The Years & Years frontman also opens up on his sexual experiences with me who identify as straight, as well as his fascination with male desire.
Since Years & Years’ debut album Communion hit No.1 in the UK back in 2015, frontman Olly Alexander has become a visible role model for queer youth.
People assuming he was gay was something the British singer admits “scared” him when he was growing up, but as the band prepare to release their second collection Palo Santo, he has become fully comfortable with his identity.
“It’s less conscious, or direct,” Olly told Shortlist about his queerness being at forefront of who he is these days. “There was never a moment when I said, ‘This is what I’m going to set out to do.’”
Olly added: “I get a real thrill for being ‘overtly queer’ in my aesthetic. I used to be scared of people thinking I was gay but now I’d be shocked if they didn’t. I’d hesitate to say I had a more developed sense of self, though, because how I look doesn’t take into account my mind, or how I develop internally.”
As he revealed earlier this year, Years & Years’ single Sanctify was inspired by a sexual experience Olly had with a straight-identifying guy – a topic that has interested the songwriter during the creative process.
Source: Olly Alexander says he now gets a thrill for being “overtly queer”
