The xx's Oliver Sim Reveals He's Been Living With HIV Since He Was 17 in New Song

Oliver Sim - vocalist and bass player for The xx - recently revealed that he's been living with HIV since he was 17 years old.

In a recent Instagram post, Sim explained the meaning and content surrounding his brand-new solo song, "Hideous."

"I've been living with HIV since I was 17 and it's played with how I've felt towards myself, and how I've assumed others have felt towards me, from that age and into my adult life. So, quite impulsively, I wrote about it on a song called 'Hideous,'" he wrote.

Sim continued:

"Since writing 'Hideous,' I've spent the last two years having conversations, which was difficult and uncomfortable to start with, but has allowed me to feel a lot freer and has only strengthened my relationship with myself and with the people in my life."

Despite still being an active part of The xx, Sim has also been releasing music in 2022 as a solo artist. In "Hideous," which was released on Monday, the British singer wrote lyrics such as, "Why don't you leave me in the dirt? / That I've been sick and I'm perverse / Oh, I'm hideous."

The song's outro goes, "Radical honesty / Might set me free / If it makes me hideous / Been living with HIV / Since seventeen / Am I hideous?"

Trending stories

Turn your Easter into the colors of the rainbow with these Pride-themed shortbread treats

D.C. WorldPride organizers warn transgender visitors to the U.S. of potential travel risks

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Trump quietly purges presidential HIV advisory council, sparking public health fears (exclusive)

Hungary passes constitutional amendment banning public LGBTQ+ events

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Meet the trans Black Hawk pilot suing after being falsely accused of role in deadly D.C. crash

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Chris Colfer is showing off his sexy muscles in a new thirst trap

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Veterans Affairs clinicians sign letter against Trump's ban on trans vets' care: ‘There is resistance’

'Drag Race's Jasmine Kennedie shares harrowing story of being followed home by a man for being trans

JoJo Siwa & Chris Hughes' flirty cuddles on 'Big Brother' leave fans very confused

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

'Survivor' star Teeny Chirichillo comes out as trans in candid new essay

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Out and About with Karan Soni

Bobby Berk reveals his favorite part about being gay: 'The sex!'

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

For context, Sim is about to turn 33 years old in June, which means that he's been living with HIV for 16 years. Overall, The xx bandmate has felt like now is the right time to share his HIV status and remark on his experiences through music.

Watch the music video for Oliver Sim's "Hideous" below.

RELATED | Turning 30: What It Means When You're Gay