German singer Kim Petras has been dropping songs steadily all year, piercing the attention economy with addictively crafted bubblegum pop. Seven of those tracks appear on her new project, Clarity, and while none have yet found mainstream notoriety, they echo the Top 40 of the early 2000s: the shimmery retro bop Sweet Spot, bass-heavy Meet the Parents and the deliciously tragic emo-pop of All I Do is Cry. Having studied at the schools of Britney and Christina, Petras sounds like a superstar from a parallel universe. But like collaborator Charli XCX, she experiments at the periphery of mainstream pop, eluding household-name status.
Clarity’s high-gloss sound comes from the producer behind it: Lukasz Gottwald, AKA Dr Luke, whom Kesha accused of rape and abusive behaviour in 2014. (Gottwald has denied the claims and has filed a lawsuit against Kesha for breach of contract and defamation.) For some, the project will always be tainted by association. But the appeal of these songs lies in Petras’ blithe confidence, with pool-party hooks about self-love that resonate particularly with her LGBTQ fanbase. While unafraid to be vulnerable, her pounding rhythms and messages of resilience are what give heart to songs like Blow It All (“Tonight, we live like we’re not gonna die”).
Pop music today is arguably more political than ever, but the very best pop songs offer either campy escapism or strengthening mantras. Petras clearly knows this. Her carefree hooks glisten like suits of armour.
