Today (June 7), Hayley Kiyoko shared a behind-the-scenes clip from her music video for “What I Need” featuring Kehlani. “What I Need” is the fourth single from her debut studio album Expectations, which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.
The clip follows Kiyoko playing the roles of both director and co-star—her eighth time doing so, she mentions. Between wig-wearing stunt doubles, hard drive complications, and an improvised shouting match, Kiyoko jokes around amidst the madness of production with collaborator and close friend Kehlani, who shares similar aspirations with the impact of her work.
As young queer women in pop music, both recognize a responsibility in amplifying the LGBTQ love stories, such as the one depicted in this video, that might otherwise go untold in the mainstream (which they allude to in a phone conversation the duo had for The FADER).
“I think that it’s exciting and inspiring that people are able to connect to these stories,” Kiyoko said. “To be able to share that with other people is such a beautiful thing.”
Watch the behind-the-scenes clip below: