Kim Petras for Cosmopolitan UK.Photo:Courtesy of Cosmopolitan UK
Courtesy of Cosmopolitan UK
Kim Petrasis getting candid about life in the limelight.
In a newcover interviewwithCosmopolitan UKpublished Friday, the singer, 31, confessed that she turned to therapy after “Unholy” — herGrammy-winningtrack withSam Smith— blew up her profile.
“Therapy was necessary for me after having a huge song, to learn how to shut everything off,” Petras told the publication. “I had a therapist in my teen years and stopped when things got busy. But I missed having someone to let everything out to. I recommend therapy to everyone; it’s an essential tool … The music industry can get very hectic.”
The star went on to admit that her collaboration with Smith, also 31, and the attention that came with it “took over my life.”
“It was insane,” she noted. “Suddenly I was traveling a lot, and there were more eyeballs on me than ever before. It felt like a huge breakthrough, as it shifted the music industry’s perception of me and what I could do.”
Kim Petras for Cosmopolitan UK.Courtesy of Cosmopolitan UK
Along with therapy, Petras also credited Smith for helping her deal with fame and being in the public eye.
“Sam’s such a wonderful person, and has been my coach in a lot of ways,” she toldCosmopolitan UK. “If I feel in a crisis, or read something about myself that I can’t deal with, I’ll text or call them. That level of media attention is really scary; it forced me to grow as a person, and it’s so inspiring to see Sam be able to brush that off.”
She added of their songwinning a Grammy for best pop duo/group performanceat last year’s ceremony, “It was a huge honor, and I’m very grateful for that whole experience. But nothing can prepare you for that level of attention. It felt exposing and scary. Suddenly, a lot of people who wouldn’t usually listen to my music were digging up my origin story.”
Sam Smith and Kim Petras in Las Vegas in September 2022.Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images
Petras and Smith became the first openly trans and non-binary artists, respectively, to take home the award in the category.
During aninterview with PEOPLElast year, Petras revealed the encouraging words that the iconic singer, 65, shared with her before the performance.
Kim Petras on the cover of ‘Cosmopolitan UK’.Courtesy of Cosmopolitan UK
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“I was so nervous. I wasfreakingout,” said Petras. “After her speech, she turned around and mouthed to me, ‘Go get it, bitch.’ That made me feel like,I got this.”
“I feel like I have a special connection with Madonna too because I always felt like she pushed gender, and she wasn’t necessarily only super-feminine or super-masculine, and she just is Madonna,” Petras added. “I think Madonna gave me a lot of hope and strength and stuff when I needed it, even as a kid.”
The April/May issue of Cosmopolitan UK is on sale starting Tuesday, March 19.
source: people.com