Hayley Kiyoko is having a good 2019 even with just one song under her belt. I Wish dropped last week and it's straight-up pop gold, combining a whimsical hook with some hard-hitting verses that feature Kiyoko in her best light yet. It's already been streamed over a million times on Spotify this week but it's only just the beginning for Kiyoko.
Calling it the beginning for Kiyoko is perhaps an odd term because she's almost lived a lifetime in showbiz. She started off as a founding member of pop group The Stunners. The group also featured Tinashe and they had some success, supporting Justin Bieber on tour, but they disbanded before 2010. By then, Kiyoko was landing roles in television and movies, famously starring in the Scooby Doo series.
Music pulled her back though and by 2013 she was releasing solo music, churning out three EPs within three years. It wasn't until 2017 that she really started to make move though. Occupying an alternative pocket of pop, she gave us the retro-flavoured Feelings and the wobbly, bass-rattling Sleepovers.
There was an honesty to Kiyoko's music that often lacks in the commercial sphere. Kiyoko wasn't afraid of showing herself and in doing so inspiring her fans. Those fans dub Kiyoko "lesbian Jesus" and made sure that 2018 was #20GayTeen as Kiyoko made queer music alongside peers like Troye Sivan and Janelle Monáe.
Kiyoko's debut album Expectations arrived last year and dealt with the complexities of queer, in particular lesbian, relationships. The breakthrough single Curious was a perky pop bop that talked about a specific girl who was uncomfortable with dating Kiyoko publicly, staying with her boyfriend while she led her on.
It's the same relationship that inspired What I Need, the album highlight. The song saw her teamed with another queer woman Kehlani for a blistering moment that had them both singing, "what I need is for you to be sure." The songs didn't crack the charts but they built Kiyoko a cult fanbase and have also made her a mainstream queer icon. You don't hear these kind of stories in pop music often enough. It's not as obscure as mainstream music would make it seem. It's real, honest and relatable for plenty in Kiyoko's fanbase.
She's ready to crack the charts and the stars seem to be aligning for her. On top of selling out shows on her own Expectations headline tour, she supported Panic! At The Disco on tour as they enjoyed success with their biggest single to date High Hopes. She was also asked by Taylor Swift to join her onstage during the Reputation world tour to sing Curious. She then joined Swift on her own track Delicate, bringing Kiyoko to the stadium audiences she deserves.
Last month, she starred in Swift's video for You Need To Calm Down, shooting an arrow at a target with the number five. For those of you who aren't up with the significance of the number five for Swift, it's always the track number of the most sentimental song on the album. That song dropped this week and it's called The Archer, confirming Kiyoko was tasked with one of the most important reveals of the video.
When I Wish dropped last week, Swift made a rare appearance on Instagram story urging radio to start playing the song. It's high time they did. I Wish has all the ingredients of a pop smash and if it takes Swift giving it a nudge then so be it. Kiyoko is no cult figure. She's a superstar in waiting and it's only a matter of time until she makes big waves.
