Summary of Hayley Kiyoko - Girls Like Girls

Overview of Song Exploder: Hayley Kiyoko – “Girls Like Girls”

This episode of Song Exploder breaks down how Hayley Kiyoko’s breakthrough song “Girls Like Girls” came together and why it became such a defining queer pop anthem. Kiyoko talks with host Hrishikesh Hirway about her early life as a performer, the fear and secrecy that shaped her songwriting, and how a vulnerable writing session in Los Angeles turned into a song that would later help launch her career, inspire a devoted fanbase, and eventually expand into a novel and film adaptation.

Hayley Kiyoko’s Background and Creative Identity

Hayley Kiyoko reflects on the experiences that shaped her sense of performance and self-expression:

• She had scoliosis in middle school and wore a back brace for two years, which she says forced her to “fake confidence” in order to survive socially.
• She knew she was queer from a young age, but hid it for years, even changing pronouns in her songwriting journals.
• Before her solo career, she worked as a child actor and briefly performed in a girl group, where she felt pressure from the male gaze and fear that coming out would hurt her career.
• She always wanted to be a pop star, but struggled to reconcile that dream with the need to hide her true self.

How “Girls Like Girls” Was Written

The song began in an emotionally safe writing session with co-writers Lily May Young and Owen Thomas:

• On a rainy day in Los Angeles, Lily asked Kiyoko what she was most afraid to sing about.
• Kiyoko came out to her in the session, and Lily encouraged her to write directly from that honesty.
• The key idea became the song’s title and thesis: “Girls like girls like boys do / Nothing new.”
• The lyric came from Kiyoko’s frustration with constantly comparing her feelings to the way men are allowed to pursue women.
• The song’s tone mixes confidence and hesitation, reflecting the emotional tension of wanting to be bold while still feeling afraid.

Production and Sonic Choices

Kiyoko and producer James Flanagan built the sound around her emotional and artistic identity:

• She wanted the song to “feel like me” sonically and was actively trying to move away from the acoustic guitar-driven style she had used before.
• The production leaned into vocals, synths, and electronic textures, inspired by artists like:
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • TV on the Radio
  • M83
• The rhythm and percussion were especially important to her because she grew up playing drums and associates strong beats with confidence.
• The song’s layered vocals were intentional:
  • Kiyoko felt insecure about her voice.
  • She used stacked harmonies and vocal walls to create a fuller, more powerful sound.
• They even mixed the track on an iHome speaker, using it as a practical test to make sure the song sounded strong on everyday listening equipment.

Performance, Lyrics, and Emotional Meaning

The lyrics are direct, assertive, and intentionally playful:

• The opening lines frame same-sex desire as ordinary and valid, not unusual.
• Later verses build a vivid, almost cinematic world of desire and confidence.
• Kiyoko and Lily shaped imagery like:
  • “Tell the neighbors I’m not sorry if I’m breaking walls down”
  • “Building your girl’s second story, ripping all your floors out”
• Kiyoko says some of the song’s cockier lines were partly aspirational—she was writing the version of herself she wished she could be at the time.

Release, Cultural Impact, and Legacy

The song’s release changed the trajectory of Kiyoko’s career:

• She initially hesitated to include it on the EP because it would mean publicly coming out.
• She eventually added it because it was the strongest song on the project.
• The music video helped turn the song into a lesbian anthem and a major cultural touchstone for queer listeners.
• Around the same time as the video’s release, marriage equality was legalized in the U.S., adding to the cultural significance of the moment.
• The song’s success led to:
  • a growing fanbase
  • a major-label deal
  • widespread recognition as an LGBTQ+ icon

From Song to Novel to Film

The episode also traces how “Girls Like Girls” expanded beyond music:

• Fans repeatedly commented that the song felt like it should be a movie.
• That response inspired Kiyoko to develop the story into a screenplay.
• When the film project stalled, she wrote and released a novel version in 2023, which became a New York Times bestseller.
• That success helped revive the film adaptation.
• She later:
  • got the film greenlit in late 2023
  • shot it in 2024
  • finished it in 2025
  • and made her feature directorial debut with the adaptation in 2026

Main Takeaways

• “Girls Like Girls” was born from a moment of vulnerability and honesty in the writing room.
• The song’s strength comes from its combination of queer specificity, pop confidence, and emotional realism.
• Its sound was intentionally built to match Kiyoko’s identity: layered, synthetic, rhythmic, and self-assertive.
• The song became culturally important not just as a hit, but as a landmark queer anthem that gave many listeners language for their own experiences.
• Its legacy grew far beyond the original track, eventually becoming a novel and a feature film.

Notable Insight

“Girls like girls like boys do / Nothing new.”

That line captures the song’s core message: queer desire is not strange, secondary, or novel—it is simply real.