Hayley Kiyoko adapts ‘Girls Like Girls’ into a film about teenage love

Hayley Kiyoko has co-written and directed a film based on her breakthrough 2015 single “Girls Like Girls.” The film expands the story first presented in the song’s music video and follows Coley, a 17-year-old protagonist who falls for another girl.

The project reflects elements of Kiyoko’s own teenage experience. She recalls spending summer days waiting for messages from a crush on AOL Instant Messenger, while the girl she loved caused what Kiyoko describes as heartbreak that haunted her for a long time.

Kiyoko, who is 35, said she did not feel fully comfortable with her sexuality until after the song was released. She described writing about her gay identity at the time as the subject she was “the most scared of writing about.”

She said the song’s refrain, “Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new,” came from a desire to “manifest feeling confident.” Fans later referred to her as “lesbian Jesus” after the single’s release. The film is described as a love letter to her 17-year-old self.