Lewis Capaldi, a 26-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter, has made a prominent place for himself in the Western music industry. With his first album released in 2019, and another scheduled for release on 19th May this year, he has made some popular tunes that have earned him a massive following, amassing 32.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His documentary How Iâm Feeling Now released on Netflix on the 5th of April and gives an insight into his life and music, whilst also focusing on his mental health.
Thereâs no doubt that he has achieved a lot in very little time, but the statistics wonât even begin to cover all that he has to offer. His songs revolve around themes of love (or the lack thereof), loss, heartbreak, and longing among others, and have a sense of sensitivity and compassion attached to them. Donât be fooled by his seemingly sad songs though â once you want to get to know him (which you will), his social media and public appearances will give a glimpse into a personality that also knows how to give people a good laugh. So as a fan, like me, youâd be signing up for a good deal of feels and funnies.
If you are just getting to know the artist, here are a few of his songs that you must have on your playlist:
- Someone You Loved
One of his most popular songs with more than 2 billion streams on Spotify, âSomeone You Lovedâ perfectly captures the idea of losing someone you loved and who loved you. First released in his extended play âBreach,â the song also features on his debut album âDivinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent.â It became Capaldiâs breakthrough single and went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Lewis once revealed that the song is about his grandmother who died a few years before he wrote it.
- Before You Go
With more than a billion streams on Spotify, âBefore You Goâ is Capaldiâs second most streamed song on the platform. In a recent interview, he says that this is one of the most personal songs he wrote on his debut album, being about his auntâs death by suicide. The famous lyric âWas there something I couldâve said to make it all stop hurting, it kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless,â points to the helplessness of someone who has lost a loved one to suicide.
- Hollywood
âWhen youâre just a step away from falling apart, do you ever feel like going back to the start?â â featured on his debut album, this song captures the feeling of wanting to go back in time in a (past) relationship when things were better. It talks about being separated by distance and time, and hoping that the other person feels the same to want to reconnect for a second chance.
- Forget Me
The first single from his second album â âBroken by Desire to be Heavenly Sentâ â happens to be the first song he released after a three-year gap. About heartbreak, this song expresses the desire to not be forgotten by someone you loved as these lyrics profess â âeven after all itâd still wreck me, to find out youâd know how to forget me.â
- Pointless
The second single from his to-be-released second album, this song talks about the titular sentiment that âeverything is pointless without you.â This song tends to have a universal feel to it as the âyouâ could be anyone and the music video of this song portrays a mother-son relationship. In a heartfelt tune, Capaldi expresses the feeling of waiting for someone no matter how long, because you know that the two of you are meant to be together.
- How Iâm Feeling Now
His latest single, âHow Iâm Feeling Nowâ is, as he claims, the most personal song for him on his second album. He talks about his mental health and him trying to deal with his recurring thoughts of how he âshould feel on top of the worldâ (given his success) but he doesnât. his documentary is named after this song and portrays exactly this feeling via film. This song seems to be a successful attempt by him at trying to be âas transparent as I possibly can be with my lyrics.â
In a recent interview, the singer claimed that he wants to make songs that âfeel universalâ so even those who havenât gone through the incidents he writes about, are able to relate to his music in some way and thatâs exactly what listening to his songs feels like. Whether you like his genre or not, youâll always be able to find something for yourself in his music, something that will make you feel less alone and more understood. To quote from his documentary trailer, âHe sees humanity and understands itâ â and thatâs a gift any person would be lucky to experience. This isnât someone youâd want to sleep on, so catch a glimpse into the life and mind of this âunlikely superstarâ through his music and newly released documentary now!