KIM PETRAS - Detour

The first transgender woman to win a Grammy, in 2023 (for "Unholy", written and performed with Sam Smith), as well as one of the youngest people to complete a medically assisted gender transition, Kim Petras has probably drawn more media attention for what she represents in terms of sexual liberation than for her music. After all, her dance-pop, heavily indebted to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Kesha, has never been exactly thrilling, nor particularly in step with the times.

The thirty-two-year-old from Cologne attempts a turnaround with this "Detour", a change of course in name and in substance. Kim suddenly seems interested in what's happening around her, and falls in line with a record that plunders freely from the hyperpop instincts of Underscores, Slayyyter and, of course, Charli XCX.

Thunderous basslines, hyper-defined sonic textures and futuristic arrangements form the backbone of both potential dancefloor bangers and more romantic, restrained tracks.

With synths à-la Lady Gaga recoded for the hyperpop era and an addictive chorus, “Need For Speed” is already a hit and a remix goldmine; meanwhile tracks like “Polo”, “Freak It” and “Check It” are ready to rattle club speakers across the globe in the style of Skrillex – spiritual father of the rowdier strain of hyperpop, alongside AG Cook and Sophie.

The ballads are convincing too, synthetic as they inevitably are, such as “Jeep” and, above all, the melancholic and bizarre “Brutalist” – a first-person account of the demolition of a brutalist building Petras had grown fond of.

There's really nothing more to say: “Detour” is a very good record. Petras has thrown herself headlong into the sounds of the moment, made them her own, and built 13 potential hits out of them. There are very few missteps, and there's a strong sense that this artist, with the right guidance (in this case, that of Frost Children proved crucial), could still do even better.

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06/06/2026