Lewis Capaldi started off the new year with a memorable new project: his new album “Broken By Desire To be Heavenly Sent (Extended Edition)” released on Jan. 1. Considering that this is his first album released since 2019, Capaldi demonstrates his growth as an artist in this emotional pop album.
“It’s more on the sad side, which some people might not like, but I think that it’s really pretty, and the songs flow together really well,” senior Dylan Lustig said.
The first track, "Forget Me," is an upbeat song about an ex-lover who seems happier than before. The fast rhythm of the song, paired with the sadder lyrics, is a repeated technique throughout the entire album and emphasizes the duality of his feelings. "Forget Me" is a fitting opening to the album that offers a glimpse of the remaining tracks. "Wish You The Best" is the album's second track and has a slower tempo to fit the conflicting feelings towards an ex-lover. The lyrics and instrumentals paired together show a wide range of emotions, from anger to love, making it rightfully the most popular song on the album. The next track, "Pointless," is another slow-paced song about loving someone. Capaldi sings about how, without that person, everything seems pointless. The track is also one of the more popular songs on the album, no doubt due to the happier theme and Capaldi's songwriting capabilities. "Heavenly Kind of State of Mind" is an upbeat song about being in love with someone else. The track is one of my least favorite songs on the album because it is repetitive. However, the song demonstrates a different style of Capaldi's artistry. The fifth song, "Haven't You Ever Been In Love Before," is about how love hurts. As a slower-paced song, the build-up to the chorus and the bridge is phenomenal and cemented its place as one of my favorites on the album. The next song, "Love The Hell Out of You," is an acoustic song about giving love back to someone. While I like how the song sounds, the lyrics are somewhat surface-level and lack the authenticity of the other tracks. "Burning," the seventh track, starts sedate and acoustic but becomes more assertive as more instrumentals and a prominent beat surface. "Burning" offers a surreal sound and a strategic build-up that is hard to compete with. The next song, "Any Kind Of Life," is about moving on from old relationships. This song resembles Capaldi's past projects, proving that a more profound, melodic tempo fits his voice best. "The Pretender" is the artist's views about being someone others want them to be. Although this song has vulnerability and depth that some of the other tracks lack, a piece is missing from the music to set it apart from all of his other songs. "Leave Me Slowly" is one of the most unique songs from the album. It includes a short electric guitar and drum solo in the middle of the song that shows another side of Capaldi's vast style of music. Its simplicity, contrasting with little additions of complexity, makes it a strategic song to put towards the album's end. The album's next track, "How This Ends," incorporates metaphors that draw in the listener, and the lyricism makes it a perfect addition to this album.
“He uses a lot of metaphors to display his feelings and repetition to get you to feel what he’s talking about,” senior Madeline Watson said.
"How I'm Feeling Now" is a change in theme from the other tracks. While his other songs are more about love and relationships, this one is more inspiring as it focuses on life changes. This song has a more upbeat tune, and the tone shifts the album towards a more uplifting ending.
The next track, "Strangers," is the first one on the extended version about falling for a stranger. Even though the song is one of the most popular of the extended album, it has nothing too special and leaves me wondering if it was a necessary addition.
"A Cure For Minds Unwell" is the most popular extended track. The song has a happier tone and lyrics about trying to move on from mistakes. The song encapsulates the message elegantly yet entertainingly by featuring instruments fit for an orchestra.
The next song, "Someone I Could Die For," is the most underrated from the album because of the relatability of longing for someone you can't live without. This acoustic-styled song makes Capaldi's strong vocals stand out and display his wide vocal range.
"The Ancient Art Of Always F***ing Up" is about the cycle of messing up, regretting it, and repeating it. The instrumentals are very soft, displaying Capaldi's voice nuancedly.
The last track on the album, "Old Navy Blue," is the perfect ending song about learning to move on. The slower pace accompanying the lyrics highlights the song's meaning and shows Capldi's emotional range and musical capabilities.
“Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (Extended Edition)” is the perfect way to start the new year and for Lewis Capaldi to display his raw talent in this long but beautiful project.
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