Kim Petras publicly pleaded with her record label, Republic Records, to drop her after months of alleged neglect. The singer claimed her album Detour has been complete for six months without a release date or payments to collaborators. She expressed frustration over lacking control in her career and vowed to release the project independently.
On January 20, 2026, Kim Petras took to X to voice her dissatisfaction with Republic Records, stating, “I’m tired of having no control over my own life or career.” The German-born artist, who signed with the label in summer 2021, alleged that the company has refused to set a release date for her upcoming album Detour, which she said has been finished for six months. Additionally, Petras claimed Republic has not paid her collaborators for their work on the record.
Petras highlighted her self-funding efforts, noting she produced a music video for her next single over two months ago, featuring “9 looks 6 setups 13 pairs of shoes,” yet it remains unreleased due to the label's inaction. She referenced her Grammy win two years prior for “Unholy,” her collaboration with Sam Smith, which made her the first openly trans artist to receive a Recording Academy honor. Despite this success, Petras lamented, “I won a grammy 2 years ago…….. the music is TEA. Still no support. If it’s not a tiktok trend or 80s revival queerbaiting shit these labels have no interest in supporting.”
This marks a stark contrast to her 2023 praise at Billboard’s Power 100 party, where she called Republic “best label ever” and thanked them for changing her life. In 2025, Petras released three singles: “Polo,” “Freak It,” and “I Like Ur Look” in October. Her previous full-length album, Problématique, arrived in 2023 following the “Unholy” triumph.
Representatives for Republic Records did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Billboard or Rolling Stone. Petras concluded her posts optimistically for fans, writing, “My fans have waited long enough. I love u guys. I’m dropping Detour regardless.”
