John Legend has just been crowned People's "Sexiest Man Alive" and while it has left him excited, he is also feeling "a little scared."
The 40-year-old singer, who is one of 15 stars to earn an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, admits that the title comes with a lot of pressure.
"Everyone's going to be picking me apart to see if I'm sexy enough to hold this title," he told People. "I'm [also] following Idris Elba, which is not fair and is not nice to me!"
Legend has always been humble, which adds to his charm, but it comes as a surprise to learn that the "Voice" coach was an insecure teen.
"Oh yes, I had an awkward phase," Legend tells People. "I was two years younger than my classmates, so I get to high school, everyone else is around 14 and I'm 12. And I get to college, everyone else is around 18 and I'm 16."
Legend says he always felt "less mature, less at ease socially" but then he discovered music. It was not just a creative outlet for Legend, but a way to communicate his feelings. As a teen he was too shy to speak to girls, so he wrote them songs instead.
"I tried, I'd say around 12 or so to start writing songs for girls I liked. It wasn't extremely effective at age 12, but I got better at it," he recounts. Legend eventually decided to take his music to the public. At first he received little notice, but in 2004 his lucky break came in the form of a recording contract.
"I was turned down by every record label in existence, including the one I'm signed to now," Legend recalls of those early days. "I kept going until I finally turned those nos into a yes."
He admits he is "a pretty good singer," but it will take him some time to adjust to the idea that he is People's "Sexiest Man Alive." For now, Legend says he does not see himself that way.
"I love to do crossword puzzles," he says. "I'm a nerd in a lot of ways."
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