Unholy: Kim Petras 'grateful' for hit song with Sam Smith

Sam Smith and Kim Petras have been dominating the charts with their smash hit Unholy.

The bold track about cheating in a relationship has spent four weeks at UK number one, charted globally and been remixed by electronic duo Disclosure.

It's Sam's eighth number one - but for guest artist Kim it's special because, after years of dreaming about it, she's finally charted in the top 40.

"It's incredible, it's been a huge goal for me," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Though her first single, I Don't Want It At All, was released in 2017, and her first album Clarity in 2019, the 30-year-old has been recording music since she was a teenager.

Kim is from Germany, but says she "looked at the UK Singles Charts every week" as a kid.

"I've just always found the UK has a more interesting take on music than America does most of the time," she says.

Kim says representation at the top of the charts - Sam is non-binary and Kim has spoken openly about being a trans woman - is something she didn't see growing up.

"I'm really grateful," she says.

"And, of course, as a kid I would have loved to see someone getting number one in the UK as a trans woman or trans man."

Kim gets emotional: "It makes me want to cry. It's amazing."

She appreciates how much her fans have been there for her over the years.

"They've been my friends for a long time - a lot of fans [who are sending me messages] have supported me and they're really proud," she says.

Kim adds she has a "big community" of trans people that she talks to and who "help each other out".

Like Unholy, the religious theme continues for Kim's next single, If Jesus Was A Rockstar.

Produced by pop legend Max Martin - the man involved in hits by Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift - the song, she says, is about feeling excluded from religion as a trans woman.

"If religion was cool and inclusive, maybe I could have found myself in that but as religion doesn't really include trans people, it's never been something that I was able to do."

"Everyone has their own relationship with spirituality and religion - this is just my take on that," she says.

For those familiar with Kim's music, the song is a huge departure from her usual releases.

"My whole life I've been making gay club bangers. And I love those! I feel like I was born and raised in gay clubs," she says. "But it felt like it was time to switch it up."

Kim says her second album will be cohesive but that each song will also have a different identity.

Although her sound might change from song to song, one thing which Kim won't stray from is her daring fashion sense.

She attended fashion's biggest night, the Met Gala, in 2021 dressed as a horse, and she wore a latex face mask to the VMAs last year.

"Fashion is such a form of expression for me, I'm in the studio in crazy heels," she says.

"I can't be creative unless I feel good about myself. It's a huge part of my existence."

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