A post shared by Greyson Chance (@greysonchance) on Jul 17, 2017 at 11:43pm PDT

Singer Greyson Chance has come out as gay.

The 19-year-old explained in an Instagram post on Wednesday that he has known he was gay since he was 16. At first he chose to keep his sexuality private but after receiving an inspiring message from a fan, he decided to be open.

“The decision to write this came after I received a message from a brave individual. Such message inspired me to shed light on an aspect of my private life which I have kept distant from my career in music,” Chance writes.

“I came to fully recognize that I was gay when I was sixteen. I decided not to publicize my sexuality largely due to a matter of privacy, as I was still trying to find comfort and confidence within my own skin. Further, I always found conversations regarding music, politics, art, books – and the greatness of Nas’ catalog – to be far more interesting than what type of guy I was into. This is still true today,” he continued.

He also urged people struggling with their sexuality to give time to understand themselves.

“I encourage anyone who is navigating their sexuality to devote as much time as they need to the process of finding self-confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love. Hell, for me, it took years to write this message,” Chance writes.

Chance’s cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” became a viral sensation when he was just 12 years old. Ellen Degeneres signed the young singer to her ElevenEleven label shortly after.

The decision to write this came after I received a message from a brave individual. Such message inspired me to shed light on an aspect of my private life which I have kept distant from my career in music. I came to fully recognize that I was gay when I was sixteen. I decided not to publicize my sexuality largely due to a matter of privacy, as I was still trying to find comfort and confidence within my own skin. Further, I always found conversations regarding music, politics, art, books – and the greatness of Nas’ catalog – to be far more interesting than what type of guy I was into. This is still true today. While this message is most definitely overdue, I encourage anyone who is navigating their sexuality to devote as much time as they need to the process of finding self-confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love. Hell, for me, it took years to write this message. Nevertheless, I figured now was the time to let a few more friends know that I am happy, I am here for you, and I am proud of who I am. Cheers -G

A post shared by Greyson Chance (@greysonchance) on Jul 19, 2017 at 12:44pm PDT