Lewis Capaldi

Lewis Capaldi’s first two albums—2019’s Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent and 2023’s Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent—broadcast their messy emotional content right there in those sprawling titles. “I think we all attempt to be heavenly sent,” the former Up Next artist told Apple Music in 2023, explaining the latter title. “Everyone strives to be good at something, or find some sort of purpose. And sometimes, in the pursuit of that, it can leave you feeling a bit dejected.” And make no mistake: Capaldi has become one of the most popular young artists of his generation by preserving his songs in a raw, unvarnished state, providing the purest representation of the pain and longing coursing through his lyrics. Amidst the hyper-paced, totally wired world of late-2010s pop, this unassuming Scottish singer-songwriter—born in 1996 in Glasgow—stopped the internet dead in its tracks with his DIY 2017 single “Bruises”, a stark, piano-based breakup ballad that introduced a voice imbued with the sort of soulful grit and deeply felt heartache you wouldn’t expect from a baby-faced 21-year-old. That song was Capaldi’s ticket to major-label deals and tours opening for pop A-listers like Sam Smith and Niall Horan, but he would swiftly join their ranks with Divinely Uninspired…, which fleshed out his sound with lush orchestration and gospel gravitas but retained his fearless flair for emotional dredging. Capaldi proved no less forthcoming on Broken By Desire…, counterbalancing all his success with self-deprecating lyrical turns. Though he took a break from touring after releasing the album in order to improve his mental and physical health, that decisive step felt just as real and necessary as the doubt and passion he airs in his songs.