Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi is the very definition of an oxymoron. The social media star who’s known for his hilarious personality is also responsible for some of the saddest songs we’ve heard this year. It’s this easy relatability and his overwhelming success that makes us forget that the 22-year-old hasn’t been around for very long. Although we’ve welcomed him into our homes with fond arms, Capaldi only just took off his shoes and dusted his feet. The journey he took to get to our doors, however, started years ago.
Capaldi was born 7 October 1996 in Glasgow, Scotland. At aged 9 he learned to play both the drums and the guitar and he officially began singing at around aged 12. He began performing in pubs around Scotland which became a long and mostly unrewarding task he describes as trying to win people over that didn’t “give a solitary f**k.” Fast forward a little then to Capaldi independently releasing the brooding hit ‘Bruises’ in March 2017, a track that really put him on the map for prospective labels and essentially began his career.
Since then, life for Capaldi has been somewhat of a blur. From joining Niall Horan for his Glasgow dates on his Flicker World Tour, being listed on BBC Music’s Sound of 2018 list and supporting Sam Smith for the European leg of his tour to selling out his own shows across the UK. He’s won multiple awards, including MTV’s Brand New for 2019, his debut album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent went to number one in three countries and he’s achieved six Gold certifications for his breakthrough hit ‘Someone You Loved.’
But he’s only just getting started. Just recently Capaldi stole the show at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, delivering a heart-warming performance of ‘Someone You Loved’ that had him momentarily stop and take in the crowd that were passionately singing the lyrics back to him. A touching moment that’s arguably one of the best ‘I’ve made it’ reflections a musician can have. He also joined fellow ballad creator James Bay at London’s Palladium for a duetted mash-up of ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Someone You Loved,’ which had the crowd going absolutely crazy.
As for what’s next, we’re unsure what Capaldi has up his sleeve. We can assure you though that his musical career, as well as his social media stardom, is only just beginning.
