed to be downhill for Kim. Her major label debut album “Feed The Beast” was released to mediocre reception from critics and her loyal fanbase, the latter of whom felt like she’d become a sellout. And in a sense, she had.
Kim Petras’s career began in 2017, by releasing a string of singles that ranged from shimmering Ariana Grande-esque R&B and sentimental synth-ballads to slick trap-pop and bright hyperpop, a droplet era that came to serve as a thesis statement for her sound. Outside of her debut mixtapes (“Clarity,” a strong and effortlessly entertaining tape dripping with McBling, and the horror-themed EDM project “TURN OFF THE LIGHT”), Petras grew a fanbase in the then still-growing queer pop underground through collaborations with late hyperpop icon SOPHIE and Charli xcx’s “Pop 2” mixtape and self-titled record. Following her label signage, her choice in collaborators changed drastically. Kim became the kind of artist tacked onto cash-grab remixes that labels manufactured in an attempt to make money off her previously established fanbase, like the horrifically unnecessary remix of Megan Trainor’s already unnecessary “Made You Look” that I didn’t know existed until I began doing research for this article. If you haven’t heard it, don’t worry; you’re not missing out on much. The rest of her feature spots were mostly soulless white boy edm tracks engineered for payola and TikTok, a far cry from her earlier artistic aspirations … Even the then-highly anticipated Nicki Minaj collaboration “Alone” relies so heavily on its uninspired trap sample of Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone” that every aspect of the track becomes a snoozefest.
Outside of her features, Petras dropped her major label debut “Feed The Beast” in the summer of 2023, which was so unfocused and middling that it’s hard to think that this is the same artist whose debut mixtape was as sharp and confident as it was. After her “Feed The Beast World Tour” (a tour that should be counted as attempted sabotage from her label because, while it saw a decent turnout and energetic crowds, featured many dates with venues way bigger than an artist at her level), Petras released a duology of EP’s entitled “Slut Pop” and “Slut Pop: Miami” that aimed to recreate the hypersexual, almost satirical raunchiness of artists like Ayesha Erotica and ppcocaine, and instead fell short with repetitive and unfortunately boring tracks (this isn’t to say every song was a dud; “XXX” and “Gag On It” were fun enough to stand out in their respective tracklistings).
Fast forward to June 2025, and Kim kicked off her latest music era with the single “Polo.” A clear divergence from her usual sound, “Polo” was a pretty good track but a strong start to a new era, a return to the industrial hyperpop she flirted with while she was still an independent artist. Gone was Dr. Luke, Petras’ primary producer since her debut. The production role was now filled by LA DJ Margo XS and the Frost Children, an EDM duo made up of siblings Lulu and Angel Prost, who’s 2025 record “SISTER” was a highlight. Again, this isn’t a sound completely foreign to Petras. But with “Polo” and subsequent singles “Freak It” and “I Like Ur Look,” it felt like Petras was finally diving headfirst into a level of bulletproof pop she’d been attempting to reach since the beginning of her career. Then … silence.
After a series of DJ gigs and live performances teasing a new album titled “Detour,” hype was definitely growing, the most hype behind a Petras project since she got signed. Yet, time passed without an official release date or even a proper album announcement. Which brings us now to that January morning, where Kim explained her predicament. “My album has been done for six months, but my record label has refused to give me a release date or pay my collaborators for the work they’ve done,” Petras wrote, before shedding a light on the reality of what her record wanted from her. “If it’s not a Tiktok trend or 80’s revival queerbaiting s**t these labels have no interest in supporting.” In a world where the monoculture has more or less completely dissolved, there’s less faith from major labels going towards artists who push boundaries, with financial support and promotional attention going towards artists whose image and aesthetic is digestible enough that an increasingly conservative crowd can listen guilt-free.
To be continued…
Graphics: Eva Derryberry