5 Things To Know About Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko is back with a new single, a girlfriend, and an album that may be her biggest yet.
For more than 20 years now, Hayley Kiyoko has been grinding, balancing both her music and acting careers, both of which seem to be constantly taking her to new heights of success.
In the music world, she’s amassed a devoted following, but she has yet to really break out and land a massive hit. Thankfully, that’s not what she’s after. She’s interested in speaking her truth and changing the industry for the better, making it a much more LGBTQ-friendly space.
Now, she’s back with a new single, a girlfriend, and an album that may be her biggest yet. Read on for five things you need to know about Kiyoko. And then feel free to fall in love with her.
She Once Toured With Justin Bieber (And Tinashe)
When Kiyoko was still a teenager, she became a member of the pop girl group The Stunners, a short-lived act signed to Universal. The band released one EP which spun off several singles, though none of them ended up being very successful.
The Stunners are perhaps best remembered for two things, one of which was their opening slot on Justin Bieber’s My World Tour, which took him around the world in 2010 and 2011.
The girls promoted their EP as they got the crowd hyped for the teen heartthrob, who at the time had already scored hits like “U Smile,” “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Never Say Never,” and “Baby.”
The girl group has now seen several of its members continue their careers in the entertainment space, with fellow singer Tinashe also becoming a star in her own right.
She’s In A Long-Term Relationship (That No One Knew About)
In May 2022, Kiyoko opened up to her fans (and the world) by sharing that she not only had a girlfriend, but that they had already been together for years. This shocked many, even some who had been following her for a long time.
The singer and actress is dating Becca Tilley, who some may remember as a contestant on the reality TV show The Bachelor.
Taylor Swift Is A Fan (And A Friend)
The friendship between Kiyoko and Taylor Swift started when she name-dropped the Grammy winner in an interview.
In the chat, she uttered the following comment, which upset many fans of the superstar: “I’ve had several music industry execs say ‘You’re doing another music video about girls?’ I was like, um, yea…Taylor Swift sings about men in every single song and video, and no one complains.”
Swift quickly jumped to her defense, writing on her Tumblr, “We should applaud artists who are brave enough to tell their honest romantic narrative through their art, and the fact is that I’ve never encountered homophobia and she has. It’s her right to call out anyone who has double standards about gay vs straight love interests.”
While on her global Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018, Swift brought Kiyoko out as a special guest to duet in front of tens of thousands of fans. A few months prior, Swift was Kiyoko’s guest at an event, and they performed her single “Delicate” together.
She’s An Actor As Well
In addition to making music (both on her own and as a member of a band), Kiyoko is also a talented and successful actress. Throughout her career in front of the camera, which has now run more than a decade, she has appeared in films like Jem and the Holograms and Insidious: Chapter 3, but she’s been even more fortunate on the small screen.
On TV, Kiyoko has been seen in series like Wizards of Waverly Place, The Fosters, Insecure, Five Points, and CSI: Cyber, among others.
She’s Back With New Music
It’s been four years since Kiyoko released her debut album Expectations, which, coincidentally (or not so) exceeded sales and chart expectations.
Now, she’s gearing up to drop her sophomore full-length Panorama, which is slated to arrive in late July.
Kiyoko has started promoting the set with several singles, including her latest song, “For The Girls,” which will surely only help remind her fans why they refer to her as “Lesbian Jesus.”
The tune is catchy and poppy and perfect for summer, and it comes with a video that features her love, Tilley.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.