k.d. lang wishes she'd been more "mysterious"

She said: "I grew up with the adage that there is a wealth of purpose in being mysterious.

"And I feel like I haven't had the chance to be mysterious. My sexuality, and everything, was so much out in the open, and has been for many years. I feel exhausted by being exposed. And it's truly not that interesting!"

The 'Constant Craving' hitmaker is proud she has helped encourage people be open about their sexuality, but doesn't want to be credited as a trailblazer because it is a subject "bigger" than she is.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "I try not to take huge credit for that because it's not a competition. It's something bigger than all of us. I am certainly proud, but at the same time, I'm just one of many. Gay culture isn't just one sliver of humanity - it's a huge cross-section of people."

At the height of her fame, k.d. was romantically linked with Madonna but admitted she was "completely oblivious" to all the speculation at the time.

She said: "I was surprised when I heard a rumour that I'd slept with Madonna. I was completely oblivious to it."

And the singer admitted such gossip is one of the reasons why she dislikes "participating" in showbiz so much.

Asked how she felt about the attention, she said: "It's a byproduct of showbusiness. And really, that's one of the reasons I don't like participating in showbusiness."