Music
Plus One
The 11 best Lewis Capaldi songs
Lewis Capaldi has a big summer lined up for 2026, including Dublin, Limerick and Belfast shows, so here are his best tracks, ranked
A defining artist of his generation, not only does Lewis Capaldi have one of the most powerful and emotive voices in modern music but he’s also widely adored for being one of the funniest and most honest guys in pop.
A meme-making machine respected for sharing his struggle with Tourette’s, the Glaswegian singer’s debut album ‘Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent’ became the UK’s top-selling record in both 2019 and 2020, while its follow up, ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’, outsold the entire top 10 at the time combined.
Add to that billions of streams, multiple Glastonbury appearances, several BRIT Awards and even a Grammy nomination, and you’ve got the types of stats that would be expected from someone who’s been in the game for far longer than 2017, when Capaldi landed a manager via his SoundCloud uploads.
Fast forward to 2025 and – following a run of Scottish warm-up shows in May as a guest of mental health charity CALM and the release of his chart-topping comeback ‘Survive’ – he’s in the middle of an arena tour that sold out in minutes. Don’t worry if you missed out on tickets: he’s just announced his biggest ever Irish outdoor headline shows for 2026, with dates in Dublin, Limerick and Belfast.
With Capaldi back where he belongs, and following much deliberation, we round up 11 of the Scotsman’s best tracks.
11. ‘Tough‘
(single, 2018)
A hidden gem in Capaldi’s back catalogue that sadly no longer features in his live setlist, this golden oldie – released off the back of a successful run of support shows with Sam Smith and Niall Horan – made it clear he was an undeniable one-to-watch. Swapping the piano chords that would become his signature for a pulsating beat, the track unfolds into a stadium-sized anthem. It also preceded ‘Grace’, which gave him his first top 10 hit just months later.
10. ‘A Cure For Minds Unwell‘
(Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (Extended Edition), 2024)
As an artist, Capaldi has long used his platform to speak up for important causes. This thought-provoking non-single track from the extended edition of his second album is a poignant case in point. While the song itself is lyrically powerful, the message is conveyed even stronger in its music video. Featuring the story of Naima Ben-Moussa, a survivor of domestic abuse and founder of the charity Rebuilding Lives UK, it shows her journey of overcoming trauma to help other vulnerable women.
9. ‘Strangers‘
(Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (Extended Edition), 2024)
Extended editions of already-popular albums have become commonplace in music over the past few years but, more often than not, they’re overly-bloated and aren’t worth the effort of trawling through. This certainly isn’t the case, however, when it comes to the deluxe version of Capaldi’s second record. Despite only just breaking the Top 40 (criminal!), ‘Strangers’ – which was released as the first single from it and is rumoured to be about his public feud with the Oasis brothers – stands up there as one of his best.
8. ‘Bruises‘
(Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, 2019)
Originally released in March 2017, then as part of his ‘Bruises’ EP and finally as the lead single from his first album, it was third time lucky for what was Capaldi’s debut single. Driven by the end of a romantic relationship, the striking song – which was almost called ‘Something in the Water Pt. II’ – took him from playing in empty pubs in Glasgow to selling out 2,000-capacity venues in less than a year.
7. ‘Pointless‘
(Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, 2023)
Stemming from an unfinished track that Ed Sheeran had been working on, Capaldi heard the demo and decided to put his stamp on it. Writing the chorus and middle eight was certainly worthwhile, as this December-released winter warmer went on to become his fourth No.1 single in the UK. The song’s heartfelt sentiment was paired with an equally moving music video, which tells the inspiring story of Sands United, a network of football clubs for fathers and men affected by the loss of a baby.
6. ‘Hold Me While You Wait‘
(Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, 2019)
Everyone knows the feeling when you’re really into someone but you’re not quite sure if they feel the same. Capaldi nails those emotions on this sombre tale of a relationship in limbo that currently sits at nearly one billion streams on Spotify. The way his voice soars and almost cracks at the end of the chorus is musical perfection – so, too, is his in-the-background repetition of the song’s title which makes him sound like a one-man gospel choir. At the close, he holds the note full of desperation that he won’t have his heart broken. Hearing it live is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
5. ‘Wish You The Best‘
(Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, 2023)
Built on stirring piano chords that call to mind vintage Adele, it’s impossible to not feel affected by this lump-in-your-throat tear-jerker. Vocally and lyrically, it’s a classic example of Capaldi pouring his heart out so that anyone who hears it can relate the lyrics to their own break-ups. While the song is about an ex-partner moving on and living their best life on socials, it was paired with a music video that would turn even the coldest of hearts into mush; telling a story that was inspired by the true tale of Greyfriars Bobby, a loyal dog who guarded his owner’s grave for 14 years, it rightly became a viral sensation.
4. ‘Before You Go‘
(Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, 2019)
The most personal song that Capaldi has ever written, ‘Before You Go’ was inspired by the suicide of his aunt while he was a child. Processing the emotional aftermath resulted in a stripped back pairing of heartfelt songwriting and acoustic guitar. Universally relatable for anyone who has experienced grief or even loss, Capaldi’s lyrics embody the pain, regret and unanswered questions that follow such an event. Few artists manage to make such intimate emotions feel so easy to connect to. It’s no surprise that it’s clocked up more than two billion streams on Spotify alone.
3. ‘Forget Me‘
(Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, 2023)
While the majority of Capaldi’s hits have been built around piano, the deceptively upbeat ‘Forget Me’ signified a change of pace. Back with a new sound after nearly three years away, throwing 80s-style synths into the mix (reportedly inspired by him hearing The 1975’s track ‘Somebody Else’) proved that risks are worth taking. Though the lyrical focus – moving on after a break-up – stayed the same, the contrasting production delivers something that makes it possible to dance through the sadness.
2. ‘Survive‘
(single, 2025)
Capaldi’s most pained release to date, ‘Survive’ marked a momentous comeback after two years away from the spotlight following struggles with his mental and physical health. It was a welcome return to form: not only did the belt-along guitar-led anthem become his sixth No.1 single (beating even David Bowie) it’s also the fastest selling song of the year. A debut live airing at his surprise return to Glastonbury cemented it as a Capaldi classic. In an age where success seems to rely on frequent output, the soaring ‘Survive’ cut through it all to go straight to the top.
1. ‘Someone You Loved‘
(Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, 2019)
Sometimes, as Capaldi told NME, the best songs don’t just fall into your lap. This was true with ‘Someone You Loved’, a tribute to his grandmother that took six months to write. Though it required a lengthy process of sitting at a piano and bashing his head against a brick wall for hours on end to get one good melody, his persistence paid off. Putting everything into the strikingly raw track resulted in him landing his first No.1 single. Five years on, it holds the title of the UK’s most streamed song of all time (four billion on Spotify alone) and fourth highest ever streaming track in the world.
