In a January 2026 post on social media, German pop star Kim Petras announced that she had formally requested to be dropped from her record label. Petras signed to Republic Records in 2021, releasing an EP and the viral collaboration “Unholy” with Sam Smith. She also released two full-length albums with Republic in 2023. But now she claims her latest record has been met with delays and issues through the label.
“I’m tired of having no control over my own life or career,” she wrote on Twitter/X. “I want to continue to self fund and self curate my own music. This is why I have formally requested to be dropped by [Republic Records].”
In response, Kesha, who has had her own long and arduous battle with her record label, showed support for Kim Petras’ decision.
“I spent many years fighting for the rights to myself,” she replied. “Watching another woman realize the ‘golden cage’ is still a cage isn’t a victory—it’s a tragedy we have to stop repeating. Freedom isn’t a privilege; it’s a birthright. I hear you, I’m sorry Kim.”
Kim Petras Calls Out Record Labels for Exploiting Artists for ‘TikTok Trends’
Kim Petras also claimed that the label has been withholding payment for her collaborators. Additionally, her latest record has been complete for six months, she said. But the label has “refused” to give her a release date.
In 2024, Petras was forced to cancel several festival dates due to “health issues,” she revealed on social media at the time. That was the latest in a series of setbacks for Petras. Her recent collabs failed to break through into the mainstream with the same fervor as “Unholy”.
As for the delay of her completed album, which she said is titled Detour, Petras accused record labels of capitalizing on viral social media moments instead of banking on artists. In a sense, they are exploiting artists for “TikTok trends.” In Petras’ case, she seems to have been used for “80s revival queerbaiting.”
However, Petras also claimed she will release the album herself anyway. This decision to leave Republic Records comes at a time when pop stars are taking their careers into their own hands. Britney Spears and Kesha were cautionary tales. Now, artists like Raye, Leigh-Anne from Little Mix, and Kim Petras have parted from their labels and gone independent.
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