Lewis Capaldi will leave the music industry if his Tourette syndrome gets worse.
“If it gets to the point where I’m going to cause irreparable harm to myself, I’ll quit,” the “Forget Me” singer told the Times of London on Saturday.
“I hate exaggeration, but there is a very real possibility that I will have to package the music,” he added.
Tourette syndrome is a disorder that causes repetitive movements or unwanted sounds called tics that cannot be easily controlled, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It is treatable, but there is no known cure.
“It’s just making music that does this to me,” said Capaldi, 26. “Otherwise I could be fine for months. So it’s a strange situation. Right now, the swap is worth it.
The Scottish singer-songwriter stated that her tics had gotten “fairly worse” while performing on stage recently.
“I’m trying to get over it. If I can’t, I’m screwed,” he said. “It’s easier when I play the guitar but I hate playing the guitar. I know, I’m a walking contradiction.”
Capaldi had a vulnerable moment with fans when he had a Tourette incident while performing in Frankfurt, Germany in February.
A TikTok video showed Capaldi stopping singing “Someone You Loved” when the discomfort began to take hold of her, but the crowd could be heard continuing to sing for her as the words of the heartbreak anthem resounded throughout the venue.
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The “Before I Go” singer was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in 2022, but shared on Instagram Live in September that she noticed her tics in interviews as early as 2018.
“The worst thing is, I understand when I’m excited, I understand when I’m stressed, I understand when I’m happy,” she said at the time. “This happens all the time.”
Sharing that he had botox done on his shoulder to reduce his tics, Capaldi told his fans, “Some days are more painful than others, some days are less painful.
“It looks a lot worse than it is. It’s pretty annoying at times… but it comes and goes.”
Premiering Wednesday, the Grammy nominee’s Netflix documentary “How I’m Feeling Now” offers an in-depth look at Capaldi’s personal and professional struggles while recording his upcoming album, “Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent.”
Capaldi told the Times that the film gives a “deeper look” at aspects of his life that he “was not even aware of”.
“I never knew I was this deeply and emotionally intelligent,” she mocked. “A sad hour. I didn’t expect my life to be this sad.”