Lewis Capaldi, the Scottish singer-songwriter known for his raw vocals and candid humor, has never shied away from speaking his mind. In a recent appearance on Roberto Mtz’s Creativo interview series, Capaldi offered a rare, honest look into the realities of being a male pop star—and how those realities differ starkly from what his female peers face. His comments come at a time when the UK live music industry is experiencing a record-breaking surge, fueled in large part by the electrifying performances of female artists like Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and Olivia Rodrigo.
On September 3, 2025, Capaldi reflected on the double standards that persist in the pop world. "You always see people saying that women put [more effort in]. And I get it. It’s true," Capaldi admitted during the interview, as reported by HuffPost UK. He went on to praise the meticulous energy female artists bring to their performances, highlighting how their shows are often carefully choreographed and visually stunning—while many male pop stars, himself included, opt for a much more stripped-back approach. "A lot of guys get up there – myself included – and just sing, and show up in a t-shirt and jeans. That is a very valid criticism, I think, that gets levelled towards male pop stars."
Capaldi’s remarks weren’t just self-deprecating; they spoke to an industry-wide phenomenon. He singled out male performers like Harry Styles, Benson Boone, and Conan Gray as notable exceptions—artists who do bring a high level of artistry and showmanship to the stage. But for the most part, he argued, expectations are simply higher for women. "It’s weird that sometimes there’s more expected of [women], in the pop sphere or whatever. Like, a woman wouldn’t get away with just getting up and singing a song in a t-shirt and jeans and not caring. I feel like, for some reason, it’s not fair. There’s a higher bar for female artists. I feel like they get picked apart, maybe, a bit more than male artists when it comes to stuff like that."
When pressed on whether his minimalist approach to performance was a sign of confidence, Capaldi laughed it off. "I see it as laziness on my part, for sure. I see it as complete and utter laziness." He confessed that music videos and photo shoots don’t excite him much these days: "The only thing I like in music is getting up and singing. Music videos don’t excite me at all, photo-shoots don’t excite me at all. Live performances I just like to sing the songs and stuff. Maybe it should be something that I pay more attention to and I put more effort into, but yeah." Capaldi concluded, "I’m in this phase at the minute, in life, where I only want to do stuff that feels good. And music videos, at the moment, don’t feel good, or big, elaborate live performances. I always try to – especially with the arena shows we do – I want it to be a cool creative, but I guess yeah it’s something I need to be more [aware] of."
Capaldi’s candidness arrives as the UK’s live music sector celebrates a banner year. According to new figures released by the industry body Live, total consumer spending on live music reached a staggering £6.7 billion in 2024—a 9.5% increase from the previous year and a new all-time record for the industry. This surge is especially remarkable given the challenges faced during the Covid pandemic, which shuttered venues and left the future of live entertainment uncertain. Now, with demand roaring back among Generation Z and millennial fans, the sector’s economic output—measured across 55,000 gigs, concerts, and festivals—has soared well above pre-pandemic levels.
What’s behind this explosive growth? The answer, in large part, is the magnetic draw of major artists—particularly women. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, which swept through London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh, was singled out as a massive driver of economic activity, with some estimates placing its total contribution to the UK economy at a jaw-dropping £1 billion. British stars like Charli XCX, Sam Fender, and Dua Lipa also played pivotal roles, attracting millions of fans to their concerts throughout 2024.
The numbers tell a compelling story: concerts accounted for three quarters of all live music spending in 2024, with income from these events jumping by 12.2% year-on-year. In contrast, spending on music festivals grew by just 1.9%, a slower pace that reflects the sector’s struggles with inflation, rising costs, and changing consumer habits. As Live’s chief executive Jon Collins put it, "While UK live music continued the post-lockdown trend of strong performance for the biggest names at the biggest venues, pressure built across our grassroots as venues closed, tours were cancelled or cut back and festivals called time."
Indeed, the report from Live highlights a "grassroots crisis" gripping the industry. Seventy-eight music festivals were canceled in 2024 alone, as organizers faced mounting business costs and little room to increase ticket prices. The relentless rise in labor and energy costs has forced venues to hike ticket prices, making it harder for some fans to attend multi-day events. As a result, more consumers are opting for single-day concerts featuring marquee artists, rather than splurging on festivals that stretch over several days—a trend that’s been amplified by the ongoing squeeze on household incomes.
It’s a paradoxical moment for live music in the UK. On one hand, the sector is thriving at the top, with megastars like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa commanding huge audiences and driving economic gains. On the other, the foundation of the industry—its smaller venues, local promoters, and independent festivals—is under significant strain. The success of the biggest acts, many of whom are women delivering high-impact, meticulously crafted performances, underscores the very double standard Capaldi described in his interview. Female artists are expected to deliver not just musically, but visually and theatrically, with every detail scrutinized by both critics and fans. Meanwhile, male artists, Capaldi included, are often afforded the luxury of simplicity—sometimes to the point of being able to admit, as he did, that it’s just "laziness."
Still, Capaldi’s honesty and the industry’s current boom both point toward a broader conversation about what audiences value in live music—and what the future might hold. As economic pressures persist and the appetite for unforgettable live experiences grows, the standards for performance, creativity, and showmanship will likely continue to evolve. Whether that leads to more equitable expectations for all artists remains to be seen, but for now, the UK’s live music scene is alive and kicking, shaped in no small part by the extraordinary efforts of its female stars—and the candid reflections of voices like Lewis Capaldi.
Amid record-breaking spending and shifting expectations, the UK’s music industry finds itself at a crossroads, balancing dazzling headline acts with the urgent need to protect its grassroots. The conversation Capaldi has sparked—about fairness, effort, and what it means to put on a show—feels more relevant than ever.
