As Seal preps the release of his album, Soul 2, he isn't shying away from answering questions about his [article id="1677698"]split from supermodel wife Heidi Klum[/article]. In two new interviews, the singer opens up about the breakup.

"I think we were shocked," Seal said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in an episode airing Tuesday (January 24). "You go into these things with the greatest intentions when you say 'I do' and you say 'Till death do us part.' Those vows hold value. They are not just words. These things happen. We pretty much said how we feel and made it clear in the release statement."

With regard to the fact that he's still wearing his wedding ring, Seal added, "I think it's just pretty much a token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years, eight wonderful years together. Just because we have decided to separate doesn't necessarily mean you take off your ring and you're no longer connected to that person.

"We will be connected in many ways till the rest of our lives ... through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other," he continued. "Will we wear the ring for the rest of our lives? Who knows? But right now it feels really comfortable on my hand, so I have intentions of taking it off anytime soon."

In another interview for the PBS chat show "Tavis Smiley," set to air on Friday, Seal continues to gush about his ex, and notes that the couple are hardly the first to have a much-publicized split.

"In terms of our love and respect for each other, it hasn't changed at all," he says. "When two people feel that way about each other, it is easy -- it is easier to make that transition. What one has to do in this situation is remain civil and to retain one's dignity and to be professional and to understand that we are not the only people on this planet that go through this," he said. "It is just unfortunately a chapter of life."

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