Why did Lewis Capaldi stop performing? Singer's new song and more explained
27 June 2025, 15:25
Lewis has released his first new single in two years after taking time away from music to focus on his physical and mental health.
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Lewis Capaldi has returned to music – almost two years to-the-day since he stepped away from the spotlight in 2023.
The beloved Scottish musician released a new single, ‘Survive’, on Friday, June 27.
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In the emotional new song, Lewis reflects on some of the personal struggles which led to him retiring from music.
Listen to Lewis' new song 'Survive' here:
Lewis Capaldi - Survive (Official Video)
“Though it hurts sometimes, I’m gonna get up and live, until the day that I die, I swear to God I’ll survive,” the 28-year-old powerfully promises to himself in the new song’s chorus.
“Most nights, I fear that I’m not enough, but I refuse to spend my best years rotting in the sun,” he also sings.
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Lewis chose to take a break from performing in June 2023 after vocal issues, anxiety and his Tourette’s syndrome combined to force the singer to close a Glastonbury headline set early in tears.
“I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order,” he wrote in a statement on social media after the show, in which he announced he would be “taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future.”
Prior to Glastonbury 2023, the ‘Someone You Loved’ artist made the “difficult” choice to cancel several planned performances in order to try and recover his health by returning home and simply being “Lewis from Glasgow for a bit,” away from fame.
But as his later statement admitted, trying to recover his mental and physical health in just three weeks wasn’t possible. Lewis therefore cancelled his second album’s tour and retired for the time being from performing.
“I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like [Glastonbury] and I’d hoped three weeks away would sort me out,” Lewis told his fans.
“But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impacts of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come,” he added.
The singer publicly revealed his Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis in September 2022.
In his 2023 Netflix documentary How I’m Feeling Now, the singer explained that early on in his career, he’d fought back against getting treatment for his tics because he felt they were a part of him.
But increased flare-ups during performances which prevented the singer from being able to sing eventually led Lewis to consider treatment more seriously.
Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now | Official Trailer | Netflix
“The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it, when I’m stressed I get it, when I’m happy I get it. It happens all the time,” Lewis explained while discussing his diagnosis in an Instagram Live in 2022 (via Rolling Stone).
“It looks a lot worse than it is,” he added. “Sometimes it’s quite uncomfortable... but it comes and goes.”
Lewis’ return to music in June 2025 suggests the musician has got the help and had the rest he needed to feel comfortable with returning to the spotlight once again.
