Lewis Capaldi has celebrated reaching the number one spot in the US charts by painting his face with the American flag.
The Scottish singer, 23, was revealed to have topped Billboard’s singles with his hit song Someone You Loved, which had spent six months in the chart, on Monday night.
Over the last few weeks, Capaldi – whose distant relative, actor Peter Capaldi, starred in the music video for the song – has been campaigning to get himself to number one with a variety of stunts.
These have included dressing up as the patriotic figure Uncle Sam and wearing a US flag onesie, before dubbing himself “America’s Sweetheart” and selling merchandise with the same phrase.
After his chart success was announced, Capaldi celebrated covering his face with paint and spraying a bottle of champagne.
He wrote on Twitter and Instagram, “SOMEONE YOU LOVED IS THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN THE USA. America’s Sweetheart,” adding crying face, heart and US flag emojis.
Capaldi is the first Scot to have a solo US number one since Sheena Easton’s Morning Train (Nine To Five) reached the top spot in 1981.
Other Scottish musicians to top the US single charts include Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart and Calvin Harris – however all of them did so as part of a group, or as a featured artist.
He told Billboard Magazine: “I feel like America’s sweetheart, at least for a moment. I feel like I’m the sweetest heart in all of the U.S. of A.
Lewis Capaldi – In pictures
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Lewis Capaldi with Elton John
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British singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi poses on the red carpet on arrival for the Brit Awards 2019
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Lewis Capaldi performs on the Main Stage during the TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green, Scotland
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Lewis Capaldi takes to the Main Stage wearing a Chewbacca during the TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green, Scotland
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Lewis Capaldi performs on the Other Stage during day four of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton
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British singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi poses on the red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards 2019
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Lewis Capaldi performing at the 3D festival at Slessor Gardens in Dundee, a celebration of design, music and performance to mark the opening of V&;A Dundee
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Musician Lewis Capaldi attends “Spotify’s Best New Artist Party” at Skylight Clarkson on January 25, 2018 in New York
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Lewis Capaldi
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Lewis Capaldi with Elton John
@lewiscapaldi
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British singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi poses on the red carpet on arrival for the Brit Awards 2019
AFP/Getty Images
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Lewis Capaldi performs on the Main Stage during the TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green, Scotland
PA
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Lewis Capaldi takes to the Main Stage wearing a Chewbacca during the TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green, Scotland
PA
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Lewis Capaldi performs on the Other Stage during day four of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton
Getty Images
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British singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi poses on the red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards 2019
AFP/Getty Images
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Lewis Capaldi performing at the 3D festival at Slessor Gardens in Dundee, a celebration of design, music and performance to mark the opening of V&;A Dundee
PA
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Musician Lewis Capaldi attends “Spotify’s Best New Artist Party” at Skylight Clarkson on January 25, 2018 in New York
Getty Images
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Lewis Capaldi
“I feel like I’m a wrestler, and I’m just walking out [to the ring] and there’s an American flag, and I’m saying, ‘U.S.A! U.S.A.!’ That’s what I feel like, a wrestler.”
He added: “I have no clue why this piano ballad has done what it’s done. I never thought we were writing a big song here. I just wrote a song and, thankfully, people seemed to like it.”
It’s been a bumper year for Capaldi, who released his debut album in May.
Next month, he’ll head off on a 10-date UK tour.
