Kim Petras Says Her Upcoming Album Will Be 'Extreme Pop' and an 'Ultimate Escape from Everything'

Kim Petras is ready to release new music and couldn't be more excited about her latest body of work.

While recently chatting with PEOPLE about her upcoming debut performance at the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 29-year-old singer also opened up about her soon-to-be-released new album, which she says will be a heavily pop-focused project.

Detailing that it is her first album since she signed with Republic Records earlier this year, Petras tells PEOPLE exclusively, "I'm very excited because I've been an independent artist this whole time, so this is my first official debut album. All those songs that I've done before this were just a warm-up."

"I feel very passionate about this album, it's everything I've ever wanted to make — it's extreme pop music, which I love," she continues. "I feel like I'm now brave enough to do outrageous songs that I never thought I could do, songs that I was kind of limiting myself from."

"During the [COVID-19] pandemic and during lockdown, I just reminded myself what I wanted to do, — pop music, which, to me, is the ultimate escape from everything," the German-born crooner adds about the genre's impact on the album. "I can put on my headphones and put on a great pop song and just forget about my problems or heartbreak or any of those things, and that's what I want to do for people."

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Petras' forthcoming LP — which has yet to be given a formal title or release date — follows after the singer broke into mainstream success when she released a slew of bubbly and pop-centric singles in recent years, including "I Don't Want It at All" and "Hillside Boys," as well as her staple anthem "Heart to Break."

In June 2019, Petras then released her first album Clarity, which was shared under the musician's BunHead label. The album, composed of 12 tracks total, features tunes beloved by her loyal fanbase, including "Clarity," "Icy," "Personal Hell," "Do Me" and "Got My Number."

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That same year, Petras also released her Turn Off the Light album in October, which served as a Halloween-themed compilation. The project was originally announced as the EP Turn Off the Light, Vol. 2, the sequel to Petras' 2018 EP Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1., and features songs such as "There Will Be Blood" and "Everybody Dies."

Later in 2020, Petras released her summertime bop "Malibu," as well as her single "Reminds Me," before she then released "Future Starts Now," her French-inspired track earlier this year in late August. Petras also performed the song during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards preshow in September.

Set to make her MTV EMAs debut later this month, Petras says that she is "super excited" to perform at what will mark the award show's first performance by a transgender artist. The performance, Petras adds, is "going to give more insight into my album" and will see her perform a song "that no one's heard."

"'Future Starts Now' I love, and that's the song that came up first, but I think there's a lot more sides to this album that I'm excited to explore," the musician tells PEOPLE. "I'm not someone who just likes to fit into anything, so I'm definitely pulling out all the tricks that I got up my sleeve. It's gonna be pretty powerful."

And though the EMAs will be taking place in Hungary, a country that has been subject to recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, Petras says she is "proud" to be a transgender artist and wants "to represent what I'm all about."

"I believe in freedom of expression and I don't really believe in censorship doing anything good for people, so I'm just really excited that MTV is taking a stand against censorship and really putting diversity into the show, as well as giving me the opportunity to be the first transgender artist to perform at the EMAs," she adds. "I feel very honored and excited, and I want to do a good job."

The 2021 MTV EMAs, which will see Saweetie serve as host and as a performer — and feature other performances by Maluma and Måneskin — will broadcast live on MTV in 180 countries on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 4:00 p.m. ET.