Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991) is an American singer, dancer and actress. As a child model and actress, she appeared in a variety of films including ''

Scooby-Doo! ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...

'' film series (2009–2010), ''

Lemonade Mouth ''Lemonade Mouth'' is a young adult novel by Mark Peter Hughes, published in 2007 by Delacorte Press. It follows five teenagers who meet in detention and ultimately form a band to overcome the struggles of high school, forming deep bonds with ea ...

'' (2011), '' Blue Lagoon: The Awakening'' (2012), ''

Jem and the Holograms ''Jem'', also known as ''Jem and the Holograms'', is an American animated musical television series that ran from 1985 to 1988. The series is about record company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, and the adventures of Jem and her ...

'' (2015), '' Insidious: Chapter 3'' (2015), and '' XOXO'' (2016). Alongside her film roles, she also held a recurring role in the TV series '' The Fosters'' (2014) and a lead role on '' CSI: Cyber'' (2015–2016) and '' Five Points'' (2018–2019). Kiyoko was a founding member of

the Stunners The Stunners was an American pop girl group, formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. Originally the members were Allie Gonino, Hayley Kiyoko, Marisol Esparza, Kelsey Sanders, and Tinashe. In July 2009, after the debut single "Bubblegum", Sa ...

in 2007. The group supported

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

’s

My World Tour The My World Tour was the debut concert tour by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut EP and debut studio album ''My World'' (2009) and '' My World 2.0'' (2010). The tour was officiall ...

, before disbanding in 2011. After this, Kiyoko issued three solo extended plays: ''A Belle to Remember'' (2013), ''

This Side of Paradise ''This Side of Paradise'' is the debut novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920. It examines the lives and morality of carefree American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive ...

'' (2015), which includes the single "

Girls Like Girls "Girls Like Girls" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Hayley Kiyoko for her second extended play ''This Side of Paradise''. The song was released with a music video as the second single on June 24, 2015, directed by Kiyoko and ...

", and '' Citrine'' (2016). Following the singles "Sleepover", "

Feelings Feelings are subjective self-contained phenomenal experiences. According to the ''APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations ...

", and "Curious", she released her debut studio album '' Expectations'' on March 30, 2018. The album reached the top 20 of the charts in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. She has also created a comic book, with the help of Naomi Franquiz and Marla Vazquez, based on her song " Gravel to Tempo". Kiyoko released her fourth extended play '' I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit'' on January 14, 2020, and released her second studio album ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...

'' on July 29, 2022.

Early life

Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft was born on April 3, 1991, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, to figure skater and

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

Sarah Kawahara Sarah Kawahara is a Canadian figure skater and choreographer who has won two Emmy Awards. Personal life Born September 15, 1961, in Vancouver, Canada, Kawahara is of Japanese ancestry and lives in California. Her father is Hideo Kawahara (1920/ ...

, and actor and comedian

Jamie Alcroft Jamie Alcroft (born January 18, 1949) is an American comedian and voice actor known for his voice-over work in movies, TV shows and video games and was half of the comedy duo Mack & Jamie. Biography Early life and education Alcroft is of Engl ...

. Her mother is from

and is of

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

ancestry and her father is from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and has

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and Scottish ancestry. Kiyoko has two siblings, Alysse and Thatcher. She began acting at a young age, appearing in national commercials for companies such as GM Onstar, Slim Jim, and

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Toast Crunch (CTC), known as Croque-Cannelle in French Canada and Curiously Cinnamon in the UK (previously Cinnamon Grahams), and as a variant called Cini Minis in other European and Latin American countries, is a breakfast cereal produc ...

. Insisting on drum lessons at age six, she was writing drum charts for new releases and selling them in a local music store by age 11. At age 8, Kiyoko wrote a song called "Notice", which her father still urges her to release. She was elected student council president of her

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

and

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

freshman classes and vice-president in her

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

year. She attended Agoura High School and graduated in 2009. She was appointed "Commissioner of Entertainment" in her

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...

year and "Commissioner of Pep Rallies" in her

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

year. She created and choreographed "The Agoura High Step Team" which was faculty-approved as a school club under her direction. The team placed third at a Nationals competition in 2009. Upon graduation, she was accepted into

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

School of Recorded Music at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

but initially deferred until eventually declining due to career opportunities. Kiyoko was discovered at the age of five when she went with her friend to a photoshoot. The director asked her to step in front of the camera, and she ended up in a national print ad for KnowledgeWare.

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

spotted her at the Culver City Ice Rink, and she ended up featured in and narrating a short piece about children in sports called, "I'm Hayley, a Skater". Kiyoko continued to hone her skills in middle school plays and, in seventh grade, asked for an agent after seeing

Eurasian Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

girls like herself act in J. C. Penney commercials. She got her commercial agent and booked her first audition, claiming acting was always just something she did on the side to make money for college and music equipment. Kiyoko started the garage band ''Hede'', named after her grandfather, in November 2007 and released five songs on Myspace and a music video for "Warehouse". The band performed locally on several occasions and split in 2009 after the remaining band members left for college. Her grandfather died in 2011. He was one of the biggest inspirations in Kiyoko's life.

Career

2007–2011: Career beginnings and the Stunners

In 2007, Kiyoko was approached by former pop-star

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

to join an all-girl singing and dancing group. She joined

Allie Gonino Allie Gonino is an American actress and singer. She is known for her regular role as Laurel Mercer in '' The Lying Game'' and her recurring role as Michelle in ''10 Things I Hate About You'', both of which were ABC Family series. Gonino was a me ...

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Her notab ...

, Kelsey Sanders (later replaced by Lauren Hudson), and Marisol Esparza to form

. Six months after forming, the group signed with Columbia Records and released a single titled "Bubblegum" to

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

along with the official video for the single. They also contributed a cover of the song "Let's Hear It for the Boy" to the ''iCarly'' soundtrack. In 2009, the group left Columbia Records, signed a production deal with Lions gate Entertainment, and shot a music video for their promo single "We Got It", which was released on February 22, 2010. In 2007, Kiyoko starred in her first television role in ''

Unfabulous ''Unfabulous'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. The series is about an "unfabulous" middle schooler named Addie Singer, played by Emma Roberts. The show, which premiered on September 12, 2004, was one of the most-watched prog ...

'', being credited as Hayley Alcroft. After graduating high school in 2009, Kiyoko booked her first big movie, starring as

Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short pink pleated skirt (or in later episodes an A-line skirt, or sometimes shorts), knee socks, Mary Jane ...

in ''

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins ''Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins'' is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy horror mystery film directed by Brian Levant. It is a reboot to the films '' Scooby-Doo'' and '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed''. The film reveals how the Myste ...

'', a role she almost did not audition for due to her image. In a 2017 interview, she stated she struggles to find acting roles as a biracial woman. The TV movie premiered on September 13, 2009, and was a huge success. It brought in 6.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in Cartoon Network's history. She reprised the role in the movie's sequel, ''

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster ''Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster'' is a 2010 American made-for-television comedy horror mystery film directed by Brian Levant for Cartoon Network and based on the Saturday morning cartoon series ''Scooby-Doo'' by Hanna-Barbera. It is a se ...

'', which premiered on October 16, 2010. The sequel drew 3.4 million viewers. In 2010, Kiyoko also guest starred in four episodes of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Wizards of Waverly Place ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage wiza ...

'' in the role of Stevie Nichols, an evil wizard. The Stunners signed to

Universal Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an i ...

in 2010 and released their first single "Dancin' Around the Truth", which featured the

New Boyz New Boyz was a hip-hop duo that consisted of rappers Earl "Ben J" Benjamin and Dominic "Legacy" Thomas. They debuted in the spring of 2009 with their viral hit "You're a Jerk" taken from their 2009 debut studio album '' Skinny Jeanz and a Mic''. ...

. The music video for the song premiered June 2, just before the group was announced as an opening act on

. A full album was planned, but cancelled when the group split in 2011. Kiyoko claimed that she wanted to be in control of her own music. Kiyoko began work on the Disney Channel movie ''

'' in 2010, starring in a lead role as rebellious teenager Stella Yamada. The film premiered on April 15, 2011, with 5.7 million viewers. Kiyoko later guest starred in the episode "Skater Girl Island" of

Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years ...

's ''

Zeke and Luther Zeke is a masculine given name and nickname, sometimes a shortened form (hypocorism) of Ezekiel, which may refer to: People *Caleb Bailey (nickname "Zeke", 1898-1957), US Marine Corps brigadier general and athlete *Zeke Bella (1930–2013), Amer ...

'' which aired May 23, 2011. A sequel to ''Lemonade Mouth'' was cancelled prior to pre-production when Disney released a statement saying that "they felt the movie had completed its story within the first film."

2012–2014: Television films

In February 2012, Kiyoko landed a small role in '' Blue Lagoon: The Awakening'', a Lifetime TV movie and remake of the 1980 film '' The Blue Lagoon''. The movie premiered on June 16, 2012. She portrayed the character Gabi in a recurring role on

ABC Family The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...

's '' The Fosters'' and later landed the role of Raven Ramirez in '' CSI: Cyber''. She also portrayed Shannie in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

movie '' XOXO'', which premiered in August 2016. On March 12, 2013, Kiyoko released her debut EP, ''A Belle to Remember''. The album was partially

crowdfunded Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...

through MusicPledge. Immediately following its release, Kiyoko began writing new music in London with British producer James Flannigan. She announced via Facebook in 2014 that her next EP was finished and she would be debuting the songs at a show later that month. The songs were recorded in her parents' garage in Los Angeles with Flannigan. Kiyoko also collaborated with Swedish producer

Anders Grahn Anders Grahn is a Swedish songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocal coach and producer based in Sweden. Songwriting and producing The Black Eyed Peas "BIG LOVE" by the Black Eyed Peas is co-written by Anders Grahn, who also is one of the pro ...

. During this time, Kiyoko was affiliated with

Maker Studios Maker(s) or The Maker(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Maker'' (film), a 1997 American drama film *'' Makers: Women Who Make America'', a 2013 American TV documentary, a 2014 TV series, and related media *Maker Studios, now part of D ...

, releasing covers of "

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" is a Christmas song that originated with a poem by Emily Huntington Miller (1833–1913), published as "Lilly's Secret" in ''The Little Corporal Magazine'' in December 1865. The song's lyrics have also been attribute ...

" and medleys of Valentine's Day themed songs on the Maker Music

YouTube channel YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most v ...

with

AJ Rafael Arthur Joseph Rafael (born March 12, 1989), known professionally as AJ Rafael, is a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, YouTuber, and TikToker. Born in Moreno Valley, California, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2010. Rafael st ...

2015–2018: Record deal, EPs, and ''Expectations''

Her second EP, ''

'', was released on February 3, 2015. The music video for her single "

" was released on June 24, 2015. After co-directing the video for "Girls Like Girls" (which as of June 2019 has over 110 million views), Kiyoko assumed full directorial responsibilities for her next music video. "Cliff's Edge" was released via

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

in November 2015. After her 25th birthday party, Kiyoko hit her head and suffered a concussion. She was concurrently diagnosed with

post-concussion syndrome Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or a year or more after a concussion – medically classified as a so-called mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 34 to 35% of people with concussi ...

and depression. In a 2018 interview, Kiyoko said "I couldn't create, and I was like 'If I can't create, what's the point? I have no purpose.'" She started resting with citrine pieces on her forehead and started using a citrine crystal, which inspired the name for her third EP. In 2016, she released the single "Gravel to Tempo" and its music video from her next EP, '' Citrine''. The EP was released on September 30, 2016, via

EMPIRE An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

and

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. Her third fully self-directed music video for the song "One Bad Night" was premiered via

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

on October 11, 2016, in order to promote the EP. A new single called "Sleepover" was released alongside its music video on March 2, 2017, via

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

. Following that, the self-directed music video for her single "Feelings" was released on October 19, 2017. On December 21, 2017, Kiyoko announced her debut studio album, '' Expectations''. The third single, "Curious" was released on January 11, 2018, with the album's pre-order, alongside its music video, directed by Kiyoko and James Larese, and which premiered on ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

''. In March, Kiyoko was announced as a supporting act for the first leg of

Panic! At the Disco Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...

Pray for the Wicked Tour The Pray for the Wicked Tour was a concert tour by Panic! at the Disco, in support of the project's sixth studio album ''Pray for the Wicked'' (2018). The tour began in Minneapolis on July 11, 2018, and concluded in Rio de Janeiro on October 3, ...

. ''Expectations'' was released on March 30, 2018. To promote the release of her album, Kiyoko made her live TV debut and performed "Curious" on ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...

'' on April 3, 2018. Later that month, she announced that she collaborated with Marla Vazquez and Naomi Franquiz to make a comic book based on her song, "Gravel to Tempo." The comic book was sold during the Expectations Tour. Her self-directed music video for "

What I Need What I Need may refer to: * "What I Need" (Ray J song), 2006 * "What I Need" (Hayley Kiyoko song), 2018 * "What I Need" (Julie Reeves song), 1999 * "Ghetto Day/What I Need "Ghetto Day" and "What I Need" are two songs by American singer-songwr ...

," featuring

Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish (born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Kehlani is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen group Poplyfe in 2011. In 2014, Kehlani released thei ...

, was released on May 31, 2018. In June, Kiyoko performed "He'll Never Love You (HNLY)" on ''

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...

''. Later in June, Kiyoko was featured in

InStyle ''InStyle'' was an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith. In February 2022, it was announced that InStyle would cease print publications and move to a digital-only ...

's first issue of ''50 Badass Women'' for her work alongside notable figures such as

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...

and

Emma Watson Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women's rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, includi ...

. On July 26, 2018, Kiyoko was invited by

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

to perform with her on stage at

Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Footb ...

, marking Kiyoko's first stadium performance. The performance video for "What I Need" was released on August 17, 2018. At the

2018 MTV Video Music Awards The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards was held on August 20, 2018 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 35th annual award show aired live from the venue for the 12th time, the most of any previous venue in its history. Cardi B led the list of n ...

, Kiyoko won the award for Push Artist of the Year and performed "Curious" on stage.

2019–present: ''I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit'' and ''Panorama''

In June 2019, Kiyoko appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for "

You Need to Calm Down "You Need to Calm Down" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on June 14, 2019, as the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). The fourteenth track on the album, Swift wrote and prod ...

" with other LGBT celebrities. Kiyoko released her EP '' I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit'' on January 14, 2020. It was preceded by singles "I Wish" on July 18, 2019, "Demons" on October 11, "L.O.V.E. Me" on November 15, and "Runaway" on December 13. The track "She" was released as the fifth and final single on the same day as the EP. On June 23, 2021, "Demons" was featured in the third episode of the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

TV series ''

Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...

''. On April 30, 2021, Kiyoko released "Found My Friends" as the lead single from her second studio album ''

'', which was released on July 29, 2022. The second single from the album, "Chance", was released on June 1, 2021. On November 17, Kiyoko released a collaboration with

Fletcher Fletcher may refer to: People * Fletcher (occupation), a person who fletches arrows, the origin of the surname * Fletcher (singer) (born 1994), American actress and singer-songwriter * Fletcher (surname) * Fletcher (given name) Places United ...

titled "Cherry". On May 20, 2022, Kiyoko released "For the Girls" as the third single from ''Panorama''.

Personal life

Sexuality and musical influence

Kiyoko is a

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

. She has stated that she knew she was attracted to girls when she was six years old,

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

to her parents in the sixth grade. Upon realizing she liked girls, she grew up struggling with those feelings, fearing rejection and judgment if she came out. Kiyoko wanted to inspire confidence in young people dealing with the same struggles. Kiyoko's music is focused on her story and emotions she's experienced while coming to terms with her identity. The "This Side of Paradise" music video focused on her struggles with expressing her true self and the "Gravel to Tempo" music video draws on her experiences with having crushes on girls while growing up. In a 2016 interview, she expressed her frustration about not connecting to people the way she wanted. When Lily May-Young, one of the co-writers for "Girls Like Girls", asked Kiyoko about something about herself that no one knew and she was afraid to sing about, Kiyoko wanted to sing about the fact that she likes girls, but was struggling to be out about that.

Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumental ...

and

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

's "

I Kissed a Girl "I Kissed a Girl" is the debut single of American singer Katy Perry from her second studio album, ''One of the Boys'' (2008). It was released on April 28, 2008, by Capitol Records as the lead single from the record. Perry co-wrote the song with ...

" were Kiyoko's turning point and inspiration to turn to pop music. Through her music, Kiyoko works to normalize lesbian relationships in a society and music industry that she sees as being very

heteronormative Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal mode of sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that sexual and marital relations are most ...

: After seeing the impact her music has on her fans, Kiyoko has stated that she regretted not being open about her sexuality sooner. She is now dubbed "Lesbian Jesus" by her fans. Since 2018, Kiyoko has been dating former ''

Bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

'' contestant Becca Tilley. The couple initially kept their relationship private and confirmed it in May 2022 after Tilley appeared in Kiyoko's music video "For the Girls", which is inspired by ''The Bachelor''. Prior to this, Tilley used the nickname "95p" to refer to Kiyoko. Kiyoko's song "Mercy/Gatekeeper" talks about the depression she dealt with after suffering from her concussion.

LGBT advocacy

Since publicly coming out, Kiyoko has been an advocate for LGBT rights and is widely considered to be a

gay icon A gay icon is a public figure who is regarded as a cultural icon of some members of the LGBT community. The most widely recognized gay icons are often actresses and singers who garnered large LGBT fanbases, such as Judy Garland, Madonna, Diana Ros ...

by her fans. Her music videos highlight her own experiences and various LGBT-related issues. The music video for "One Bad Night" raised awareness of violence against transgender women. For Pride Month 2017, Kiyoko partnered with MeUndies to promote their "Celebrate" campaign. Each pair of underwear sold had a portion of the profit donated to the

Los Angeles LGBT Center The Los Angeles LGBT Center (previously known as the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, soc ...

. In 2018, Kiyoko critiqued

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...

's song, "

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

", for its depiction of same-sex attraction and harmful implications for the LGBT community. Ora later apologized for the song's implications. After 78 bras were thrown at Kiyoko during the Expectations Tour, she and Neara Russell donated them to I Support The Girls, an organization that supports homeless women, to support homeless LGBT youth. In her acceptance speech for Push Artist of the Year at the

, Kiyoko dedicated her win to queer women of color. She marched in a Pride parade for the first time, attending the 2019 World Pride Parade in New York City as the float ambassador for W Hotels Worldwide.

Politics

In 2016, she supported

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

and expressed dismay at

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

winning the U.S. Presidential Election. In 2018, Kiyoko was praised by HeadCount for helping her fans register to vote while she was supporting

Panic! at the Disco Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...

. She endorsed Joe Biden for the

2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...

in a tweet following Biden's announcement

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...

would be his running mate.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Discography

* '' Expectations'' (2018) * ''

'' (2022)

Tours

Headlining

* This Side of Paradise Tour (2015) * The Summer Tour (2015) * One Bad Night Tour (2016–2017) *

Expectations Tour The Expectations Tour was Hayley Kiyoko's fourth headlining tour in support of her first studio album, '' Expectations'' (2018). The tour began in San Diego on April 11, 2018, and concluded in Madrid on March 3, 2019. Jess Kent and Naaz performe ...

(2018–2019)

Supporting

Never Shout Never Never Shout Never (originally typeset as nevershoutnever! and NeverShoutNever!) is an American rock band formed in Joplin, Missouri in 2007. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Christofer Drew began the band as a solo project before expanding it ...

– Mid Winter's Nights Dream Acoustik Tour (2015) *

Miike Snow Miike Snow (pronounced "Mike Snow") is a Swedish indie pop band formed in 2007. The band consists of producing team Bloodshy & Avant and American singer Andrew Wyatt. The band is often represented by a silhouette image of a jackalope. In their ca ...

– iii Tour (2016) *

–

(2018) *

Lauv Ari Staprans Leff (born August 8, 1994), known professionally as Lauv (), is an American singer and musician, best known for his breakout hit "I Like Me Better"; included on his compilation album ''I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist)'', wh ...

– The All 4 Nothing Tour (2022)

Cancelled

* I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit Tour (2020)

Awards and nominations

During her career, Kiyoko has been nominated for the following awards for her work as an actress, musical artist, and her presence in the LGBT community. In 2015, she won the Jury Award for her role as Alisa in ''Hello,'' ''My Name is Frank''. In 2018, she won a

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

for Push Artist of the Year.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiyoko, Hayley 1991 births Living people Actresses from Los Angeles American actresses of Japanese descent American film actors of Asian descent American child actresses American child singers American female dancers American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American film actresses American multi-instrumentalists American music video directors American musicians of Japanese descent American people of Canadian descent Atlantic Records artists American synth-pop musicians American television actresses American women guitarists American women in electronic music American women musicians of Japanese descent Dancers from California Female music video directors American lesbian actresses American lesbian musicians LGBT American people of Asian descent LGBT dancers LGBT directors LGBT people from California LGBT rights activists from the United States LGBT singers from the United States LGBT songwriters Maker Studios people Musicians from Los Angeles Singer-songwriters from California 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people