Kim Petras: From GarageBand to a Grammy and a Label War

Kim Petras taught herself English from Britney Spears videos as a teenager in Germany and became the first openly transgender artist to win a Grammy in her category. This episode follows her journey from GarageBand demos to global success and her 2026 battle to be dropped from her label.We examine her early transition in the public eye, the controversial alliances she navigated, and the illusion of control in mainstream pop.Beginning hormone therapy at 12 and receiving gender-affirming surgery at 16, drawing international headlinesSystemic industry pushback that pushed her to start her own imprint, BunHead RecordsThe complicated Dr. Luke partnership and the mechanics facing marginalized artistsUnholy with Sam Smith topping the Hot 100 and winning a GrammyHer 2026 dispute with Republic Records and releasing music independently on SoundCloud and YouTube