"Problématique" is a shelved studio album by Kim Petras. It was supposed to be her third studio album and major-label debut, until it was cancelled in summer 2022.

Kim spoke about her upcoming debut album, due out in 2022, in the holiday issue of Paper Magazine:

"It's very European-themed. I'm from Europe, I grew up around Italian disco, dance, techno, German techno, there's a whole scene. French House. It was kind of by coincidence that the first one, "Future Starts Now," was French-inspired. But it's really much more inspired by the sound of European pop, which I grew up on, and is a flavor I don't think I've really put into my music [yet]. I don't know why. During lockdown, I started listening to songs that I was listening to when I was like eight and dancing around my room. It really made me fall in love with that again, so it's fusing that into my existing sound.

But also, it's a lot more sexual. I'm singing a lot more songs about sex and my sexuality. One of my favorite albums ever, I mean so many of my favorite albums ever are Britney, [but] especially Blackout. People don't take people seriously — women, especially — who sing slutty songs or songs about sex, and write it off as not being important. I think that's so stupid… I fully believe that takes as much skill as writing any other kind of song. And so I was like, “You know what? I make slut pop. And I'm proud of that. And you can suck it if you don't take me seriously. I don't care.”

In an interview with King Kong Magazine, Petras talked about why she wanted it to be a concept album and what to expect:

"One of my all-time favorite albums is Electra Heart by MARINA, which I consider a concept album. Or Born To Die by Lana Del Rey, which to me is also a concept album. Those stuck with me as super immersive worlds, bringing out a specific persona. And a persona often allows you to speak even more honestly about the things that are real to you; being a character gives you enough detachment to talk about certain issues. For example, in TURN OFF THE LIGHT, I was a killer and I wrote everything from that point of view. In Slut Pop, I want to fuck and be out of control and not give a shit about anything said about me. For this new album, it will also have a distinct character, so that's what for me makes it a concept album. Most of all though, it'll be the most relatable and fun version of myself. I don't necessarily care about reality either, to be honest, so I have just built my own world. [...] It's definitely a return to my musical roots. I grew up with German techno, French house, trance music, all of that shit is the foundational reason why I even started making music. So, I want to bring all of that back to myself and my world of music. And most times in America, producers won't even know the references that I pull my stuff out from. When I'm at parties, or just hanging out with artists, I'm always the person that's like, "Have you ever heard of this weird German song from 2004?" [Laughs] I love showing people my strange references, and I also celebrate what makes me special."

Leak and cancellation

In early August 2022, almost all of the songs intended for the album leaked online, to which Petras tweeted that fans could "listen to the leaks if they wanted to", but that she was troubled because her label is stopping her from releasing the project. The tweets were deleted shortly after.

Prior to the leaks, a fan tweeted a picture of a grave reading "Problématique 2020-2022", with the caption asking fans to leave a flower for the album's rumoured shelved status. Petras replied with a rose emoji, making fans believe the album had been scrapped^[1].

Petras also tweeted that the album was not precisely scrapped, but instead was in "limbo" as her label has not authorised its release, indicating that there is a possibility of the album being released^[2]. However, no more singles were released since "Coconuts" and the Slut Pop EP, and no formal announcement or release date has been given.

On August 8, 2022 in the pre-show interview before her Outside Lands Festival set, Kim confirmed that the album will not be released, however she also said to the fans that they can listen to it and give her their opinions on the unreleased songs. She further said: “Go listen to my scrapped album. Those songs are never coming out. I want you to listen and give me your opinions. I wrote them for you.”

After this announcement, many fans are asking Petras and her team to post the final tracklist and cover art, as neither surfaced along with the songs.

Promotion

Two singles were released in promotion for the album: "Future Starts Now" and "Coconuts". Additionally, Petras performed live some songs intended for inclusion on the album: "Revelations" and "Hit It From the Back", with the latter being referred to as the next single of the era. Upon cancellation, no more singles were released.