Detour (Kim Petras album)

While touring for Feed the Beast in 2023, Petras told fans she was already working on her next album. In a 2024 interview with Paper she stated that the album was "definitely going to be really different for me".^[2]

Prior to the album's release, Petras publicly alleged that Republic Records had delayed both the project and its associated singles despite the album having been completed months earlier. In January 2026, Petras posted on X that she had requested to be released from the label due to frustrations over a lack of creative and professional control, and also claimed that a self-funded music video for "Need for Speed" had remained unreleased for more than two months.^[3]

In February 2025, Petras started teasing new music on Tumblr, and in May her official fanpage hosted a giveaway for a demo CD containing three unreleased songs that were made for the new album but did not make the final tracklist.

On 27 June 2025, Petras released "Polo" as the lead single, stating it was "the first song that kinda reset all of the music I was working on."^[4] "Freak It" followed, released on 25 July. Petras released a vertical music video via her social media for the track on 12 November.^[5] "I Like Ur Look" was surprise-released on 14 October as the third single alongside a music video.^[6] Petras held listening parties for the album in Paris in November 2025 and Los Angeles in March 2026.^[7]

After months of label issues and delays, Petras announced an EP titled Pretour in February 2026. Each song would release every week only on her social media, YouTube, and SoundCloud, starting 10 February with "Pop Sound". The four track EP has features from BC Kingdom and Cortisa Star. Petras stated these songs were not on Detour, writing on X, "These songs are what led me to writing Detour, I love them so much but they are their own separate thing." Petras also stated she still did not have a release date for Detour.^[8]

Petras left Republic sometime in April and released "Need for Speed" as the album's fourth single on 22 April via her own label, BunHead, and Amigo,^[9] followed by its Ashley Hood-directed music video.^[10] "Jeep" was released two weeks later as the fifth single. Petras performed the song on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on 8 May.^[11] On 21 May, Petras unveiled the release date and cover for Detour via her social media.^[12]

The album was released on 29 May.^[13][14] One track, "Basketball", was co-produced by British musician Sophie, who died in January 2021.^[15][16]

Credits are adapted from Tidal.^[17]

• Kim Petras – lead vocals (all tracks), programming (track 13)
• Nathan Dantzler – mastering
• Oren Ratowsky – mixing (1, 4, 6, 7, 9–13)
• Tom Norris – mixing (2, 3, 5)
• Margo XS – programming, synthesizer (3, 5, 13)
• Altgrandma – programming (5)
• Jon Castelli – mixing (8)
• Nightfeelings – programming (13)