'If Our Love Is Wrong' is, quite simply, my coming out song, as I was trying to wrap my head around my sexuality and was starting to learn about songwriting, and that my honesty and my authenticity came from my personal experiences and writing about stuff that genuinely bugged me or upset me.
I was so terrified for so long about what people think about my sexuality, and I didn't wanna find myself in a position where I was losing my fans and couldn't do my job.
The heart wants what it wants, and you know, if you're not careful, you can find yourself in a situation where you give your heart away, and it can get broken.
I'd always been a little bit uncomfortable talking about my sexuality just because it took me a while to fully accept it. I had a bit of traumatic time with my friends when I was younger, and it kind of just put me off talking about it.
There are a lot of songs about love and how it starts, whether that's realizing it yourself or coming to find it later on - but no sort of talk about the actual feelings that are created from love and passion.
I used to hate myself for being gay. I couldn't come to terms with it.
I come from a very normal day job, a very normal upbringing, so I had six or seven years working in an office nine to five in human resources. I had the normal life and kind of thought maybe this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life but still had that passion and that yearning for music.
I had told one of my friends that I felt like I might be gay or that I just wasn't into girls, and I was abandoned.
I am so confident and empowered by my sexuality; it plays an enormous part in my life.
I would say I am one of those people who just love to connect to people doing something I love. Can't lie, love a ballad, so expect big, powerful, emotive stuff from me!
My fans have been incredible since day one... Literally, the only reason I get to do what I do! I love every single one of them, and I am still being discovered by people! Just want to share what I do with everyone!
To be in the charts and hanging around with such huge names in the industry just feels like a complete privilege! I can't even explain how it feels - complete dream come true.
My mates who are younger than me are all slagging me for it - saying I am so much older and my crow's feet are showing.
Since I became more confident, I've thought, 'Right, let me get myself on the market'. So I joined Tinder and Chappie, and it was funny because, at first, the sites thought I was an imposter.
I met a guy, and we were seeing each other for about a month or so, but as it got more intense, I started to freak out a little bit. I hadn't been in a relationship for quite a while, and I just said I was going away and not sure if it was going to work.
I feel very privileged to do what I do, so I'm just going to keep working hard and enjoy every minute of it because it could be over just like that.
I don't consider myself a flag bearer in the parade, but I have never felt stronger about who I am.
It is important for me to tell my story so that others feel comfortable telling theirs.
As a singer, you want to connect with as many people as possible; that's my whole thing.
I want to reach out to everybody with my music and my album, but you're never going to please everybody. Someone's going to say something because, you know, it's an opinionated industry.
