A few tracks into 2023's
Feed the Beast
,
Kim Petras
sets the bar for herself, declaring on "uhoh" that "Everything I drop is a banger." While there's more than a modicum of ironic egotism at the center of
Petras
' claim, she's pretty much on point as
roars with banger-level intensity. Working with a cadre of production and songwriting associates including
Ryan OG
Ilya
Dr. Luke
Blake Slatkin
, and
Rami Yacoub
, among others, the German singer delivers an album of steamy club anthems that are as hot for melody and hard dance grooves as they are for actual sex. It's a dualistic metaphor
gives herself over to from the start, celebrating the carnal delights of dance music on the title track, singing "I've already decided how it's going down tonight/In the morning, in the evening/On the counter, on the floor/Keep you coming, keep you coming, keep you coming back for more." Helping
keep the dance vibes flowing are several guests, including rapper
Nicki Minaj
on the swaggering "Alone" and
BANKS
, who jumps on board for the yearning "Bait." Also included as a bonus track is "Unholy,"
' Grammy-winning duet with
Sam Smith
that made her the first openly transgender artist to win the award. Elsewhere,
invokes an all-consuming dance passion on the Euro-pop-infused "Claws," dives into the techno heartbreak of "King of Hearts," and draws upon the hypnotic '70s-style disco funk of
Chic
on "Revelations." Also rife with a bubbly, '70s funk groove is "Coconuts," whose cheeky, double entendre lyrics not only celebrate
' Queer identity, but speak to the playfully flirty, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere she achieves throughout
. ~ Matt Collar