Just over a year since Lewis Capaldi made his surprise onstage comeback at Glastonbury, his BST Hyde Park show is a testament to how far he’s come.
I, like most others, first heard Lewis when he released his chart-topping song Someone You Loved in 2019 and was instantly drawn in by the raw vocals and poignant lyrics, which played on the radio nearly 24/7.
The 29-year-old singer-songwriter’s career has been defined by his emotional honesty in his lyrics – infused with a lovelorn melancholy – and his no-filter attitude when it comes to talking about the struggles he’s faced.
I’ve been a casual enjoyer of Lewis’ music for years, but when I walked into the Before You Go hitmaker’s BST Hyde Park show alongside 65,000 others, I quickly realised this man has one of the most loyal fanbases I’ve ever seen.
Their joy coloured the atmosphere of the entire night with a warmth rivalled only by the heatwave we’re currently experiencing.
Lewis kicked off his set with his three most upbeat songs to get people into the groove and soak in the dying light of the sun with a boogie to their step, singing Hollywood, Grace and Heavenly Kind of State of Mind.
He then paused to speak with the baying crowds, and it was immediately clear how Lewis had charmed the masses and secured two sold-out headline nights at one of London’s biggest festivals.
After singing the ethereal lyrics: ‘From now until the afterlife / Be it rain, or hail, or shine / We could be intertwined’, the Scottish singer launched straight into telling the crowd that his equivalent of the Pitbull bald cap (Mr Worldwide had performed at BST the night before) would be a hairy arse crack.
A man after my own heart, after breaking the ice with plenty of brash humour, he turned to gratitude, choking up while telling us just how much this night means to him as he continued his comeback following his two-year hiatus.
He tied the speech off with another joke that the fun’s over, and we should now buckle in for 15 back-to-back depressing ballads – his speciality.
Starting with Love the Hell Out of You, it was made crystal clear that, despite the nerves and often self-deprecating humour, Lewis is up on that stage for a reason. He’s armed with powerhouse vocals that sound even better live.
Whether belting, running a scale or hitting every note of the melody, it’s obvious to me that Lewis is one of the greatest vocalists in Britain today and hearing his voice in the flesh is the cherry on top of a sweet discography.
For those less familiar with his catalogue, I will admit, there were times when the repetitive and monosyllabic nature of his songs blurred into one as we ran through back-to-back tunes like Almost, Forever, Bruises and Pointless.
But, in a way, due to the catchy and simple nature of his choruses, often by the second half of the song, I was singing along, even if it was my first time hearing it, which made the show all the more fun.
He could get a crowd to belt out a heartfelt ballad rivalled only by Adele herself.
Later in the concert, after another winding ramble, he brought on his industry pal, Sam Fender, who is celebrating making UK music chart history with his song, Rein Me In which they sang as a duet. They lit up the park with their high-energy rendition (a nice break from the more soulful tunes).
After Sam bowed out in a haze of glory, Lewis sang a few more of his hits. I soon discovered I had absorbed plenty of his collection by osmosis without even realising. Then, the show once more took an emotional turn.
The music artist found himself lost for words at one point as the tens of thousands in the crowd started chanting his name. In fact, the moment was so powerful that as he started one of the most tear-jerking songs in his set, The Day I Die, he couldn’t get through it.
My heart squeezed for him as he tried to stop his crying, and there were a few moments where he stared at his cheering fans and simply took it all in, no jokes, no singing – just Lewis and the people who have stood by him through his most difficult times.
One thing is for sure: whether it was Lewis or the members of the crowd who had a lot of love in their hearts for the man, this had to be one of the most tear-filled concerts I’ve ever been to, and it was genuinely touching to see how much this impacted him.
It’s one of the most moving displays I’ve seen at a concert.
After wrapping up the main run, we all waited with bated breath for his encore. No easy feat when there was an England World Cup match on, which many were no doubt eager to go and watch. Lewis himself issued a jokey plea for fans to stick around despite the footie.
But he came back on for a delightful cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Have You Ever Seen the Rain and I wouldn’t be surprised if he communed with the weather gods to get the wind whipping at the perfect time.
Meanwhile, his live rendition of Survive was his most visually compelling performance of the night as lights flashed and fake rain poured from the sky. The only reason it fell short of a full five stars for me is that I can see the potential he has to elevate his live performances as he grows in confidence.
One day, I hope the visual theatre can match his vocal talents, and it’s one I’m looking forward to.
Of course, he ended on his biggest hit of all, Someone You Loved, which we all dutifully sang along to before leaving the stage with the promise of a new album on the way.
All in all, the entire evening felt like a warm hug on a cold December day, my cup filled with a mutual love.