US EditionKim Petras Asks to Leave Record Label over Album Delays
Kim Petras accuses Republic Records of withholding release date and payments for her finished album Detour, pledging to release it independently after six months of delay.
- On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Kim Petras formally requested to be dropped by Republic Records, alleging her album Detour was finished six months ago but the label refused to set a release date or pay collaborators.
- Petras's history with Republic dates to summer 2021 when she signed, having previously presented the label a Billboard award; she rose with her 2023 Grammys-winning collaboration 'Unholy' with Sam Smith and released Feed the Beast, Problematique, and three 2025 singles.
- Petras wrote that she was 'tired' of lacking control and explained she wants to self-fund and self-curate her music, pledging to release Detour regardless.
- So far, Republic Records has not publicly responded while Billboard and NME have sought comment, creating uncertainty for fans awaiting Detour as its release timing remains unclear.
- Other artists publicly supported Petras as she continues to tease Detour, highlighting tensions over social-media trends while Republic Records topped 2025 Billboard label charts.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Kim Petras Gains Support From Kesha Amid Record Label Severance
In a January 2026 post on social media, German pop star Kim Petras announced that she had formally requested to be dropped from her record label. Petras signed to Republic Records in 2021, releasing an EP and the viral collaboration “Unholy” with Sam Smith. She also released two full-length albums with Republic in 2023. But now she claims her latest record has been met with delays and issues through the label. “I’m tired of having no control ove…
Pop stars come out swinging for Kim Petras, who went scorched earth on her record label
Kim Petras stirred up controversy when she announced that her record label has “refused” to give her a release date for her finished album, and now other pop stars are coming forward to support her. In a string of revealing social media posts on Jan. 20, Petras accused Republic Records of refusing to provide a release date for her new album, tentatively called Detour, despite it being finished six months ago, and said her label has yet to pay he…
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