 In June 2012 , news outlets and music journalists from pre @-@ release listening events for Channel Orange raised questions about certain songs ' lyrics and Ocean 's sexuality . The lyrics addressed a male object of love and deviated from the heterosexual perspective of his past songs . Scrapping his original plan of including it in the album 's liner notes , Ocean published a TextEdit file as an open letter through his Tumblr blog on July 4 . Originally written in December 2011 , it recounted his unrequited feelings for a man when he was 19 years old , citing the experience as his first love . Ocean 's disclosure was received with support from Def Jam and praise from other recording artists and cultural commentators . He also remarked on writing Channel Orange after years of emotional struggle with the experience , stating in the letter , " I wrote to keep myself busy and sane . I wanted to create worlds that were rosier than mine . I tried to channel overwhelming emotions . " 
