Lewis Capaldi says you don’t have to be “stick-thin or built like a brick shithouse” to be successful

Lewis Capaldi has spoken out about body positivity in music saying you don’t have to be “stick-thin or built like a fucking brick shithouse” to be successful.

He argued that it was important that artists like himself and Lizzo don’t have to conform to a certain body type.

Capaldi said: “I exist as I am. People feel an affinity with the way I look. Don’t get me wrong, I am a bit heavier than I would like to be right now. But I have no desire to be chiselled. To have a six-pack. That sounds boring and time-consuming to me. And I think it’s important that there are people like me and Lizzo – who’s great – to show people you don’t have to be stick-thin or built like a fucking brick shithouse to be successful.”

He added: “But it is weird when you walk around some of these [A-list] parties, and you do think, ‘I’m a bit of an odd one out here.’ I’ve had some criticism on Twitter recently for the clothes I wear to things. I just stick with trainers, jeans, T-shirt. It’s an enduring look! But also: who gives a fuck what I’m wearing?!”

Lizzo has also previously been outspoken about body shaming comments about her appearance, saying the “discourse around bodies is officially tired”.

She added: “Are we ok? Do you see the delusion? Do we realise that artists are not here to fit into your beauty standards? Artists are here to make art. And this body is art. And I’m going to do whatever I want with this body.

“I wish that comments costed y’all money, so we could see how much time we are fucking wasting on the wrong thing,” Lizzo continued. “Can we leave that shit back there please?”

Elsewhere, Capaldi in the same interview with The Independent, also said how his Netflix How I’m Feeling documentary made him realise Tourette’s and anxiety were having a huge impact on his life.

The Scottish singer revealed back in September 2022 that he had been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. At the time Capaldi said he wanted to make it public “because I didn’t want people to think I was taking cocaine or something”.

Meanwhile, Capaldi’s new album ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’ is due out on May 19 via EMI.