Hayley Kiyoko kicked off the second leg of her One Bad Night Tour Thursday, March 2 at The Constellation Room in Santa Ana.
“Who came here by themselves tonight?” Kiyoko asked into the mic with a smile. Several hands rose with a roar of excitement from the crowd. “It’s okay. We’re all friends here now.”
The up-and-coming musician started off the night with “One Bad Night” and bounced around the stage as fans sang along.
Kiyoko stepped into the spotlight early on – having been discovered at the age of five when she accompanied a friend to a photoshoot and the director asked her to step in front of the camera.
The Los Angeles native has explored the entertainment industry since then as not only an actress, but as a singer and songwriter.
She booked her first big movie in 2010 as Velma Dinkley in the live-action adaptation of “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins”.
Since then, she appeared in episodes of Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place”, the television movie “Lemonade Mouth,” “The Fosters” and “CSI: Cyber”.
On March 12, 2013, Kiyoko released her first EP “A Belle to Remember”, which was immediately followed by her traveling to London for British producer James Flannigan to start writing new music.
Since then, the actress and rising musician has released two other EP’s entitled “This Side of Paradise” (2015) and “Citrine” (2016). One which included her break-out hit “Girls Like Girls” – a song she described as a “universal video that brings out different kinds of emotions for different kinds of people.”
With a scream of approval from the room packed with her supporters, Kiyoko kept the energy of the night going with “Sleepover”, which she released the music video for earlier that day.
The music video features the musician as the protagonist in a bittersweet queer girl fantasy. Kiyoko took to her Tumblr to explain that the video isn’t a concept or idea for her, but instead a part of her life.
“I grew up a dreamer and found comfort through a safe haven in my head. It’s where I was able to find self-love and feel validated,” the artist wrote. “This music video validates those feelings for me, even if in those moments the girl I fell for was unavailable. I made this video to help validate those fantasies.”
Kiyoko went on to explain that she wanted to create a space for “lovers, dreamers and seekers” in a way that everyone can relate to. “Falling in love can be a bittersweet feeling, especially if you know it’ll never be reciprocated.”
The meaning was interpreted and appreciated by the packed room there to see her as some sang along with tears in their eyes – understanding her struggles.
The energy of the night radiated off everyone there until the young musician made her way off stage with a thank you and the lights in The Constellation Room dimmed.
But the crowd wasn’t done yet.
With a rolling chant that grew louder with each one, Kiyoko bounced back onto the stage to end the night with a bang. Giving the audience what they wanted, she performed her biggest hit “Girls Like Girls”.
To keep updated on everything Hayley Kiyoko, make sure to check out her website and keep an eye out for her debut album later this year.
