If you were devastatingly heartbroken or otherwise sad in early 2020, odds are you have a passing familiarity with Scottish Singer Lewis Capaldi. His 2019 single “Someone You Loved” took UK and US radio stations by storm, quickly followed by the 2020 single “Before You Go.” These two songs cemented his place in the deeply depressing break-up track zeitgeist. Since then, Capaldi has released two full length albums, “Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent” (2019) and “Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent” (2023). Aside from an extended edition and a very public friendship with former One Direction member Niall Horan, that has been all from Capaldi. Due to issues with his mental and physical health, Capaldi took a step back in mid-2023. He was on a complete and indefinite hiatus.

In “Survive” (2025), Lewis Capaldi comes back from the dead. “Survive” is Capaldi’s introduction back into the world of music. He delves into where he’s been, how he’s been feeling and where he’s at right now. With four tracks under 15 minutes, “Survive” packs a lot into a little. 

The lead single, title track and opener to the EP “Survive,” is a warm reintroduction. Released in June 2025 ahead of the EP’s November release, with no marketing from Capaldi, it serves as a sort of greeting. In “Survive,” Capaldi sings about coming back and pledging to keep going, even though his life may not. He’s “still got something to give” and won’t be leaving music permanently. “Survive” is a remarkably bright song in contrast to the rest of Capaldi’s body of work. It retains the desperation that Capaldi is good at conveying, but it is not soul-crushing. It shows a new range for him. The desperation here is more of a desire to pursue his musical passions, which is incredibly heartwarming. The EP starts out with a story of triumph, though imperfect, there is joy.

Following a raw introduction is “Something In The Heavens,” the second single, which was released in September. Put simply, “Something In The Heavens” is a song about grief. In any good existential piece, there should be some reference to the afterlife. I’m a particular fan of this one as it is so hopeful. Capaldi sings of hoping to reunite with someone, somewhere, someway, somehow, but in the meantime, his love will persist. Death is not what matters here, it is the love that remains. It is a beautiful message about moving through grief that shines in an otherwise understated song. 

Vocally this track is interesting as it almost entirely lacks the signature Capaldi rougher belts, opting instead for high notes. It’s an exercise in Capaldi’s abilities as he hits some of the highest notes in his career, not to showboat, but to provide a level of serenity. His falsetto blends into a gorgeous string and piano backing track, up until the end, where hints of more raw vocals peak through. There is peace here; no desperation, just plain hope.

The third single and third track on the EP, “Almost,” is a personal favorite, and markedly similar to his older music. Despite having Capaldi’s classic, rougher belting style and grandiose instrumental swells in the chorus, it is almost comedic. Capaldi is “almost” over a lot of things. He sings, “I swear to God I’m almost alright. I only think about you all the time” and “I promise I’ve completely let you go, almost,” which are very clearly not the words of someone who is okay. He lies to himself in an effort to get over someone, and he is aware of it. In the second verse he admits he knows he’s lying saying, “evеry word except the truth…” But that is just part of the process. “Almost” is the universal experience of lying to yourself about being over someone but still making that effort, all the time. It is a perfect song about the imperfect process of getting over someone. 

The EP closes on “The Day That I Die,” which is about exactly what you’d think. It is the darker reflection to the title track, “Survive,” ending the album on a depressing, but contemplative, note. During the two year hiatus and the period leading up to it, Capaldi was going through dark times. He described this song as a “suicide note,” for if he were to have succumbed to those thoughts then. What would he have wanted to leave behind for his loved ones? It is a succinct ending to the EP. “The Day That I Die” details the starting point for “Survive,” reflects the honest imperfection in “Almost” and echoes the ideas of grief from “Something In The Heavens” with the lyrics, “I will love you just the same from somewhere different.” It is dark, but it is an earnest expression of emotion in the past. Sincerity alongside orchestral instrumentation is what Capaldi has always promised to deliver, and he does so from the top to the bottom of this album.

“Survive” is fairly typical of Capaldi. It isn’t shockingly new, but it doesn’t need to be. The EP works backwards from acceptance of life to the anxiety ridden, grief-filled state that requires time and work to get through. After two years of almost complete radio silence, a short but honest and bittersweet reintroduction is wonderful. It is more of what Capaldi is good at, raw vocals and raw emotion, all backed up with extravagant production. For fans who have been waiting for a return, you will be happy, and perhaps a little bit sad—this is a Lewis Capaldi piece after all.