Lewis Capaldi's Fans Are Worried He Will Stop Making Music Due to Tourette Syndrome
Updated June 27 2023, 12:03 p.m. ET
Ever since his music began catching steam with fans in 2017, Lewis Capaldi has been on a meteoric rise to the top of the industry. The Scottish singer-songwriter already has some seriously impressive hits under his belt such as "Someone You Loved," a song that has since garnered him multiple award nominations, wins, and international recognition.
Despite all of the remarkable aspects of Lewis's climb to music prominence, the artist has faced some issues that have raised questions about how long he'll remain performing. With that being said, is Lewis quitting music? Let's unpack what we know about the situation so far.
Is Lewis Capaldi quitting music?
Lewis's last few years in music may have been marked by commercial success, but the artist is apparently working through the tougher aspects of his Tourette syndrome diagnosis — and he claims the symptoms are heightened while performing.
He admitted to The Times of London in April 2023 that if his condition progresses further, he may quit music entirely.
"If it gets to a point where I’m doing irreparable damage to myself, I’ll quit," he told the publication. "I hate hyperbole, but it is a very real possibility that I will have to pack music in."
A viral video of the Scottish singer experiencing tics while performing on stage on Feb. 23, 2023, brought questions from fans regarding his health status and how the syndrome would affect his ability to play going forward.
Per the CDC, Tourette syndrome "causes people to have 'tics.' Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from doing these things." There is no cure for Tourette syndrome.
Unfortunately for Lewis, he appears to mainly deal with the side effects of the syndrome while he's performing.
"It’s only making music that does this to me," the star explained in his Times interview. "Otherwise I can be fine for months at a time. So it’s a weird situation. Right now, the trade-off is worth it."
Lewis added that his tics were getting "quite bad" on stage.
"I’m trying to get on top of that. If I can’t, I’m f---ed," he said. "It’s easier when I play guitar, but I hate playing guitar. I know, I’m a walking contradiction."
Fast-forward to early June 2023, and Lewis canceled all gigs ahead of his Glastonbury Festival performance, citing the need to "rest and recover" amid struggles with both his physical and mental health.
When he took the stage at Glastonbury later that month, he appeared to exhibit symptoms of his condition during his set, including struggling with his voice. When Lewis was unable to make his way through his popular song "Someone You Loved," fans rallied together to sing along and helped Lewis finish the set.
Following his performance, fans took to social media to flood Lewis with support and love.
Then, on June 27, 2023, he took to social media to announce a hiatus from touring "for the foreseeable future."
Lewis explained that he is "still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's" and will use this time to focus on "getting my mental and physical health in order."
There has been a wave of support for the musician and his decision as fans remain hopeful that he will return after some much-needed rest. Lewis signed off his tweet with "I'll be back as soon as I possibly can. All my love, always, Lewis x."