Curious (Hayley Kiyoko song)

Its title adopts "curious", a term used within the LGBT community to express casual same-sex experimentation, as Kiyoko demands the truth about the authenticity of her love interest's new relationship.

Kiyoko wrote the track based on a past relationship with a closeted woman, as well as various romantic experiences with women who were unsure about their sexuality, hoping the song would encourage open dialogue among queer individuals.

"Curious" has earned acclaim from music critics, who praised its production, subversive themes and Kiyoko's confident delivery, often deeming it one of Expectations' strongest tracks; some media publications have ranked the single among the best of 2018.

[4] "Curious" covers several of Kiyoko's past relationships with women, as she openly identifies as gay,[5][6] during which she wanted to clarify that their feelings for each other were genuine as opposed to simply fun.

[8] Admitting that she shares a personal connection with every song she writes, Kiyoko revealed that "Curious" specifically pertains to "that feeling of learning self-respect and ... walk away from a game".

"[4] Kiyoko insists that her intention behind writing "Curious" was not to "break the mold (sic)", but simply convey "facts from my life" and encourage open conversation among other queer individuals, explaining, "It’s like, 'Hey, this was a situation I was in and it was effed up.

Let’s start a dialogue about it.”[10] "Curious" was released as the third single from Kiyoko's debut album Expectations on January 11, 2018 via Empire Distribution and Atlantic Records, to several digital music retailers and streaming services.

[22] Despite seemingly simple instrumentation and refrains, its chorus features a targeted, "rapid-fire" delivery and biting, "faux-casual" lyrics,[23] during which Kiyoko adopts a fast speech pattern and confrontational tone,[15][24] as her combination of confusion and frustration surfaces.

[26] Simon Miraudo of Student Edge observed that the track exploits the singer's "favourite kind of chorus": "a speedy, trilled lyrical run-up to the song title, delivered deliberately on an isolated and sparse musical bed", followed by "sudden sonic emptiness" reminiscent of an ellipsis in a text conversation.

[27] The New York Times music journalist Jon Pareles wrote that the track "rotates through three chords and a hollow beat with a lot of echo in its empty spaces".

[30] Vice writer Avery Stone wrote that "Kiyoko calls out her love interest for being hot-and-cold", citing the track as an example of the album's themes about navigating difficult relationships with girls unable to commit.

[32] Despite being Expectations' most upbeat song, its lyrics nonetheless "carry the same weight" as its other tracks,[33] which USA Today's Patrick Ryan described as "a deceptively bouncy anthem about gay individuals who stay in straight relationships to mask their true feelings".

[14] Questioning if her "ostensibly hetero friend is queer-baiting her",[36] Breanna Belken of The Daily Dot wrote that the singer's lyrics "address the confusion and uncertainty queer women and girls face when pursuing a love interest, in this case a woman who is ambivalent about their relationship.

[37] Lindsay King-Miller of Lenny Letter agreed that the hook's "feigned nonchalance ... reveals more depths of emotion than a hundred heartbroken torch songs.

[43] In January 2018, Time's Raisa Bruner recommended "Curious" among "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week", describing it as a vulnerable "frothy pop confection" the author believes is more socially conscious than Katy Perry’s "I Kissed a Girl" (2008).

[36] The Guardian's Michael Cragg reviewed the song as an excellent "electropop belter", throughout which Kiyoko does "what she does best",[20] while Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called it "an endearing gem that chronicles a girl-likes-girl-likes-guy triangle".

[29] Perrin also observed that although its production "stays true to her earlier releases", the single "features a more confident and empowering vibe [from] Kiyoko [who] stands her ground ... which is refreshing as we have never really seen this from her before.

[24] Kara Bowen, writing for The Ithacan, crowned the single "the album’s pop pinnacle",[23] while Grammy.com editor Nate Hertweck credits "Curious" with "put[ting] [Expectations] on the map".

[46] The Harvard Crimson's Allison J. Scharmann agreed that the song is a standout track "bound to have you dancing and singing the hook ... in the exact same tone as Kiyoko for a week after your first listen.

[13] Idolator critic Mike Nied wrote the song "has become something of a breakout moment for" Kiyoko, expecting the single to "easily find a place on the Hot 100 with the right promotional push.

"[50] Rolling Stone ranked "Curious" the 32nd best song of 2018, with contributor Amanda Charchian believing its chorus demonstrates that Kiyoko is "not above upending the whole structure (musical, romantic, social and otherwise) should things come to that point.

"[30] Billboard's Nina Braca described "Curious" as a "ridiculously catchy" track that boasts the year's most important question: "Did you take him to the pier in Santa Monica/ Forget to bring a jacket, wrap up in him cause you wanted to?

[71] Struggling with her sexuality, Kiyoko's love interest proceeds to be affectionate with her exclusively in private, "so in the music video you see her kind of coming back to me but only in secret.

These scenes are interspersed with sequences of the singer lying on a floor surrounded by several women who caress her body sensually,[73] as well as dance breaks for which she is dressed in sweatpants and a loose-fitting Hawaiian shirt.

[17] Autostraddle's Mey Valdivia Rude proclaimed that the video "cements" previously conceived notions about Kiyoko's talent, describing "Every scene" as "hot in a different queer way.

"[62] HuffPost contributor Noah Michelson appreciated that "The camera doesn’t pan away from the action, nor does the scene play as fuel for some cheap male masturbatory fantasy", describing the singer as "completely in control both on- and off-screen".

[10] Glenn Garner of Out wrote that the video helps establish the single's parent album as "a win for gay girls everywhere",[75] while The Fader's Sydney Gore described the visual as "a beautifully shot commentary on the dynamics of queer love and the complicated laws of same-sex attraction.

[13] Analyzing the video, Bust contributor Katie O'Brien observed that Kiyoko appears to be "playing with and flipping the prototypical male gaze by placing herself in the on-camera positions one might typically see a man in", in addition to having her backup dancers consist entirely of men (a decision echoed in live performances of the song).

[84] Patrick Crowley of Billboard wrote Kiyoko demonstrated her performance skills by showcasing "signature dripping-in-swagger dance moves", accompanied by backup dancers.

Reviewing her performance at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town in February 2019, Lewis Corner of Gay Times identified "Curious" as the song on which "she gears into full superstar mode", describing it as "a sparkly example of everything we love about pop music.