Lewis Capaldi - The Needless Struggle of a Successful Music Artist

You're not alone if you’re a songwriter who struggles with doubt in yourself or your craft.

Many songwriters struggle, wondering if their lyrics are good enough.

But here’s the thing— you are a writer, just like any other writer (whether that's books, screenplays, or songs). And no great author creates alone. They have an editor who helps them, offering guidance and feedback to make their writing stronger and to help them level up their craft and become a better writer in the process.

Songwriters and lyricists can have that support, too. You don’t have to face the pressure alone.

But, as people say, "With great power comes great responsibility." After breaking records with his first album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, he had a big challenge ahead—making a second album that was just as good.

The documentary shows how tough it was for him. Capaldi struggled with mental health and had a hard time writing new songs. The music business put a lot of pressure on him.

He had already sold millions of copies of his first album, but people expected even more from him. It was a heavy weight to carry. He had two choices: give up or try again to make another great album.

Spoiler alert: he chose to keep going. But it was really hard.

Capaldi wrote more than 50 songs for his next album, but his manager didn’t think any of them were good enough. Imagine how tough that must have felt.

And again, if you are a writer and you don't have an editor by your said, of course you think that it's not just your art that is not good enough, but you start telling yourself that you are not good enough.

And you might not be ... yet.

But again, wouldn't it have been way easier if he had an editor by his side, who worked with him on his song lyrics, and then he could have gone confidently to his manager and said: 'Those songs are great, because of X, Y, and Z.'

He could make an argument because he would know the craft behind what makes a great song. And he would know that his songs had in them!

But we know he is! We’ve all heard his amazing songs.

But when you’re under huge pressure to write not just any album, but one with another big hit, things get really tough.

He’d been writing songs since he was young. Hits like "Bruises" and "Someone You Loved" came to him without any pressure. But now, with fame, everything changed.

But then, the clock was ticking for a new album. He faced a huge challenge: writing the lyrics, building the melody, creating the production, and constantly wondering—should the music or words come first?

Capaldi felt lost and didn’t know where to start. He decided to work on the music first, but the pressure to write powerful lyrics was overwhelming. He kept thinking, I have to write these lyrics. I have to make people feel something. But I can’t do it. I just can’t.

Imagine you’re in a place where you’d be thrilled with just a small part of Capaldi’s success. Even if you’re not aiming for fame, there will come a time when you’ll feel pressure to write something truly great.

If you, like Capaldi, want to write songs that touch people deeply, you need to understand the process. You have to know what it takes to create a song that can reach people’s hearts and bring them to tears.

It’s not just about writing song after song, hoping you’ll get better over time. Writing a lot without real guidance won’t make you a better songwriter. You need to practice with purpose and get feedback so you know exactly how to improve.

The best way to write songs that connect and mean something is to tell a story with your song.

Lewis Capaldi had a tough time writing lyrics. He didn’t have a steady way to start. He wasn’t sure how to take his deep emotions and put them into words that people could understand.

But he knew it was possible—he’d done it before. Capaldi had been writing songs since he was 11, and by the time he was 22, he’d released his first album. Those 12 amazing songs were the result of years of work.

However, when it was time to write his second album, he didn’t have 11 years to perfect each song. He couldn’t test them out in small pubs like he used to. He had a tight schedule, and without regular feedback from an audience, the pressure felt huge.

Everyone was watching, waiting to see what he would come up with next.

The pressure grew, and his anxiety became overwhelming. He even had to take a break for his mental health. Capaldi wanted to meet expectations, but it felt impossible. At the same time, he didn’t want to give up—too many people counted on him.

Lyric writing doesn’t have to be a mystery or something you figure out all on your own. Think of it as a skill you can learn, improve, and build on with the right support.

Yes, it’s important to understand song structure, rhyme, melody, and rhythm. But here’s the truth—nobody listens to a song just for its perfect rhyme scheme.

So, what really matters in lyric writing?

The art of lyric writing is all about sharing your story in a way that connects with others. It’s about the content, the message, and the story you’re telling.

Imagine having someone who helps you turn those thoughts and feelings into lyrics that mean something to others, who guides you in building skills so you can make the most of every line.

That’s where feedback comes in—it’s how you learn to craft powerful lyrics, one step at a time.

Songwriting is about connecting human to human, sharing something meaningful.

Life is full of moments that others understand and feel too. Songs that make people cry or sing along are created by capturing these patterns in a way that feels real and relatable.

Emotional songwriting is storytelling. That’s why the best lyrics tell a story—they let people feel and understand what the songwriter feels.

When you focus on the story in your lyrics, you unleash your true potential as a songwriter. And with the right support and feedback, you don’t have to struggle alone. You can build a path to better songwriting, with each song showing growth and meaning.

Narrative songwriting isn’t always about telling a big, complex story. It could be as simple as describing a single moment, like a scene from a movie, or giving a snapshot of someone’s journey.

Listeners usually don’t connect to songs that are perfect and happy all the way through. Real life is full of ups and downs, and people want to feel that when they listen to a song.

With the right structure and feedback, you’ll learn how to bring those real, relatable moments into your lyrics. This process of improvement can make a huge difference, as you’ll always know what to work on to create that engaging inner dialogue.

If your goal is to write a song that reaches people—whether it’s a hit or a deeply personal piece—then the story you tell in your lyrics matters. This is the heart of narrative songwriting, and it’s something you can learn and grow in.

With feedback and support, you’ll start to build the skills you need to write songs that really mean something.

So if you want to write powerful lyrics, the path forward is simple: learn the art of narrative songwriting, get feedback on your work, and keep improving.