Hayley Kiyoko is an American actress and singer-songwriter based in California. She is most well-known for her song, “Girls Like Girls” and its hit music video.

Her father, Jamie Alcroft, is an actor and comedian while her mother, Sarah Kawahara, is a Canadian-Japanese figure skater, choreographer and Emmy Award winner. Kiyoko has long held a passion for performing. At a young age, Kiyoko began acting and learned to play the drums. During her time at Agoura High School, Kiyoko founded the Agoura High Step Team and guided them to a 3rd place at Nationals in 2005.

Despite several small roles, it wasn’t until 2009 when Kiyoko broke into the spotlight for her portrayal of Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. The film’s success led to more roles for Kiyoko including Lemonade Mouth, a recurring guest role on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place and several Disney Channel TV movies. In 2010, Kiyoko joined The Stunners, a shortlived girl group. This venture helped Kiyoko to realize her dream of performing and led to the creation of her first EP, A Belle to Remember in 2013.

In 2014, Kiyoko landed a recurring role on ABC’s The Fosters as Gabi and in 2015, she portrayed Raven Ramirez, a main character, in CSI: Cyber.

2015 also saw the release of her sophomore EP, This Side Of Paradise. “Girls Like Girls” emerged from the EP as a hit, assisted by its official music video which as of May 2021 had over 130 million views. Kiyoko co-directed “Girls Like Girls” and assumed full directorial responsibilities for her following music videos.

Kiyoko announced her debut album Expectations on January 1st of “20gayteen.”

In a personal essay written for Paper, Kiyoko explained her purpose in telling her stories:

“Hope. That’s my cause. I strive to inspire hope through human compassion and through music. Hope leads me through my lyrics, stories, and melodies. You must continue on, and know in your heart you are not alone, and have confidence that love will find its way back to you.”

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