Hayley Kiyoko Directs Film Based on Sexuality Anthem

Singer-songwriter Hayley Kiyoko has directed a film titled 'Girls Like Girls,' which serves as an extended narrative based on her 2015 breakthrough single of the same name. The film centers on a 17-year-old protagonist named Coley, mirroring Kiyoko's own teenage experiences with unrequited love and heartbreak. Kiyoko, who became widely known as "Lesbian Jesus" by her fans following the song's release, revealed that her comfort with her own sexuality did not fully emerge until after the song's success. The anthem's confident lyric, "Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new," was a deliberate attempt by Kiyoko to "manifest feeling confident" about her identity, an aspect she found particularly daunting to write about at the time. The film is described as a "love letter to her 17-year-old self," aiming to capture the intense emotions and formative experiences of adolescence. Kiyoko's journey to self-acceptance is intrinsically linked to the creation and reception of her music, with 'Girls Like Girls' marking a pivotal moment in her public and personal life. The song's narrative, initially presented through its music video, is now expanded into a feature-length story, offering a deeper exploration of the themes of same-sex attraction and the complexities of young love. The decision to release a film with such a title in the current cultural climate is described by Kiyoko as "radical," suggesting an awareness of the societal context surrounding LGBTQ+ narratives in media. Her directorial debut with 'Girls Like Girls' signifies a significant step in her artistic evolution, moving from music performance to visual storytelling, while remaining deeply connected to her personal experiences and the identity that resonated with a large fanbase. The film's narrative is rooted in Kiyoko's own past, including memories of waiting for messages on AOL Instant Messenger, a common experience for teenagers in the early 2000s, highlighting the film's authentic portrayal of adolescent life and digital communication of that era. The project underscores Kiyoko's commitment to authentic representation and her desire to connect with audiences through shared experiences of love, loss, and self-discovery.