It was almost two years since the Scottish singer-songwriter had released his debut, an album whose blockbuster success had kept him on the road, round the world, constantly in that time. Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent was a set of self-written songs that, out of nowhere – well, out of fiercely passionate word-of-mouth enthusiasm, viral streaming and wall-to-wall airplay – captivated the planet.
Breakthrough single Someone You Loved was 2019’s sound of spring (and summer, and autumn, and winter), a seven-week Number One and the biggest selling single in the UK that year.
The following year it won Song of the Year at the Brit Awards (while Capaldi won Best New Artist), by which time it had also reached the top of the Billboard charts in the US, and been nominated for a Grammy. And now? It’s the longest-running UK Top 10 single by a British artist ever – and, with 2.3 billion plays, it’s the fifth-most streamed song on Spotify of all time.
With that tailwind, little wonder, perhaps, that even before he’d released Divinely Inspired…, Capaldi was a record-breaker: he was the first artist to sell-out an arena tour prior to putting out his debut album. He sold all 100,000 tickets in 10 minutes, long before the album was the fastest – and biggest – selling of 2019, and was lodged at the top of the charts for 10 weeks. It would also go on to be the biggest selling album of 2020.
As he points out, even with their global festival run the previous summer of 2019, he and his band were playing slots “where the music had kind of surpassed our position on the bill. And we were playing 2000-capacity rooms when we could have been filling the 15,000 ones. Selling out all of these shows across the world was huge – all these people coming and they've bought tickets just to see me.
As he puts it, for album two, the idea was simple but potent: That is, no bells, whistles, cowbells or starry featured vocalists; no ruinously expensive stays in distant studios; no guitars melted down into whizzy keyboards; and no songs about nonsense.
Like it was on the first album, straight-up, full-force honesty – lyrical and musical – would be the order of the day. “I don't want to create a new sound for myself, or reinvent myself. The songs I want to write are emotional songs, about love or loss.
The lead track is a driving pop song written with “the TMS boys” and recalls the best of the trio’s previous collaborations, Someone You Loved and Before You Go. As a follow-up to those two international bangers, Forget Me is evidence of the consistency of Capaldi’s songwriting talent.
Moving piano anthem-in-waiting Wish You the Best proves both points: that Capaldi never sounds better than when he’s doing things on his own terms, nor writes better when he has faith in his own abilities. The song began during a writing trip to Los Angeles.
Say it again: Lewis Capaldi is, finally, back writing and singing the songs that speak from his heart. For all the craziness and intensity of the three years prior to that cut-short arena tour, after two years' enforced isolation, he’s bursting to share his music, his feelings, once again.
If his first album made him an international star, with his second it’s nothing less than superstardom that beckons. And now, having put in the hard yards with the writing and recording, he’s ready to put in the miles all round the world.
This April 2023, Netflix published his documentary “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”, which was directed by Joe Pearlman. It follows the Scottish singer-songwriter as he overcomes obstacles to become a Grammy-nominated pop phenomenon from his beginnings as a scrappy teen with a viral performance.
The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and it won accolades for its frank and close-up depiction of Capaldi's creative process. In addition, the movie highlighted Capaldi's musical talents and appealing character, making his fans love him even more and helping his movie reach #1 in the UK.
The film's success is a testament to Capaldi's rising stardom and Netflix's ability to curate compelling content that resonates with audiences worldwide.