Or, at least, that’s what it seemed like. This June, which marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, 20-year-old Lil Nas X, one of hip-hop’s most interesting new artists, came out. But in a lot of ways, this story may well have been written about Lil Nas X now in 2019. This was a blind item about Frank Ocean, then a quickly rising R&B star who would later address rumors about his sexuality on social media. “After keeping folks guessing in 2011, this soul singer will answer any questions about which team he’s swinging for with his upcoming musical release.” “There’s been plenty of speculation about this hot young r&b star’s sexuality, but most of it has been drowned out by the adoration by fans and famous alike,” wrote the gossip site Bossip in 2012.