Digital Media Concepts/Hayley Kiyoko

Biography
Hayley Kiyoko, dubbed "Lesbian Jesus" by her fans, is an American singer, songwriter, director, and actress. Her music includes ballads with "unpredictable and up-tempo alternative dreamscapes" and has a signature sound "in terms of tempo, presentation, and production."

A Singer and Songwriter
After Kiyoko graduated high school, she focused more on her music and acting career. In 2007, she joined a pop girl group called the Stunners. In 2013, Kiyoko released her first solo EP called A Belle to Remember. Two years later, her breakthrough album The Side of Paradise was released with the song "Girls Like Girls." In 2016, she released her major-label debut EP Citrine and in 2018 her full-length album Expectations was released. Her latest single, released in July 2019, is called "I Wish I Knew."

A Director
Kiyoko is a passionate young musician who also directs her own music videos. These include "Curious," "Feelings," "Sleepover," "Gravel to Tempo," "Cliff's Edge," and "Girls Like Girls."

An Actress
Aside from music, Kiyoko has had her fair share of acting in multiple movies and shows. Most notably, she starred in Disney Channel's Lemonade Mouth as Stella Yamada and the live-action Scooby-Doo films as Velma Dinkley.

Life
Kiyoko is the daughter of Jamie Alcroft and Sarah Kawahura. Jamie Alcroft is an actor and comedian and Sarah Kawahura is a figure skater. Growing up, Kiyoko lived in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood where she exposed to many entertainers. Thus, she was able to let her creativity thrive.

At an early age, Kiyoko took lessons to learn how to dance and drum. She eventually developed a passion for both, which is evident in her live performances today. Most notably, her most important pursuit is songwriting, which she passionately developed while using it as a medium to express her feelings. Songwriting led to her desire to learn how to sing so that she could tell her stories.

However, life hasn't always been easy for Hayley. Throughout elementary and early high school, she struggled with embracing her sexual identity. Eventually, she met her "first female [female-identifying] friend who liked girls" which made her want to be comfortable with who she was.

Awards

 * Best Supporting Actress award at the Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival
 * Push Artist of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards
 * Rising Star award at Billboard's 13th annual Women in Music ceremony