Brit Award winner Lewis Capaldi has every reason to feel on top of the world – he hit number one across the globe with Someone You Loved, has six million followers on Instagram, and is beloved by fans, critics and musicians alike.
So it might come as a surprise to hear him say: “I’m not confident in my abilities as a songwriter and I think that’s got worse the more successful I’ve got.”
Glaswegian singer Lewis, 26, shared his Tourette’s diagnosis in 2022 and in Netflix documentary Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now, he opens up on his mental and physical health struggles.
Lewis is as known for his sharp sense of humour as he is for his music (the film features that infamous 2020 Brit Awards acceptance speech), but viewers get a raw look at the insecurities that still plague him.
“I love the fact that people do give a f**k about my music, but I just don’t get it, I don’t see why people would,” he admits.
One scene shows the singer reading out a personal email from Sir Elton John, who got in touch with reassurance after Ed Sheeran told him that Lewis suffers from imposter syndrome.
It’s difficult to imagine reaching that level of fame in just a few short years and Lewis seems acutely aware of how odd his life is now.
“You turn someone’s world upside down, you change their life, loads (of people) know who they are…for singing songs,” he says. “For me (Tourette’s) just seems like a completely normal reaction to this.”
The documentary follows Lewis as he begins his daunting second album and the pressures that build up to him taking a four month break as the painful twitch in his shoulder gets worse.
“I started to get in my head because there’s skin in the game now rather than just me singing my silly little songs,” he explains.
His mum tells how he was convinced that he had a brain tumour at primary school, while Lewis adds: “I’ve always had hypochondria…if something’s wrong with me, I think I’m dying.”
The death of his Auntie Pat, who took her own life when he was a child, has clearly influenced his anxiety and inspired his hit single Before You Go.
As his dad puts it: “He sees humanity, that darkness, and he can vocalise it.”
The relief of getting a diagnosis is clear to see, and Lewis goes on to complete his next hit song, Forget Me.
“Do you know how many people I’ve told I have Tourettes?” he asks. “People think I’m bragging…I know I’m not dying.”
“I know what the steps are to get better. The onus is on me to do it,” he says.
READ MORE:
- Everything you need to know about Lewis Capaldi's girlfriend Ellie MacDowall
- Paddy McGuinness confused for Joe Wicks as he shows off long hair in new look
- 'I drank a bottle of wine a night after Love Island – I had to change,' says Jamie Jewitt
- X Factor's James Arthur looks very different 10 years after appearing on show
- Big Brother's Davina McCall and Brian Dowling bury the hatchet 3 years after feud
Source: Read Full Article
