Sande says reaction to coming out was ‘loving’
Emeli Sande has said she was driven to come out publicly by an urge to be “bold and honest” in everything she does.
In April, the singer revealed she had fallen in love with a woman, a classical pianist, after they collaborated on a track for her new album.
Sande, 35, who grew up in Alford, Aberdeenshire, said she had been “nervous” about the decision to go public but had also wanted to “shout from the rooftops and celebrate” their relationship.
But she admitted that coming out may cause issues if she returns to Zambia, where her father’s family are from.
Her new album, Let’s Say For Instance, was released last week and is her first on an independent record label after she parted ways with major label Virgin after a decade.
Sande said the reaction to her coming out had been “so loving”. She said: “I really wasn’t expecting that.
“I felt I really have to be honest about who I am and who I’m in love with. And I didn’t really know what to expect, it was quite a daunting prospect.
“I’ve just been genuinely deeply touched and overwhelmed by the love and the response and I am just so thankful for it.”
She added: “It was definitely something I was a bit nervous about because you never know how people will react. And sadly, it’s still a battle for many people around the world … I don’t know how it would be if I went to Zambia now.
“I have to be bold and I have to be truthful, because [otherwise] it feels like I’m not being myself. “Falling in love with the love of your life is something I want to shout from the rooftops.”