SONG REVIEW: “If Jesus Was a Rockstar” by Kim Petras

It seems Christian pop has found its new saviour in Kim.  

Converting from debaucherous singleton to devoted worshipper, Kim Petras is just in time for the festive season (and her new crushes big birthday!) with her latest single “If Jesus Was a Rockstar” released November 11th.  The lord above has certainly created a noticeable change within the German popstar, her last project “Slut Pop” was a short and sultry 15-minute display of Kim’s most explicitly sexual lyrics to date. Following a sonically linear path of electronic club beats with cheeky innuendos it was a fun and sassy occasion.  

Starting with soft acoustic strums, it’s clear Kim is taking her new sound and image a completely opposite way. Whilst some lyrics within the song remain suggestive (or maybe just referencing kneeling in prayer), the whole aura of the track is much tamer and more refined. While some fans may be opposed to this softer sound, fearing Kim has lost her bold and brash side, others find this allows her more scope to explore her vocals without the interruption of sexual imagery and deafening bass thumps.  

Petras in 2018. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Don’t be fooled, this track is not a pure and innocent reborn Kim Petras, it feels like a comical jab at Christian pop music with Kim telling the listener Jesus would be much more enticing to her if he acted like a messy celebrity. Referencing Kurt Cobain and trashy activities such as over-drinking and being forcibly removed from bars, Kim has a clear idea of who her ideal Jesus would be.  

The track is fun, no doubt, but it is more than just a little joke. When speaking to The Daily Beast magazine Kim revealed this stand-alone single is about her lack of connection to religion, specifically Christianity, and her trying to forge a connection by creating her own personal God to love and adore. As a trans-woman, Kim felt that religion was always something she was not a part of. Although this exclusion may have once bothered a young Kim, it has now allowed her to explore her own spirituality and in-turn make new music and imagery.  

Welcome to the ‘Church of Petras’, where all people are welcome, especially if you look anything like Kurt Cobain and have an interest in excessive alcohol consumption.  

★★★★☆– A fun but spiritual affair, Kim has us praying for a second single.