Kim Petras on Malibu & Reaching Out to Fans

Alright, let me get a nice angle. I feel that this is my whole life lately. I'm like, do I look good this way or this way?

I know, same.

Well, uh, where are you quarantining right now?

Um, I'm in Toluca Lake, so Burbank.

Okay, cool. And how what do you do from day to day? How are you keeping busy?

Um, I am I I'm really lucky because I'm a I I write most of my songs, so I I have a set up at home and I record uh songs all day. So that's like what's been keeping me up and sane. Uh, I've also been uh playing a lot of switch games with my fans. I've been playing Animal Crossing with my fans and uh Mario Kart and Smash and all that stuff. So that's been really really fun. I feel like uh, I've really been just like, you know, making sure my fans are okay every day and reaching out to them and wishing happy birthday if there's a quarantine birthday and like, you know, those little things right now matter so much to people and I'm so happy that I Yeah. can like, uh, yeah, just make people feel happy for a little moment, you know.

Definitely. And for the fans that will watch this video once it comes out,

Yeah.

you're playing games with them. How would they be able to play games with you?

Um, well, you need my Switch code.

Oh, I was wondering how they would do that.

No, but like, you can ask me in my DMs and uh, there's a chance I'll give you my Switch code and we can play Animal Crossing together. Look at I have sick Island. I'm really proud of it. It's lit.

And you have a new single coming out soon?

Yes. Um, it's called Malibu. I'm really, really excited about it. It's kind of for me a return to bubblegum sparkly, huge pop. Yeah. Um, which I love and it's like my biggest passion in life. So I'm really excited because like the my last era was called Clarity and it was about heartbreak and it was about a breakup and being cheated on and just like all that dark stuff. So I'm just like happy to be going back to making really happy music that just kind of makes me personally forget about, you know, my problems or about this time right now or about mental health or just like any of those things. And and yeah, it's just like a real escapist uh, love pop song.

Yeah, and you tweeted, I haven't been this excited about a song in a long time. OMG. Yes. What makes you so excited about this one in particular?

Um, yeah, it's it's true. I just I just feel like it's my best. Um, I feel like it's my best song I've dropped so far and I'm really, really proud of it. And it's weird because the song is like the first demo started three years ago and we could just never really figure out the song. The idea was always great, but, um, people just always kept bringing that back up and they were like, what about that Malibu song? What about, you know, everybody just like gravitated towards it until we were like, fine, we'll work on it again and then we did. And it just kind kind of made perfect sense to go out of this last chapter that I've had into this and into this sound. And I think it's a lot more, um, just uh, also organic sounding. There's a lot more uh, real instruments going on in there and I think you can, uh, the processing isn't so hard on my vocals. I think it really like lets my vocal shine. Um, so yeah, I'm just I I'm really stoked about it and I I also am excited about the visuals that are coming with it. Um, I'm drop I was about to make a music video for it before we got shut down. So I made an animated video, which is basically that music video, like the idea of it. So that's coming out. And then, um, I'm making a video with all my friends and fans. Uh, that's kind of

Oh, that's so cute.

I know, it's so cute. Um, I've gotten so many amazing submissions of people. It's it's basically just bringing the beach to your home however you can. So

It's so creative. It's such a perfect time to do it.

Totally. So they just all put on bikinis and got cocktails and sunglasses and beach towels and like filmed themselves in their bathtubs and just like got really creative with it. And it's been like the most heartwarming, like sweet thing ever in my life that that my fans have done that and we got like 5,000 submissions, like way more than we can actually use. So we're trying our best to like edit all of that down right now because, uh, we're trying to get it done by tomorrow. But I'm also really excited because like a lot of my like pop star friends, uh, came through and sent their videos and, um, especially right now it just like means a lot. Like

How does it feel like knowing that you got all these submissions to be in your video for one of like the biggest songs like you're going to put out? Like so bubbly and fun.

So crazy. Like I I just really, um, you know, I'm like from Germany. I used to be a waitress. I saved up for my first flight. It took me years to get the first song placed with anybody, um, and the last three years have just been like this constant touring, uh, press, music video, schedule, thing that kind of got me to this point and just like gaining momentum. Um, so now it's just feels like like a little bit of a perfect storm with this song and with my fans, uh, all all being excited about it and, um, yeah, I I still sometimes can't believe that, you know, that many people even even know anything about me. So it's it's really, really cool.

When the song actually drops, are you planning to do anything like live stream during it or anything special?

Yes, I'm doing a live stream party, uh, tonight, um, with my, uh, friends who are so I got three DJ friends, um, and, uh, I have Aquaria from Drag Race, um, kind of being the host of it. And so we're all just going to go on a Zoom party later tonight, um, which I'm so, so excited about. I mean, Zoom parties have been like the best thing about my life recently. Um, I've been partying hard at some of these things and it really it really like made me feel like I was going out, which is like what I need right now. Like I just need to feel like I, you know, had a night out with my friends. So, um, that made me like I'm I'm always excited to throw a Zoom party and, uh, get down and have great music and great DJs and stuff.

Yeah. And you're very inspiring, like people look up to you. If they asked you for any advice, like how to break down the barriers in pop music or how to like start because you like you waitressed and like worked your way up and saved money for a plane ticket. Like what kind of advice would you offer them for people that are like are so inspired by you?

Um, well, I just I I feel like it all comes down at the end of the day that you need to believe it yourself. And that's something that I didn't really realize very early. Like I was very, you know, I was making music and showing it to people and I was very like, I don't know if it's good and I was kind of downplaying everything and just that like blind confidence is just like what makes it, you know, I just once I started really believing in myself and being like, this is, you know, whenever I was in meetings or anything, I was like, I'm the next thing and this is going to happen. And if you don't get it, then, uh, you're stupid basically. And and uh, I I you know that and I feel like that, um, you need to back it up, of course. Like I I think you need to have written, um, a lot of songs, um, to to get good. And I think I sucked for a lot of years before I got really good. Um, but but yeah, just no matter, you know, just that blind confidence in yourself is really, I think what what will make other people see, uh, your potential and, uh, unless you believe it, nobody will believe it. And I think that's so like basic, but I think that's the the biggest Yeah. thing for everybody. Like once they start really believing in themselves and really being themselves, uh, it starts happening and I I feel the same way about myself. I think I did a lot of experimenting in the beginning and being like, I want to sound like this, I want to sound like this. And once I put it all together, it kind of completed the picture and it made me my own unique thing, uh, which is, which I'm proud of and which I think anybody should go for to be their own unique thing. Um,

So that's right now with you going from the heartbreak and your feels and everything now we're going to release this bubbly fun pop song Malibu.

Yes, totally.

giving us the tea. Do you have any plans for after this, like when things are all over for any new projects besides Malibu coming out?

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm definitely uh, working right now on on things that I'm really excited about. I have a bunch of collabs that I'm excited about actually. I think that was one of the nice things about quarantine is just a lot of people like reached out to their friends and we're like, hey, you want to jump on a song? And it's been like a really creative time. So, uh, I think that's that's pretty cool, but I'm very focused on debut album, on really, you know, making my first album count.

And I think this is the first step is the first puzzle piece is Malibu, but I I have this dream of making a concept record and I've always wanted to do it and just something that from front to back makes you feel uh, like really like drenches you in its own world. And I have a concept and a title and I'm really excited about it, but that's all I can think about right now. It's just I want to make a record that's super cohesive and, um, just, yeah, has a strong concept because before I feel like, I feel like, uh, some of my, uh, things I've dropped felt more like collections of songs and were very over all over the place and different sounds and playing with different things. And I love that, uh, you know, there's nothing wrong with that, but I just have always wanted to do something that feels super cohesive. So I'm really excited.

Well, you're keeping busy. We love we love to see it. We love to see it. Hey, amazing. Thank you. Well, I hope nothing but success for Malibu. I can't wait to listen to it myself.

Thank you so much. I hope you like it.

I I'll let you know. I'll let you know. Okay, perfect. Please do. Okay, thank you so much.