Hayley Kiyoko has been titled “lesbian Jesus” by her millions of fans for her ability to bring LGBTQ+ experiences to life through music.
Following her latest album’s release, “Expectations,” Kiyoko tweeted to her 431,000 Twitter followers “MY DEBUT ALBUM. OUT NOW EVERYWHERE. Promise me you will listen to it in order, from beginning to end, like it was intended. I set the setting and tone, but this is your personal journey to take what you will. BUY IT. DOWNLOAD IT. STREAM IT. SHARE IT. I couldn’t be prouder.”
The album consists of 13 songs that each work to unfold a beautifully relatable story for many fans. The opening track, “Expectations/Overture,” develops the listener’s hope for the rest of the songs on the album. This instrumental track has a sound that is similar to a video game with hard electronic notes and a whimsical beat.
After listening to the first track, the listener is already hooked and wants to hear the songs that Kiyoko has crafted. The next track is one of Kiyoko’s hit singles, “Feelings.” The music video for the song has reached over 9.2 million views in the past five months and has had positive feedback from listeners all over the world. “Feelings” has a catchy pop song melody and is about having strong feelings for a girl and not knowing whether or not she feels the same way.
The next track, “What I Need,” features well-known artist Kehlani. This song has an upbeat melody that will have the listener on their feet. This catchy song has repetitive “No, no, no” lyrics and background sounds similar to those of snaps. The song has light harmonies that suit the song perfectly and beats that match the overall feel of the song.
Following “What I Need” comes “Sleepover.” “Sleepover” is another one of Kiyoko’s singles which has racked up nearly 11 million views on YouTube. On Tumblr, Kiyoko posted a message to her fans about the music video and her intentions for filming it. “I’ve never truly believed that sexuality defines who you are. I do believe, though, that sexuality helps shape and build who you become. How you act, what you pursue, who you surround yourself with. This music video for ‘Sleepover’ is not a concept or an idea for me. It is my life. It defines a part of who I am today.”
The song has a light, airy melody and sounds of nature, including bird chirping, can be heard in the distant background. The song has a dream-like quality that brings the listener right inside of Kiyoko’s head while she is singing the lyrics.
The next track, “Mercy/Gatekeeper,” combines two songs in one, with the first having dark low whispers and then shifting to a lighter mood that brings the album back up. It’s similar to what she does in the next track, “Under the Blue/Take Me In.”
The rest of the tracks on the album have similar sounds, with some being more memorable than others. Kiyoko did a great job of providing listeners with relatable, emotional and catchy songs that bring them into a vulnerable part of her life. The instrumentals placed throughout give listeners a chance to recollect themselves before continuing on with the rest of the tracks.
This album allowed Kiyoko to set the bar for music that she will release in the future. Kiyoko is embarking on a nationwide tour and later in the year she is opening up for Panic! At The Disco.
