Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko’s authenticity, vulnerability and general openness about queer love is a breath of fresh air in a pop world that has been known to both ignore queer women and exploit their experiences to excite men. Her 2015 song “Girls Like Girls” is a very matter-of-fact song about stealing a guy’s girlfriend. The video, which has over 69 million views, was co-directed by Kiyoko, who boasts Japanese, Scottish and Welsh heritage. ATTN called “Girls Like Girls” “a huge win for LGBT youth,” and it was, unsurprisingly, quite a personal journey for the up-and-coming artist. “When we shot the music video, I felt like I was finally telling my story for the first time,” Kiyoko wrote in an essay published in Paper, “the yearning feelings I had and also the feeling of being so alone.” More recently, Kiyoko’s been signed to Atlantic, released the EP “Citrine,” embarked on a North American tour, and been part of a campaign that benefits the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “Most of the time,” she wrote, “you become confident after years of struggling during your young adulthood. I want to encourage the youth to find that confidence now.” —GH
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