Frank Ocean Explains 'Coming Out' Letter

With his debut "Channel Orange" receiving high marks from some of the biggest names in music from Beyonce to Adele to Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean continues to let the music speak for itself.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the 24-year-old crooner took it a step further and explained why he made a shocking revelation of his sexuality nearly two weeks ago.

"A lot of people have said that since that news came out. I suppose a percentage of that act was because of altruism; because I was thinking of how I wished at 13 or 14 there was somebody I looked up to who would have said something like that, who would have been transparent in that way," he said. "But there's another side of it that's just about my own sanity and my ability to feel like I'm living a life where I'm not just successful on paper, but sure that I'm happy when I wake up in the morning, and not with this freakin' boulder on my chest."

The Odd Future lyricist said he wrote the letter in December 2011 to include in the sleeve notes of his album but it was the obvious "him" and "boy"-dropping in his love songs [see "Forrest Gump"] that drew more speculation than expected. "I don't have many secrets, so if you know that, and you're still applauding … it may be some sort of sick validation but it was important to me. When I heard people talking about certain, you know, 'pronouns' in the writing of the record, I just wanted to – like I said on the post – offer some clarity; clarify, before the fire got too wild and the conversation became too unfocused and murky."

The naturally private "Sweet Life" singer did not seek validation but rather the appreciation from his fans. "I knew that I was writing in a way that people would ask questions," he explains. "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. It was important for me to know that when I go out on the road and I do these things, that I'm looking at people who are applauding because of an appreciation for me."

Read the lengthy interview in full here.