Two years after stepping away from the spotlight, Lewis Capaldi returns with his most powerful release yet. “Survive” is a brave anthem that addresses a challenging period in his career that culminated at Glastonbury 2023 when, in an extremely difficult but unifying moment, the Pyramid Stage crowd helped carry an emotional Capaldi over the finish line.
Opening with the haunting line “Most nights I fear that I’m not enough,” “Survive” wastes no time digging into the emotional weight Capaldi has been carrying. The lyrics are frank, bruised, and brutally self-aware while capturing the mental toll of his rapid rise to fame. But this isn’t a song that stays in the dark as the chorus explodes into life with lyrics “I swear to God I’ll survive, if it kills me to / I’m gonna get up and try, if it’s the last thing I’ll do.”
Produced alongside RØMANS, “Survive” manages to stay intimate while sounding absolutely massive. Visually, the song is paired with a gripping music video directed by Hector Dockrill (Sam Fender, Post Malone), which leans into the song’s stark emotionality with an understated, documentary-style feel.
His new track comes on the heels of a May run of Scottish warm-up shows that saw Capaldi perform as a guest of mental health charity CALM, in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week. With no pressure, and no level of expectation, the shows allowed Capaldi the space to gauge his comfort and emotional response before returning to the limelight. After weathering a severe emotional storm, Capaldi begins a new era with a renewed sense of purpose. “Survive” proves that even in the darkest moments, there’s still strength in showing up. With more expected to come in the near future click here for announcements.
Listen to “Survive” anywhere you stream music.
