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Hayley Kiyoko

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Hayley Kiyoko
"[...] This isn't about a trophy. It's about representation and opportunity. And I wanna thank everyone who has been along on this journey with me from the beginning. Every single video, every single fan, every single friend, thank you. To everyone out there who's striving and working to achieve their dreams...this is proof that every time someone tells you 'no' because you're not straight enough, masculine enough, feminine enough, or simply that you are just not enough, you are more than enough. And you can do this. So keep going. This is dedicated 100% to my fans. I love you."
—Hayley Kiyoko upon winning the 2018 VMA "Push Artist of the Year" Award

Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991), known professionally as Hayley Kiyoko and dubbed Lesbian Jesus by fans, is an American singer, actress and songwriter who gained recognition as member of the now-dissolved band The Stunners in the music industry. The group released one extended play and multiple singles but they eventually parted ways in 2011. Originally earning success in the film industry and becoming known for her roles as Velma Dinkley in Scooby Doo!The Mystery Begins and Scooby Doo! Curse of Lake Monster and as well as Stella Yamada in the Disney Channel film Lemonade Mouth, she more recently gained recognition for her profession as a singer and her work for the LGBTQ+ community.

She began to establish herself as a solo artist with her debut single A Belle to Remember and debut single of the same name. However, it was her EP This Side of Paradise that proved to be Kiyoko's breakthrough with help of the evocative single and LGBT-anthem "Girls Like Girls".[1] So far she has released three extended plays and one album, Expectations. Her fourth EP, I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit, was released om January 14, 2020.

Her fans are called "Kiyokians". After winning her first VMA award on August 20, 2018, Kiyoko wanted to change the name[2] however, her fans convinced her to keep the name and Kiyoko agreed by saying that "Kiyokians we [she and her fans] shall be. Forever and always."[3]

She was named the fourth most influential woman musician of the 21st century by NPR on November 20, 2018[4] and received the "Rising Star" award at the 2018 Billboard Women in Music Awards on December 6, 2018.[5]

Early life[]

Kiyoko was born on April 3, 1991, in Los Angeles, California, to actor/comedian Jamie Alcroft and figure skater/choreographer Sarah Kawahara. Her mother is from Canada, and is of Japanese ancestry, and her father is from Ohio, and has German, Welsh, English and Scottish ancestry.[6] Moreover, she is the sister of Alysse and Thatcher Alcroft.

She began acting at a young age, appearing in national commercials for companies such as GM Onstar, Slim Jim, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.[7] Insisting on drum lessons at age 6, she was writing drum charts for new releases and selling them in a local music store by age 11.[8] At age 8, Kiyoko wrote a song called "Notice", which her dad still urges her to release.[9] She was elected President of her middle school and high school freshman classes school and Vice-president in her senior year. She was appointed Commissioner of Entertainment in her sophomore year and Commissioner of Pep Rallies in her junior year.

She created and choreographed "The Agoura High Step Team" which was faculty-approved as a school club under her direction. The team placed 3rd at a Nationals competition in 2005.[10] Upon graduation, she was accepted into Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University but initially deferred until eventually declining due to career opportunities.

Kiyoko was discovered at the age of 5 when she went with her friend to a photo shoot. The director asked her to step in front of the camera, and she ended up in a national print ad for KnowledgeWare. Nickelodeon spotted her at the Culver City Ice Rink, and she ended up featured in and narrating a short piece about children in sports called, "I'm Hayley, a Skater".[8] Kiyoko continued to hone her skills in middle school plays, and in 7th grade she, after seeing Eurasian girls like herself act in JCPenney commercials, asked for an agent. She got her commercial agent and booked her first audition, claiming acting was always just something she did on the side to make money for college and music equipment.[11] Kiyoko created the garage band Hede, named after her grandfather,[10] in November 2007, and released five songs on Myspace and a music video for "Warehouse". The band performed locally on several occasions and split in 2008.[10]

Career[]

2007–2011: The Stunners[]

Main article: The Stunners (band)

In 2007, Kiyoko was approached by former pop-star Vitamin to join an all-girl singing and dancing group. She joined Allie Gonino, Tinashe, Kelsey Sanders (later replaced by Lauren Hudson), and Marisol Esparza to form The Stunners. Six months after forming, the group signed with Columbia Records and released a single titled "Bubblegum" to iTunes along with the official video for the single. They also contributed a cover of the song "Let's Hear It for the Boy" to the iCarly soundtrack.[12] In 2009, the group left Columbia Records,[13] signed a production deal with Lionsgate Entertainment, and shot a music video for their promo single "We Got It", which was released on February 22, 2010.[13] After graduating high school in 2009, Kiyoko booked her first big movie, starring as Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, a role she almost did not audition for due to her image.[14][15] The TV movie premiered on September 13, 2009 and was a huge success. It brought in 6.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in Cartoon Network's history.[16][15] She reprised the role in the movie's sequel, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, which premiered on October 16, 2010. The sequel drew 3.4 million viewers.[17] In 2010, Kiyoko also guest starred in four episodes of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place in the role of Stevie Nichols, an evil wizard.

The Stunners signed to Universal Republic Records[13] in 2010 and released their first single "Dancin' Around the Truth", which featured the New Boyz.[18] The music video for the song premiered June 2, just before the group was announced as an opening act on Justin Bieber's My World Tour.[19] A full album was planned,[20][21]but cancelled when the group split in 2011. [22] Kiyoko began work on the Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth in 2010,[14] starring in a lead role as rebellious teenager Stella Yamada. The film premiered on April 15, 2011 with 5.7 million viewers.[23][24] Kiyoko later guest starred in the episode "Skater Girl Island" of Disney XD's Zeke and Luther which aired May 23, 2011. A sequel to Lemonade Mouth was cancelled prior to pre-production when Disney released a statement saying that "they felt the movie had completed its story within the first film."[25]

2012–2015: Actress, Beginning of Solo Career[]

In February 2012, Kiyoko landed a small role in Blue Lagoon: The Awakening, a Lifetime TV movie and remake of the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon. The movie premiered on June 16, 2012.[26] She portrayed the character Gabi in a recurring role on ABC Family's The Fosters and later landed the role of Raven Ramirez in CSI: Cyber.[27] She also portrayed Shannie in the Netflix movie XOXO, which premiered in August 2016.

On March 12, 2013, Kiyoko released her debut EP, "A Belle to Remember".[28] The album was partially crowdfunded through Music Pledge.[29] Immediately following its release, Kiyoko began writing new music in London with British producer James Flannigan. She announced via Facebook in 2014 that her next EP was finished and she would be debuting the songs at a show later that month. The songs were recorded in her parents' garage in Los Angeles with Flannigan.[30] Kiyoko also collaborated with Swedish producer Anders Grahn.[31]

2015-2016: Girls Like Girls, Coming Out, International Success, Concussion []

After the title track was released on as the lead single on September 29, 2014, her second EP, This Side of Paradise, was released on February 3, 2015.[32]

Moreover, it is home to her single "Girls Like Girls" which was released on June 24, 2015.[33] The single was accompanied by a music video which Kiyoko co-directed. The music video quickly went viral, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, and was praised by media outlets alike for singing so openly and explicitly about a lesbian relationship. The Guardian described it as "something new, at least in mainstream pop"[34] and has said that it paved the way to give LGBTQ+ a safe space and opened the music industry for more queer artists to sing honestly about what gender they love.[35] The single did not chart however, it still managed to allow Kiyoko to sign onto the major Atlantic Record Label.[36] As of November 2018 the music video has more than 98 million views.[37] Moreover, it also inspired Kiyoko to come out publicly[38] and gave her the nickname "Lesbian Jesus".

After co-directing the video for "Girls Like Girls", Kiyoko assumed full directorial responsibilities for her next music video: "Cliffs Edge" was released via Vevo in November 2015.[39] The music video stars Kiyoko herself and is the first one that shows her making out and being romantically involved with a female.

At her 25th birthday party, in April 2016, Kiyoko hit her head and was diagnosed with a concussion and later the diagnosis for post-concussion syndrome (PCS) followed.[40] PCS results in a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or a year or more after a concussion. She spent four months between the concussion and finally going to the doctor to get the diagnosis[40] She dealt with post-concussion syndrome for two years.

In 2016, she released the single "Gravel To Tempo" and its music video from her next EP, Citrine.[41] The EP was released on September 30, 2016 via Empire and Atlantic.[42] Her third fully self-directed music video for the song "One Bad Night" was premiered via Vice on October 11, 2016 in order to promote the EP.[43]

2017-2019: PCS, Expectations, Rising Star[]

The_Road_To_Expectations_A_Hayley_Kiyoko_Music_Video_Retrospective

A new single called "Sleepover" was released alongside its music video on March 2, 2017 via BuzzFeed.[44] Following that, the self-directed music video for her single "Feelings" was released on October 19, 2017.[45] The third single, "Curious" was released on January 13, 2018 with the album's pre-order, alongside its music video, directed by Kiyoko and James Larese, and which premiered on Total Request Live.[46][47]

Her debut studio album, Expectations, was released on March 30, 2018.[48]

Accepting Rising Star

Kiyoko receiving the Rising Star Award

She received the "Rising Star" award at the 2018 Billboard Women in Music Awards on December 6, 2018.[5] The award was previously also awarded to singers Colbie Caillat, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ariana Grande, etc. whose careers have continued to grow enormously after receiving the award. Moreover, the award marked Kiyoko's first award that she received on stage.

2019-present: I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit, Youth Innovator Award[]

During October 2019 Kiyoko made the announcement of her fourth extended play, I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit, which was released in January 2020.[49] The lead single, "Demons" was released on October 11, 2019. Kiyoko also announced the I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit Tour for North American in 2020.[50]

Along with the announcement of her sophomore album, The Trevor Project announced that Kiyoko will be receiving the "Youth Innovator Award" for her work as an advocate for young LGBTQ people at their annual Los Angeles fundraising gala.[51]


Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Adrift Jess Short film
2014 Hello, My Name Is Frank Alisa
2015 Insidious: Chapter 3 Maggie
2015 Jem and the Holograms Aja Leith
2016 XOXO Shanni

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Unfabulous Auctioning Girl / Rapping & Dancing Girl Episodes: "The Auction", "The Song"
2009 Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins Velma Dinkley Television film
2010 Wizards of Waverly Place Stevie Nichols Recurring role; 4 episodes
2010 Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster Velma Dinkley Television film
2011 Lemonade Mouth Stella Yamada Television film
2011 Zeke and Luther Suzi Vandelintzer Episode: "Skater Girl Island"
2012 Blue Lagoon: The Awakening Helen Television film
2013 The Vampire Diaries Megan King Episode: "I Know What You Did Last Summer"
2014 The Fosters Gabi Recurring role; 5 episodes
2015–16 CSI: Cyber Raven Ramirez Main role; 28 episodes
2017 Insecure Miko Episode: "Hella LA"

Web[]

Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Fosters: Girls United Gabi Main role; 5 episodes
2018 Five Points Lexi Himitsu Main role; 10 episodes

Discography[]

Main article: Hayley Kiyoko/Discography

The discography of Hayley Kiyoko consists of one studio album, three extended plays, ten singles and other album appearances. Kiyoko's debut EP, A Belle to Remember, was released in March 2013.[52] Her next EP, This Side of Paradise, was released in February 2015 and spawned three singles: the lead single of the same name, "Girls Like Girls", and "Cliffs Edge".[53][33] In 2016, she released the single "Gravel To Tempo", and "One Bad Night", included on the EP Citrine which was released later that year.[41] In 2017, two new singles, titled "Sleepover" and "Feelings", were released.[44] They are included, along the follow-up single "Curious" on Kiyoko's debut album Expectations, which was released on March 30, 2018.

Tours[]

Headlining
Supporting
  • Never Shout Never  – Mid Winter's Nights Dream Acoustik Tour (2015)
  • Miike Snow – iii Tour (2016)
  • Panic! At the Disco – Pray for the Wicked Tour (2018)
  • Taylor Swift - Reputation Stadium Tour (2018) (special guest)

Awards and nominations[]

During her career, Kiyoko has been nominated for numerous awards for her work as an actress, musical artist, and her presence in the LGBT community. In 2015, she won the Jury Award for her role as Alisa in Hello, My Name is Frank. In 2018, she won a MTV Video Music Award for Push Artist of the Year.

Year Association Category Nominated Work Result Ref.
2015 Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Hello, My Name Is Frank... Won [54]
2018 British LGBT Awards Music Artist of the Year Herself Nominated [55]
iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards Fan Fave New Artist Nominated [56]
MTV Video Music Awards Best New Artist Nominated [57]
Push Artist of the Year Won
MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Artist Nominated
Push Artist of the Year Nominated
Billboard Women in Music Awards Rising Star Won [58]
Paper Break The Internet Awards Break Out Musician of the Year Nominated [59]
2019 Glaad Awards Outstanding Music Artist Expectations Nominated [60]


Trivia[]

  • Hayley is of German, Welsh, English and Scottish ancestry on her father's side and of Japanese ancestry on her mother's side.
  • Hayley is left-handed.[61]
  • She is 1.63m, which is 5ft 3".[62]
  • Her middle name "Kiyoko" is of Japanese origin and means "clear, pure, clean" or "holy" ('kiyo'), and then "child" ('ko').[63]
  • She keeps her dating life very private so thus far no relationships of her are known to the public.
  • Her first job was Marge Simpson in the Hollywood Parade.[64]
  • Her main instrument are the drums.[65]
  • She is an Aries, a fire sign.
  • She had the chance to attend Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University, but turned their offer down.[66]
  • Her favorite part while writing music is the middle point when she finally gets "the vibe [...] and the beat, the chords and the feeling of the production feels exactly how she feels."[67]
  • She attended her first pride in Vancouver in 2008, at the age of 17. However, at that time she was still in the closet and was terrified that people could see her and assume she was gay.[68]
    • Moreover, she never intended to come out at the beginning of her career and be a "private artist".[69]
  • She has said that she noticed she was gay when she was five years old.[70]
  • Growing up, female songwriters like SIA, Emily Haines, Fiona Apple really inspired her. She was also inspired by Stevie Wonder and Arcade Fire and their Funeral album in particular and wanted to translate and represent all these influences in her debut album.[71]
  • She was named "most likely to be famous" in her high school's yearbook.[72]

Gallery[]

GalleryPicture "Been looking through the texts and all the photos."
The topic of this page has its own gallery. To view the Hayley Kiyoko gallery, click here.


Official Accounts[]

Social Media[]

Music[]


References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/girls-like-girls-too-ok-hayley-kiyoko-reveals-inspiration-for-song-2015297/
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/HayleyKiyoko/status/1032117079531552768
  3. ↑ https://twitter.com/HayleyKiyoko/status/1032124271093579776
  4. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2018/11/20/668372321/turning-the-tables-your-list-of-the-21st-centurys-most-influential-women-musicia
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.billboard.com/articles/events/women-in-music/8485623/sza-kacey-musgraves-hayley-kiyoko-honored-billboard-women-in-music
  6. ↑ http://www.pacificcitizen.org/node/899%7Ctitle=Disney Starlet Hayley Kiyoko on Keeping Grounded in Hollywood
  7. ↑ http://news.toonzone.net/articles/25307/pr-warner-premiere-amp-cartoon-network-to-release-live-action-scooby-doo-prequel
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3072243/bio
  9. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8235955/hayley-kiyoko-interview-expectations-sexuality
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 http://www.theacorn.com/news/2008-07-24/Community/023.html
  11. ↑ http://glittermagrocks.com/connect/2011/08/10/hayley-kiyoko-interview/
  12. ↑ http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/stunners/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/16/hayleys-comet-ever-since-she-joined-the-stunners/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 url=http://agourahills.patch.com/articles/agouras-rising-star-hayley-kiyoko
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/16/hayleys-comet-ever-since-she-joined-the-stunners/
  16. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/09/15/scooby-doo-the-mystery-begins-scores-as-cartoon-network's-most-watched-telecast-in-network-history/27208/%7Cwebsite=TV by the Numbers|date=September 15, 2009}}
  17. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/19/sunday-cable-ratings-kardarshians-lead-mad-men-finale-up-rubicon-finale-down-boardwalk-empire-sonny-with-a-chance-much-more/68833/}
  18. ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases
  19. ↑ http://concertsandsports.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/justin-bieber-presents-the-stunners/
  20. ↑ http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=882511733&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=25&start=1
  21. ↑ =http://www.enotes.com/topic/The_Stunners_(group)
  22. ↑ http://ellegirl.elle.com/girl-gossip/2011/the-lying-games-allie-gonino-dishes-on-her-new-role-makeup-tricks-shoe-splurging/
  23. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/18/friday-cable-ratings-historys-american-restoration-leads-demo-disneys-lemonade-mouth-tops-viewing-sanctuary-smackdown-and-more/89850/
  24. ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/04/disney-channels-lemonade-mouth-gains-an-additional-1-5-million-viewers-with-a-week-of-dvr-playback/91614/
  25. ↑ http://www.bsckids.com/2012/05/bridget-mendler-lemonade-mouth-wont-make-a-sequel/%7C
  26. ↑ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/blue-lagoon-movie-lifetime-324741
  27. ↑ http://www.cinemablend.com/television/CSI-Cyber-Review-Drama-So-Formulaic-It-Could-Have-Been-Created-By-Computer-70435.html
  28. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-belle-to-remember-ep/id609374154
  29. ↑ http://popcrush.com/hayley-kiyoko-interview-lesbian-jesus-the-new-a-list/
  30. ↑ http://foldsilverlake.com/event.cfm?id=164160&cart
  31. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/HayleyKiyoko/posts/777977325579810
  32. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6458225/billboard-premiere-hayley-kiyoko
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/girls-like-girls-too-ok-hayley-kiyoko-reveals-inspiration-for-song-2015297 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "usweekly" defined multiple times with different content
  34. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/22/hayley-kiyoko-on-her-lesbian-pop-this-is-bigger-than-i-thought-it-was
  35. ↑ http://www.hayleykiyokoofficial.com/about
  36. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/22/hayley-kiyoko-on-her-lesbian-pop-this-is-bigger-than-i-thought-it-was
  37. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0MT8SwNa_U
  38. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8460660/hayley-kiyoko-paper-magazine-pride-interview
  39. ↑ http://www.teenvogue.com/story/hayley-kiyoko-cliffs-edge-music-video
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/how-hayley-kiyoko-became-lesbian-jesus-695667/
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 http://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/119139/hayley-kiyoko-gravel-to-tempo-music-video
  42. ↑ http://www.axs.com/hayley-kiyoko-on-citrine-my-fans-really-inspired-me-to-write-this-ep-107355
  43. ↑ https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/hayley-kiyokos-video-for-one-bad-night-packs-a-serious-punch
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 https://www.buzzfeed.com/skarlan/in-my-head-with-you
  45. ↑ https://www.fuse.tv/2017/10/hayley-kiyoko-feelings-video
  46. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8094017/hayley-kiyoko-curious-music-video
  47. ↑ http://trl.mtv.com/news/3057726/hayley-kiyoko-curious-video-premiere/
  48. ↑ https://twitter.com/HayleyKiyoko/status/979569063352418304
  49. ↑ Instagram - @halyeykiyoko - announcement of the project
  50. ↑ Instagram - Announcement of I'm Too Sensitive For This Shit Tour
  51. ↑ Billboard - "Hayley Kiyoko Will Be Honored With The Trevor Project's Youth Innovator Award: Exclusive"
  52. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-belle-to-remember-ep/id609374154
  53. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6458225/billboard-premiere-hayley-kiyoko
  54. ↑ http://www.ifsfilm.com/2015/
  55. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8098785/british-lgbt-awards-2018-nominees-full-list
  56. ↑ https://mmva.muchmusic.com/vote/
  57. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/news/mtv-vmas-2018-see-the-full-list-of-nominees-here/
  58. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/events/women-in-music/8485623/sza-kacey-musgraves-hayley-kiyoko-honored-billboard-women-in-music?utm_source=twitter
  59. ↑ https://twitter.com/papermagazine/status/1065002862869184512
  60. ↑ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/glaad-media-awards-complete-list-winners-2019-1191276/item/outstanding-comic-book-1197818
  61. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWKi69LHmQw
  62. ↑ https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/hayley-kiyoko/facts/gay/
  63. ↑ https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/hayley-kiyoko/facts/ancestry/
  64. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buUyqtj06Dk
  65. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buUyqtj06Dk
  66. ↑ https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/hayley-kiyoko.html
  67. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=cs6-sZrni3I
  68. ↑ http://hayleykiyoko.tumblr.com/post/175376850177/anonymous-when-was-your-first-pride-parade-and
  69. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuULSh6Mwg
  70. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGuULSh6Mwg
  71. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXC8JTA6qYs
  72. ↑ http://ochaiko.tumblr.com/post/165925111155/hey-gays-my-brother-went-to-school-with-hayley
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