Hayley Kiyoko’s breakout hit Girls Like Girls is leaping from viral music video to feature film, with the singer-songwriter stepping behind the camera for her directorial debut. First released in February 2015, the single quickly struck a chord with listeners. Its accompanying music video, launched that June, told the story of suburban teenagers Coley and Sonya as they navigated the complicated emotions of first love despite Sonya having a boyfriend.

The video spread rapidly across platforms such as Tumblr and has since amassed more than 161 million views on YouTube. Kiyoko, who came out as a lesbian the same year, described the inspiration behind the track in an interview with US Weekly: “I loved the idea of how all these guys are always stealing other guys’ girls, and I thought, ‘There’s no female anthem for a girl stealing another guy’s girl.’” So she created one, an unapologetic pop declaration that resonated deeply with queer audiences.

The song’s success marked a turning point in Kiyoko’s career. “The success of that video and the community it led me to changed everything,” she told Queerty. “It showed me how powerful it is to live your truth, even when you’re still figuring it out.”

In 2023, Kiyoko expanded the story into her debut novel, a New York Times number one bestseller, delving further into the lives of Coley and Sonya and the forces drawing them together. Now, she adds screenwriter and director to her résumé with the forthcoming film adaptation, co-written with her Jem and the Holograms co-star Stefani Scott, who also appeared in the original video.

The Girls Like Girls film follows Coley, played by Under the Bridge’s Maya Da Costa, who moves to suburban Oregon to live with her father (Zach Braff) after the sudden death of her mother. Like its predecessors, the film centres on first love, identity and the courage it takes to embrace both.

Reflecting on the journey, Kiyoko shared on Instagram: “I have dreamt of this moment for nine years… I’ve never fought so hard for anything in my life.”Girls Like Girls arrives in cinemas in June, just in time for Pride Month.