Frank Ocean relieved after posting sexuality blog

Frank Ocean has told of his relief after opening up about his sexuality, insisting he feels like a "boulder" has been lifted from his chest.

The singer stunned fans earlier this month by taking to his Tumblr.com page and revealing his first love was a man. Ocean said he decided to publish the open letter before releasing his debut "Channel Orange" to pre-emptively address questions about the album's love songs.

He tells Britain's The Guardian, "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."

Ocean said his decision was inspired by the lack of role models he had as a teenager, and by his desire to be completely honest about his personal life.

He adds, "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. 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."