Sam Smith and Kim Petras just set a new record in music history-they are the first openly non-binary and transgender solo artists to hit No. 1 at the Billboard Hot 100.
Billboard announced the monumental achievement set by the two artists, which was received positively by fans.
.@samsmith and @kimpetras are the first publicly non-binary and transgender artists, respectively, to earn a No. 1 song on the #Hot100, thanks to "Unholy."
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) October 24, 2022
Petras went on Instagram to thank the fans for supporting the song, and bringing it to No. 1, "Number One Hot 100! I'm so grateful. Sam, I can't thank you enough for riding with me for years at this point." "I'm so honored to be a part of your first number one in the US which you should have 500 of at this point. I love you forever angel, Sam." "Unholy," released Sep. 22, marks Smith's first No. 1, which does come a bit as a surprise to many, since they have released hit songs like "Stay With Me," "I'm Not The Only One," Dancing With A Stranger," and more. Prior to its official release, "Unholy" saw huge success in the application TikTok, where they initially released a snippet. After it was released as a complete song, it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was Petra's first-ever entry into the chart.
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The First
Petras is a German-born singer-songwriter who is based in Los Angeles; and while she is the first transgender woman to hit No. 1, she is not the first transgender artist to enter the charts.
Honey Dijon and Ts Madison-who are credited for their work in "Cozy," a song off Beyonce's hit album "Renaissance-were the first trans artists to reach the top 40 in Billboard Hot 100 history, reports say.
"There's always been incredible and talented trans artists, and they have been paid dust, you know? [sic]" Said Petras to Billboard.
She named a couple of transgender artists who have done groundbreaking music but were not recognized for their talent, including SOPHIE, Amanda Lear, and Ayesha Erotica.
"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 continued.
She also noted that she might be the first, but she definitely is not "the last" transgender artist to accomplish the feat.
Aside from Petras, Smith also achieved several firsts with "Unholy" peaking at No. 1. The song also happens to be Universal Music Group's biggest streaming debut in 2022, reports say.
Smith, born Samuel Frederick Smith, hails from England, and is a critically acclaimed artist in their own right.
Their most notable achievements include being a recipient of a Grammy, BRIT, Golden Globe, and an Oscar, among many other accomplishments.
In 2017, they came out in 2017 as non-binary. Petras and Smith's achievement is also a win in the eyes of the LGBTQIA+ community.
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