In a recent interview with Shortlist
Magazine, singer-actor Olly Alexander revealed that he once was
scared of being labeled gay.
The Years & Years frontman has been
praised for being positively out about his sexuality.
“I get a real thrill for being
'overtly queer' in my aesthetic,” Alexander
said. “I used to be scared of people thinking I was gay but
now I'd be shocked if they didn't.”
The 27-year-old Alexander has
previously said that his group's new single “Sanctify” from their
upcoming studio album Palo Santo is based on a brief
relationship he had with a man who identified as straight.
“We’re talking about how men
express desire for one another,” Alexander said. “I find the
exchange fascinating – what each person gets out of it, or what it
makes each person feel. With ‘Sanctify,' I wanted to write
something about the journey of coming out. It’s so drawn out. You
come out to your friends, family, then the world, again and again, in
hotels and on holiday and to cab drivers. And that can be painful.
Sometimes I wonder about the guys I’d had these… sexcapades with,
who identified as straight, and I wonder where they are now, in their
own journey to understanding their sexuality.”
Alexander added that he understands how
a man who hooks up with guys can identify as straight.
“At the end of the day, these are
just words we use to try to best describe ourselves. They're not
perfect,” he said.
Palo Santo arrives July 6.