Kim Petras shouldn’t have to fight her own label just to drop music she’s already made. She’s got a finished album sitting there for six months, collaborators waiting to get paid, and fans dying for new music, but Republic won’t even give her a release date. That’s not a business, that’s a cage, and it’s exactly why labels shouldn’t have this much power over artists anymore.​

Think about it. Kim self-funded a whole music video over two months ago and is calling it the best she’s ever done with nine looks, six setups, and 13 pairs of shoes… and they still won’t greenlight it.

She’s pouring her own money and vision into her work while the label sits on it, deciding her career on their timeline. That’s not support, that’s ownership, and it kills the whole point of being an artist. Labels used to take risks on talent; now they’re just algorithm babysitters who won’t move unless it’s guaranteed TikTok fodder or some recycled trend.​

She’s fed up, and who could blame her? Kim’s tired of zero control over her life or career, wants to self-fund and self-curate from here on out, and formally asked to be dropped. Even after a Grammy two years back, she’s saying the music’s fire but gets no promo unless it fits their narrow box.

That’s the ugly truth: artists pour everything in, labels hold the keys, and when it doesn’t suit their math, everyone waits forever. My girl’s out here promising “Detour” anyway because her fans deserve better than corporate limbo.​

This isn’t just Kim’s story, it’s every artist who’s ever felt stuck. Labels shouldn’t get to gatekeep release dates, bury videos, or stiff collaborators; that power dynamic is from another era. Let creators drop what they make, pay the people who built it, and trust the audience to decide what bangs.

Kim’s got the tea ready; holding it back doesn’t make her difficult, it makes the system broken. Fans have waited long enough, and it’s time for labels to step aside or get left behind.