JAKARTA - German Grammy Award-winning songwriter Kim Petras has surprisingly made a strong statement against her record label, Republic Records.
Through a series of uploads on X, Petras openly asked to be terminated because he felt he had not received support for months.
Petras emphasized that he was tired of the situation under the control of major record companies and wanted to return to being an independent artist in order to have full control over his artistic vision.
In his outspoken statement, the 33-year-old singer expressed his frustration with the lack of self-autonomy.
"I'm tired of not having control over my own life or career," Petras wrote, quoted Thursday, January 22.
Sam Smith's duet partner in the hit song "Unholy" added that he wanted to fund and compose his own music independently without the intervention of the label.
"This is why I am officially asking to be released from Republic Records," he added.
The tension was triggered by the alleged delay of his latest album titled "Detour". Petras claimed that the album had actually been completed six months ago, but Republic Records refused to set a release date.
Not only that, he also accused the label of not paying the rights of the collaborators involved in the album's work.
Petras feels his past achievements don't give him a decent bargaining position in the eyes of the label today.
"I won a Grammy two years ago... this music is so quality. Still no support. If it's not a TikTok trend or a queerbaiting trash revival of the 80s, these labels are not interested in giving support," he said sarcastically.
This situation signals a drastic change from the harmonious relationship that once existed. In 2023, Petras praised Republic Records as the best label in the world when he presented the Label of the Year award at the Billboard Power 100 event.
At that time, he admitted that he was very grateful because he felt that the label saw the potential in him when he was still performing at nightclubs. However, the lack of activity in 2025, which only spawned three singles - "Polo", "Freak It", and "I Like Ur Look" - seemed to be the peak of his disappointment.
Even though the fate of his contract is still hanging, Petras assured fans that he would still release "Detour" in the near future.
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