Frank Ocean has discussed for the first time his decision to come out as gay in a Tumblr post last month.
The critically lauded R'n'B singer posted the admission online ahead of the release of his new album Channel Orange, and has been praised by peers ranging from 50 Cent to Busta Rhymes for his honesty.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said he spoke out "[for my] own sanity and my ability to feel like I'm living a life where I'm happy when I wake up in the morning, and not with this freakin' boulder on my chest."
He also said that he hoped to be of comfort to younger people, explaining that he wished he had a gay role model at a young age.
"I wished at 13 there was somebody I looked up to who would have said something like that, who would have been transparent in that way," he said."
Discussing the timing of the admission, he said: "I knew that I was writing in a way that people would ask questions. I knew that my star was rising, and I knew that if I waited I would always have somebody that I respected be able to encourage me to wait longer, to not say it till who knows when.
"People are just afraid of things too much. Sure, evil exists, extremism exists. Somebody could commit a hate crime and hurt me. But they could do the same just because I'm black. They could do the same just because I'm American."
Channel Orange charted at No2 in the UK and the US.
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