The pop star known as "Lesbian Jesus" talks about the art that inspires her.
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Kiyoko started her career as a member of a girl group called The Stunners
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all the while acting in the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place and Lemonade Mouth.
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But she really broke out in 2015 when she released the song "Girls Like Girls," and her status as a bright, gay light of pop was cemented with her 2018 album Expectations.
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In honor of Pride Month and in anticipation of Panorama, which features songs like "Chance" and "Deep in the Woods," Thrillist spoke with Kiyoko about her formative touchstones.
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I think the struggle was I didn't really have a queer icon per se in my adolescence.
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The thing that sparked me the most was this conversation I had with my co-writer Lily May-Young when I was writing music with her.
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Tegan and Sara were a huge influence on me and helped normalize my feelings. I think Lance Bass coming out, for real, when that happened, that was a big moment for me too.
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At the time, I didn't know that nickname was going to stick, and it's really stuck to the point of it being in the Urban Dictionary.
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I don't really have an answer to what Lesbian Jesus means to me now. To me, it just feels like a big hug from my fans. And I feel celebrated for being my true, authentic self, which is a massive lesbian.