Kim Petras performed her new song, Future Starts Now, at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show in Brooklyn, New York.
The German singer-songwriter took to the stage on 12 September in a historic performance of her brand new single.
Kim made an iconic entrance to the event, arriving in a baby pink convertible with good friend Paris Hilton.
The Icy singer wore a black vinyl bodysuit with an embroidered mini-dress over it before taking to the stage in a pink ensemble that left fans gagged.
She becomes the first transgender performer at the VMAs, with other trans trailblazers such as Laverne Cox making an appearance at the ceremony in 2014.
In 2015, Miley Cyrus took the stage with drag queens, actors, burlesque performers and trans activists in a legendary performance of her track Dooo It!
Kim makes history as she is the first transgender entertainer to take the stage in a headline performance of this kind.
“I felt so anxious at the start of lockdown, because for me the most anxiety-inducing thing is not being able to work and do what I love,” Kim said of the inspiration behind her new single.
“Future Starts Now came from trying to stay present, instead of stressing about the future and all the lost time.”
The track pulls inspiration from 80s-infused dance hits, as well as the European house music she fell in love with on family trips to Paris when she was a child.
Kim has revealed that the City of Love is also a focus of the record more generally, as during the anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic she focused on Paris – a place which has always been a source of happiness for her.
In August 2021, the singer signed with Republic Records, saying: “Thanks for believing [in] me Republic, I feel so supported and have no idea how I did it before you.”
Kim has been seeing an increasing amount of commercial success in recent years, with her 2017 track I Don’t Want It All reaching number one on Spotify’s Global Viral 50.
Just last year, the star performed her summer hit Malibu on Jimmy Kimmel Live and collaborated with artists such as Madison Beer, K/DA and Kygo.
The upcoming debut album, which is yet to be given a release date, has been described as a “shimmering, dance-pop escape” that fuses elements of her previous music to create a new sound.
Kim’s new releases will be her first through a major label after spending years working as an independent artist and will make her label mates with the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd.
You can listen to Future Starts Now here.
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