Usually, it’s Lewis Capaldi who makes fans cry with his heartbreaking lyrics and gut-wrenching singing voice. But after eating spicy chicken wings with Sean Evans on “Hot Ones” Thursday (July 6), it was the 26-year-old pop star who left in tears.
Capaldi answered questions about songwriting, imposter syndrome and his new music on the fan-favorite First We Feast YouTube show, pushing through bites of increasingly hotter sauce while struggling to wipe his face without getting spice in his eyes. Even though he started out confident — at one point polishing off one of the first samples and dissing a past “Hot Ones” challenger, “F–k you, Ed Sheeran!” — the “Bruises” musician was quickly humbled as the Scoville levels got higher.
Even without hot sauce breaking down his defenses, Capaldi is typically blunt with his thoughts — and his interview with Evans was no exception. For instance, he said that he loves making fans cry, particularly with his new song and music video, “Wish You the Best,” which people on TikTok have started challenging one another to watch without tearing up.
“Yeah I enjoy it,” Capaldi confessed. “What’s nicest, I always wanted to be viral on TikTok, I never thought I would get there by traumatizing children but if that’s paying the bills then so be it.”
The Scottish musician — the first of his kind on “Hot Ones,” for the record — also revealed that writing music is actually sometimes a painful experience for him. His 2019 smash “Someone You Loved,” for instance, took him nearly a year to finish because of this.
“Songwriting for me, people say it’s like catharsis and all the rest, it’s a really beautiful thing but catharsis isn’t always comfortable or enjoyable,” he told Evans. “I spend most of my time hating myself when I write songs and yeah I think that’s fate, that’s my process.”
As for his advice on imposter syndrome? “If you’re out there and you feel inadequate, it’s probably because you are,” he deadpanned to the camera, eyes rimmed red with tears streaming down his face. “If you’re feeling like your girlfriend doesn’t love you and she’s going to leave you, she probably will. Life is meaningless.”
In May, Capaldi released his sophomore album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, featuring singles “Broken” and “Pointless.” The musician had been touring in support of the record, but following a performance at Glastonbury that found him struggling to get through his set due to complications with his Tourette’s Syndrome, he announced last week that all of his upcoming shows were canceled indefinitely.
Watch Lewis Capaldi take on the “Hot Ones” challenge above.
