Tyler Glenn, the lead singer of Neon Trees, has come out as gay.

In the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone on newsstands Friday, the 30-year-old opened up about his struggle with his sexual orientation and how it conflicted with his conservative Mormon religion.

"I had my crushes on guys throughout high school, but it was never an overwhelming thing until my 20s," he said. "Then I'd be dating girls and in love with my straight friend and it was the worst feeling in the world."

The rocker said he knew he was gay since childhood but began telling those close to him in October 2013. At the time, he was writing songs for his band's upcoming third album, Pop Psychology, which speaks on his experience as a closeted gay man.

Glenn, best known for the hits Animal and Everybody Talks, also expressed admiration for other public figures that have come out. He noted Michael Sam, former defensive end at the University of Missouri, who could become the first openly gay NFL player.

"I appreciated Michael Sam was like, 'I want to be able to go to the movies and hold hands with my boyfriend,'" Glenn said. "Even hearing him say 'boyfriend,' I was just like, that's cool."

Glenn also took to his Facebook page to write a detailed explanation on his reason for coming out and said "you can't hide away forever."

"Until you know what it's like to hide, to keep away true happiness out of fear. That's when you truly understand what it's like. It's not about coming out to wave a flag in another's face," he wrote. "For me its about finding the purist of peace."

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