On March 30th, Hayley Kiyoko, also known as “lesbian Jesus,” dropped her debut album, Expectations. Kiyokians have been waiting months for this album, watching and rewatching Kiyoko’s gay AF music videos, and keeping her Spotify playlist on repeat. Finally, last Friday, Expectations was released and young queer women were given bops they can actually relate to.
Source: Twitter via @HayleyKiyoko
Those unfamiliar with Hayley Kiyoko’s music might recognize her from the Disney Channel, where she played characters like Stevie Nichols in Wizards of Waverly Place and Stella Yamada in Lemonade Mouth. While Hayley still works in film and television, she has really been making a name for herself in the music industry. Before Expectations, she released three EPs; A Belle to Remember (2013), This Side of Paradise (2015) and Citrine (2016). Her music video “Girls Like Girls,” which now has 88 million views, put her on every queer girl’s radar. In “Girls Like Girls,” queer women get to see themselves represented in a pop song as something other than risqué or a phase, à la “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry or “Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato.
After “Girls Like Girls,” Hayley Kiyoko continued to make waves with her music and its accompanying videos, as it tackled the experience of being a queer woman with an authenticity not usually seen in pop music. “Sleepover,” the first song she released that would later appear on Expectations, explores the feelings of a girl who is in love with her friend. Before the music video was released, Hayley wrote a post on her Tumblr:
“I’ve never truly believed that sexuality defines who you are. I do believe, though, that sexuality helps shape and build who you become. How you act, what you pursue, who you surround yourself with. This music video for “Sleepover” is not a concept or an idea for me. It is my life. It defines a part of who I am today. I grew up a dreamer and found comfort through a safe haven in my head. It’s where I was able to find self-love and feel validated. This music video validates those feelings for me, even if in those moments the girl I fell for was unavailable. I made this video to help validate those fantasies. To create a space for the lovers, dreamers and seekers. Falling in love can be a bittersweet feeling, especially if you know it’ll never be reciprocated. I think we can all relate to that. Thanks for always supporting me. Love you.”
After releasing the music video for “Feelings” last October and the video for “Curious” in January, Hayley released one last promotional track, “Let It Be,” before dropping Expectations on March 30th. Much to the delight of her fans, Expectations is unabashedly queer. Hayley isn’t coy with pronouns or ambiguous about the gender of her love interests. Her song “What I Need” is a duet with Kehlani, another openly queer artist, about a girl who wants to keep their relationship a secret. According to an interview with GQ, “What I Need,” “Curious,” and “He’ll Never Love You,” are all about the same girl who liked to play games with Hayley Kiyoko. Other songs on the album, such as “Sleepover,” “Feelings,” “Let It Be,” and “Wanna Be Missed,” also discuss crushes and relationships from a queer perspective. Not only are the songs on this album a great outlet for young queer girls, but they are also just great jams to dance to.
Source: Twitter via @HayleyKiyoko
It is no surprise that Hayley Kiyoko’s music is resonating with so many queer girls, as she puts so much of her own experience into the music. Rarely do we, as the LGBTQ+ community, see ourselves on-screen or in music, and when we do, it’s usually not flattering, or even realistic. Hayley Kiyoko is giving us the representation we have been craving. In the GQ interview mentioned earlier, Hayley talks about how she wants to normalize music about girls who like girls, and how she has found a community through her fans. She also talks about how she wishes that she had this kind of music when she was growing up and thought that she was doomed because she liked girls:
“I’m trying to change that mentality, because it shouldn’t be like that. There’s every reason to have hope. At adolescence and youth, you’re so fragile. Looking back, any one thing could happen and it could affect your life forever. I get emotional, but it’s important to plant those seeds, because that’s your next generation that’s going to continue this world to become a better place.”
Source: Twitter via @HayleyKiyoko
On top of all this, Hayley is currently on her Expectations tour, which will be coming to Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on Sunday, June 3rd. Although it is technically sold out, you can still buy resale tickets on Ticketmaster or Stubhub. And don’t worry if you can’t make that show, because she is also opening for Panic! At the Disco’s Pray for the Wicked Tour, which will be coming to Toronto on Sunday, July 22nd. You can buy tickets at Ticketmaster or Stubhub. Last year, I had the pleasure to see the Toronto show of her One Bad Night Tour. Hayley Kiyoko really knows how to connect with her fans, and her shows are a very safe and welcoming place, so I highly recommend going to see her if you can.
Source: Rowan O’Brien
Expectations is the album that young queer people need right now. With so little representation to choose from, it is refreshing to have a whole album reflecting the experiences of a queer woman. Additionally, the songs from Expectations will make great additions to your summer music playlists. You can listen to Expectations on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube.