Hayley Kiyoko On Her Debut Novel ‘Girls Like Girls’
Hayley Kiyoko has spoken about her debut novel, Girls Like Girls, in an interview with Publishers Weekly.
The novel takes Kiyoko’s 2015 song of the same name as its starting point, as the singer elaborated, “Girls Like Girls [the song] kind of took a life of its own. I released it, I immediately followed it with a music video, and that music video connected me to this community that I was craving for growing up.
“People really felt connected to the characters. When I wrote the song, I wasn’t planning to write a book about it. But when I did the video and saw how amazing it was to see how hope brought people together, I wanted to expand that story. I had initially wanted to make it into a feature film and direct it, but it’s easier said than done. Years went by and I’m just like, I don’t know if this is ever going to happen. How else do I get to share this story? Then the other option was to make it into a novel.”
When asked how writing differs from music, Kiyoko reflected, “It’s different from being on stage. When you’re on stage, you get this immediate connection and gratification from everyone’s energy, and I’m assuming this will be a very different experience. But it’s very exciting. There are a lot of moments and scenes that recall experiences that I experienced personally and that I’ve never shared with people before. I’m sharing a big piece of my experience growing up and who I am.
“I feel like I’m challenging myself to be more honest and truthful through this novel. My number one goal is to give support to people who need it or need to heal from past experiences or relationships. I’m excited for people to finally read this thing. It’s been a very long journey.”
Kiyoko has also returned to music with new single Greenlight, her first new track since last year’s album Panorama.