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27. 01. 10. - 14:00

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27. 01. 10. - 14:00

Gender change teen launches record label

Teenage pop sensation Kim Petras is putting the finishing touches to a new album she wrote, recorded and produced herself after deciding to split from her old record label.

Talented Kim, 17, who will feature tonight in a TV documentary on Germany's Stern channel about her life after her sex change operation, said she had been working in the studio almost non-stop and that the first five songs were already finished.

Kim was born Tim and started having hormone replacement therapy at 12, before having the operation to become fully female at the age of 16.

She said: "The music side of my career was not going fast enough with my old label - so I decided to do it myself. It was an amicable split. I've got a really great team that believe in me and that is a really big help - and the new songs are really great."

Kim's manager Mike Leidig said: "Kim is always in the news internationally, she has had invitations from London through to Rome to perform. She's a regular now at red carpet events but ultimately the thing that means the most to her - the music - was going too slowly. That is why she decided to take it on herself."

Kim did a test run by choreographing and writing the words and music for her first video - Die For You - and said: "It was a learning experience for me and Philip Birkenstock who supervises all my TV work, but for a first attempt with no experience at all I think we did a good job. And the next time it will be even better."

Kim is in the studio in her native Cologne currently recording with Alex Brauer and said the co-operation was really great.

She said: "Alex is really great and has helped me enormously to move forward."

Kim is juggling the work on her music, modelling and TV appearances with her regular schoolwork and admitted it was not easy - but praised the fact that she had her family to help her.

She said: "They are really amazing and understanding. They don't like being in the spotlight but they know my career is important to me and they support me. That means a lot."

Kim is currently featured in the Italian fashion magazine Colours which followed her on a typical day with photographs by German photographer Alexander Basta who said: "I love working with Kim - she is a natural in front of the camera and has a big future."

As to the future the album is taking up a lot of time but Kim added: "I have had a few interesting offers for TV presenting work but at the moment my album and school are keeping me busy. I'll see how that pans out before committing to anything else. I've wanted to do this since I was four, so I'm really glad it's all finally coming together now."

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