Hayley Kiyoko is an American actress, singer and dancer who has appeared in films such as “Scooby Doo”, “Lemonade Mouth” and “Insidious: Chapter 3” among other films. She has also acted on television including a lead role in “CSI: Cyber” (2015). Though her film and television credits are great, we are here to talk about her music. She performed at the Ritz Music Venue in Raleigh during her tour stop in North Carolina on April 29th. Hayley is not new to the music scene as she was a member of the all-girl dance and singing group called “The Stunners”. The group has hit singles including “Blubblegum” and they also contributed a song to the “iCarly” soundtrack called “Lets hear it for the boy” which is a cover of the original version done by Deniece Williams in 1984. The Stunners disbanded in 2011.

Hayley is now a solo artist who helps promote LGBT rights and, in her words, “works to normalize lesbian relationships in our society and music industry.” Hayley has been open about the struggles she had as a young teenager coming to terms with her sexuality. As she got older, she started to embrace who she was and her sexuality while wanting to help young woman dealing with the same things to feel excepted and loved. Inspired by the incredibly talented “Tegan and Sara” (check out their music, they are amazing) and Katy Perry’s song “I kissed a girl” she started on the path of writing her own music which gave her the freedom to talk about the things important to her. Since she has come full circle and has embraced who she is, her music has made a huge impact on the LGBT community. To give you an idea of how much her music has impacted the LGBT community, she is lovingly known as “The Lesbian Jesus” by her adoring fans and has become a gay icon to millions of people around the world.

Now let’s talk about her performance!

Now I have never seen Hayley perform live so this was going to be my first experience. I knew a bit about her from watching her music videos online and new she was a talented singer, but, I was not ready for the seductive performance she and her dancers put on! Before her performance started you could see the crowd laughing and talking, you saw lesbian couples openly embracing each other while laughing and having a great time. Music fans were wearing gay pride shirts and other clothing or branding that showed their support for the LGBT community. Lesbian and gay couples were dancing and embracing each other while the music played. It was a great thing to see because having friends that I grew up with who were gay and seeing how they battled with that fear of opening up to their loved ones about who they were was heartbreaking to see. I even saw some family members disavow someone because they opened up about their sexuality. So, to see so many people being happy and comfortable in their environment allowing them to be themselves was very cool to see. As the show was starting, I walked into the pit and stood at a spot to get some pictures. We waited a few minutes and the lights went dim and this huge screen started showing Hayleys name over and over again. The crowd went crazy and screamed so loud I am pretty sure everyone outside heard it. Hayley then hit the stage and the show began. Hayley danced, sang, moved around the stage and would crouch low to the edge of the stage to say hi to fans. Her performance was great and the lighting was incredible. As she continued to perform, I saw through my camera lens a woman’s butt walk right in front of my camera. I was shocked for a moment, put my camera down to see what just happened and sure enough, there were two dancers wearing leather cowboy straps in panties and a white t-shirt that said “Lesbian Jesus” on the front. I was a little taken back because I was not expective that at all. Two women right behind me near the barricade started laughing at me when I turned around, they saw how surprised I was and we just started laughing. As I turned back around and got my camera ready, I started photographing this seductively choreographed dance between Hayley and the two dancers while she performed her song. The crowd went crazy with each movement Hayley and the dancers made. It was something I had never seen before. She then took some time to talk with the crowd and she let them know how much she loved them and talked with them about embracing who they truly are. Hayley put on a performance I will soon not forget and I believe for her fans it was a show they had been wanting to see. She sounded great, the performance was very energetic and I can see why they call her the “Lesbian Jesus”. She is currently on tour so go check her out!

Editor in Chief Chris Sturk

HAYLEY KIYOKO LIVE!! | RITZ MUSIC VENUE

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