Lewis Capaldi on Bouncing Back From ‘Detrimental’ Burnout & His Next Chapter: ‘I Don’t Want to Phone In Anything Ever Again’
Categoria: Musica
After overcoming a breakdown in his mental health, the Scottish singer’s triumphant North American arena tour marks the culmination of a long, hard-fought journey back to himself.
Por Billboard | 22/05/2026
Lewis Capaldi arrives, shoulders loose, hair tousled; his eyes are bright, steady and settled. A deep exhale follows. “This feels quite weird,” he says, right leg gently bouncing as he perches on the edge of a primrose-yellow accent chair. “I haven’t done something like this for a while.” We meet in a downtown Chicago hotel bar, where there’s an understated sense of occasion: This is the Scottish singer-songwriter’s first in-person profile interview in almost four years. The low metallic rumble of the L train passes the window next to us at regular intervals. Capaldi, a preternaturally warm person, is telling Billboard U.K. how it feels to be back in the hot seat. His nerves may feel palpable, but this is an artist gradually re-emerging into his element, back on tour and stepping onto the biggest stages of his career with a fresh purpose. Later this evening, he will head to the 23,500-capacity United Center as part of a sold-out North American headline tour, which has also featured shows at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl — as well as a double-header at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater — in support of his recent Survive EP (via Polydor), after the title track hit No. 1 in the U.K. last summer. Lane Dorsey Capaldi is taking the current run in his stride. He’s committed to a new gym routine and has refreshed his wardrobe, donning an Adidas track jacket with an easy cool. Indie star Sam Fender , one of his closest friends, took him on a night out to New York City’s notorious Newcastle United supporters’ bar; Capaldi marked the release of new single “Stay Love” via a surprise fan event at Penn Station , with roses passed through the crowd. “Genuinely, this is the most fun I have ever had on tour. I feel like I have properly loosened up. And I have… locked in ,” Capaldi begins. “Is that even the right phrase?!” Well, quite. He describes how he’s reduced a near-daily therapy schedule to one session a fortnight, while he “didn’t give a f–k” that his voice sounded “really croaky” at the Madison Square Garden show, as he felt so enamored by the gratitude of simply being present on stage. A few days after our conversation, he’ll go on to play a full acoustic show at Red Rocks despite technical difficulties, and remain relaxed and buoyant throughout. “I used to feel horrible when things started to go wrong,” he adds. “It was like I was existing inside my head.” All of this perspective carries a deeper, almost full-circle significance as Capaldi returns to the Windy City. It’s nearly three years to the day since the 29-year-old last played here, at the 5000-capacity Aragon Ballroom. That night, before stepping out for the encore, Capaldi was overcome by a panic attack, “convulsing” as the episode escalated to the point where he felt completely detached from his own body. He returned to finish the set with support from fans, but the show marked not an immediate turning point so much as a stark realisation of where his