Greyson Chance Returns to 'Ellen,' Relates How Fan Letter Prompted Him to Come Out

It's been almost a decade, but music sensation Greyson Chance, now 21, appeared on "Ellen" once again to tell the openly lesbian comedian and talk show host what he's been doing since he dropped out of the limelight... or tried to, anyway.

Chance also told the story of the fan letter than prompted him to emerge from the closet a couple of years ago, reported ET Canada.

Chance took the Internet by storm in 2010 with a YouTube video of himself performing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" at a music festival at the tender age of 12, ET Canada recalled.

Chance then posted two of his own songs to YouTube, and they also became successful. Shortly after the "Paparazzi" video went viral, though, he went on "Ellen," an appearance that cemented his overnight status as a new star. After he put out a single in 2010, he followed up with a full album, "Hold On 'Til the Night," in 2011. An EP titled "Somewhere Over My Head" dropped in 2016.

Now 21, he appeared on "Ellen" once again and caught up with the comedian, telling her about how, in college, he had time to step back from celebrity and focus again on music.

"I was really for the first time in seven years able to sit in front of a piano again and really think, 'Okay, I have a voice, what do I want to say and how do I want to say it?'" Chance recounted.

As the two chatted, Ellen said, "I didn't even know you were gay. You'd come out to your family at 16, I guess... and then you publicly came out when you were... eighteen?"

"Nineteen," Change corrected Ellen, before explaining the reasons why he finally came out in an Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

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

"There was a guy from Arkansas," Chance told Ellen, "and he told me his story and how he was going to have a much more difficult time than I ever did coming out to his family."

The music star went on, "And at the end of the message he put, 'You know, I know you're not gay, but I just wanted to let you know your music really inspires me.' "

That, Chance said, inspired him to "find the confidence" to come out.

Seventeen recollected that Ellen was so impressed with the young man that she got him his first record deal – signing him to her own label, eleveneleven.

Seventeen also noted that Chance's second full-length album, "portraits," was released last month. The album has spawned three singles so far: "shut up," and "timekeeper," and "stand."