Hayley Kiyoko Revs Up With Arcade Fire and Chills Out to ‘Friends’
The pop singer and songwriter Hayley Kiyoko’s fans call her “lesbian Jesus,” and she’s become known for boldly and unapologetically putting every facet of herself into her artistry.
That wasn’t always the case, however. “Growing up I would write music in my bedroom with a guitar on my bed, or in my journal,” she said, “and I would use he/him pronouns, and it took a long time for me to obviously speak my truth, lyrically.” Kiyoko, 31, was born and raised in Los Angeles, and expressed her interest in music and performing at a very young age, acting in commercials, then in films and on TV.
In 2007, she joined a girl group called the Stunners that also included the R&B singer Tinashe. After its 2011 split, she started carving out a solo career.
Her 2015 EP “This Side of Paradise”provided a breakthrough moment with the electro-pop track “Girls Like Girls,” which was also a coming out of sorts.
