Sam Smith and Kim Petras make history as first trans and non-binary musicians to top US chart
Sam Smith and Kim Petras are number one in the US chart. (Sam Smith)
Sam Smith and Kim Petras are officially the first non-binary and trans artists to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The pair released their new song “Unholy” in September. It fast became a viral TikTok song, and has spent three weeks in the US Billboard top 10.
However, on Monday (24 October) they finally broke through to number one, with 25.3 million streams, and made music history while they were at it.
Sam Smith becomes the first out non-binary artist to top the chart, with Kim Petras the first trans woman.
Smith shared the chart list to their Instagram. Petras also marked the occasion on her Instagram, writing: “I’m so honoured to be part of your [Sam Smith] first number one in the US which you should have 500 of at this point.”
Smith’s previous chart peak was number two, for “Stay With Me”, in 2014. “Unholy” is Petras’ first entry in the Hot 100.
When “Unholy” claimed the number two spot on 10 October, Petras told Billboard: “I just really don’t want to be the last. There’s always been incredible and talented trans artists, and they have been paid dust, you know?
“That same story just keeps repeating over and over for trans girls who have been making exceptional music and have been pushed under the rug while someone else takes credit from them.”
She referred to musicians such as SOPHIE, Amanda Lear and Ayesha Erotica, who she said have “not got what they deserve at all”.
Petras continued: “I’m just happy that Sam gave me the chance to shine here. I hope I can help break the cycle – it feels like people are finally ready for us to succeed, and that fills me with a lot of joy.”
Echoing the sentiment, Sam Smith recently said in an interview with Billboard: “Hopefully, I can push some doors down so that people can get through them easier than I did.”
“Unholy” has spent four weeks at the top on the UK Official Charts and Spotify’s weekly global top songs chart.
