It’s very possible you may not have heard of pop newcomer Kim Petras, but with over 4 million YouTube views and 45 million music streams, it’s likely she’ll be on everyone’s radar sooner, rather than later.

Born in Cologne, Germany and currently residing in Burbank, CA, Petras is not only an up and coming star, but she also encompasses the unique distinction of being the youngest person in the world to undergo complete gender reassignment surgery at the age of 16.

Although this is a significant part of Petras’ backstory what I really wanted to focus on while getting to know her, is her sky rocketing career.

Kim’s catchy hooks and neon infused videos have been deemed “modern bubblegum pop” in the past, and whether that’s an accolade or an insult is left to the individual, but as for Kim, she embraces the term. “I love all pop, so I’m thankful people think I’m fresh and new. I think it’s good.”

As a child, Petras’ parents raised her on jazz legends like Miles Davis and Billy Holiday, but Kim was drawn to the pop greats. “Britney (Spears), Christina (Aguilera), Spice Girls, Madonna, Beyonce. I’ve always liked all kinds of music. I’ve just always loved music.”

Yet unlike her idols, Petras has taken a different approach to getting her music to the masses. Currently without a label, Kim’s songs are distributed through AWAL, a community of independent artists, that is able to promote artists and help build a fan base outside of a standard artist/label relationship. With the music business constantly changing, is this perhaps the wave of the musical future?

“I think it’s very crucial to put out new music all the time and for me, I don’t know if that would’ve been possible with a label. They have a very traditional way of releasing stuff.” And traditional Ms. Petras is not.

Kim’s singles are recorded and released one by one to get the tracks immediately out to the public without waiting for a full album to be complete. “I write so much music all the time and I want the fans to get as much music as possible and to never really have long breaks. So for me, right now, it’s amazing and I think what AWAL is doing for artists is beneficial and I’m really in charge of every single detail of my career.”

This commitment to control can be seen quite evidently in her vibrant and colorful music videos.  With costumes reminiscent of a neon hued, modern day, Disney princess, Petras is as beautiful as she is talented. “I would never let anybody tell me what to wear. I love fashion. I’ve always been in love with fashion. I know exactly what I want. My style is getting better all the time, evolving. I’m definitely very hands on with the outfits. I always find stuff on the internet; magazines…I find it in thrift stores, EBAY. ”

That love of fashion, and Petras strong ties to the LGBTQ+ community, led to H&M featuring the pop beauty in their recent “Pride Out Loud” collection this past June. The campaign featured apparel and accessories tied to Pride, with a percentage of the proceeds benefiting United Nations Free & Equal, the U.N.’s official campaign against the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people worldwide.

“I was very excited when they approached me. A very exciting project. Their first Pride Collection ever. I was just really proud to be a part of it. I love inspiring people and I just want to be a positive person for the transgender community. I want people to see transgender as a more normal thing.”

With the H&M campaign complete and knockout performances at Los Angeles, San Diego, and Birmingham Pride, now fond memories, Petras is now set to take the stage as supporting act on Troye Sivans U.S. “Bloom” tour and she couldn’t be more excited. “It’s my first big tour, so I’m excited about all of it. I’m excited about seeing America. I’m excited about being on stage every night. Meeting fans all over America, who I know on Twitter and Instagram, but I’ve never met them in person. I’m just excited to hug every fan, take photos with them, give great performances, and see Troye. I couldn’t be more happy.”

Kim Petras and Troye Sivans “Bloom” tour kicks off Friday September 21st in Dallas, TX and will be making their way to the Fox Theater in Detroit, MI on Friday, October 14th.