If you pay attention to queer culture, you’ve probably heard of Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko. If you haven’t, it’s a simple but powerful song about best friends falling in love despite the way societal norms make them feel like they shouldn’t. The song and music video came out in 2015, and Hayley Kiyoko has written much more since then. Her newest song and video, Feelings, was released Oct. 20th.
“Feelings” is about being so overwhelmed with emotion that you can’t help but talk about how you feel to the person that you like. Once again, Kiyoko comes up with a relatable song that validates how the listener feels. Her songs are usually geared towards queer women, where most of us felt like our feelings should be suppressed all our lives, especially feelings towards girls.
The song has lines such as “I over-communicate and feel too much” and “I’m sorry that I care”. While Kiyoko is happy to be open about how she feels, there’s an audience behind her saying, “Someone else feels that way too?” At this point, she’s unapologetic about liking girls and has been working to give hope to young girls and make them feel normal.
In most of Kiyoko’s songs, she sings about her personal experience and feelings. Unlike many other songs involving LGBTQ+ themes that usually include a message about homophobia and bullying from an outsider’s perspective, her songs tend to originate from a deeper level of understanding within. Many other songs are powerful and important, but there is something special about listening and relating to specific experiences. For example, the song and music video “Sleepover” is about what it feels like to have a crush on your best friend, but not knowing how to voice it or what to do about it. Instead, you just keep it to yourself, expressed in the line “at least I got you in my head”.
“Gravel to Tempo” is another song that deals with internalized homophobia, especially growing up. The music video has Kiyoko in a high school, a place where a lot of girls may realize they like girls for the first time and feel the need to repress that. A particular line that stands out is “I don’t feel adequate / thinking I’m a monster in disguise”. It’s easy to relate to this line because of societal stereotypes built in you about being a “predatory lesbian” and you suddenly feel like you could be considered dangerous. Kiyoko reassures you you’re not dangerous or a problem by later singing “I’ll do this my way / Don’t matter if I break / I gotta be on my own” in the chorus. These lines empower young queer women to see themselves as significant and be able to pull themselves above harmful stereotypes. Other songs of hers cover similar topics but are important individually.
In general, there isn’t a lot of popular music that LGBTQ+ people can identify with directly. Hayley Kiyoko is a savior to many young people who are looking for music that makes them feel real and normal. She is a queer woman of color who has been succeeding in America as an actress, singer and songwriter. Elevating her voice and spreading her words will emphasize her message of hope and togetherness. Bringing her songs to a position where most people at least know who she is could normalize queer representation and cause anyone to realize the importance of it. A lot of people don’t have someone to look to; Hayley Kiyoko is the perfect role model that provides validity, understanding, and hope.
Follow Her Campus @ Geneseo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.