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Louis amused by the fans’ suffering in Taormina, Italy - 1/9

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Louis Tomlinson on 'sonically ambitious' new album Faith In The Future and a new-found 'creative freedom' as he releases lead single Bigger Than Me

As he readies the release of second solo album Faith In The Future and its lead single Bigger Than Me, Louis Tomlinson talks us through his most 'authentic' work to date. Waiting for the host to let us into a Zoom interview with Louis Tomlinson, we're extremely conscious you're about to speak to one of the world's most accomplished musicians. It's quite nerve-racking, really. Even having interviewed Louis many times across his career, from the early One Direction days, we can't help but wonder if the fame's somehow changed him. We needn't have worried. At 30 years old, Louis has achieved feats few would deem possible. Seen corners of the world many will never visit. Experienced pandemonium only The Beatles or the Spice Girls could ever truly comprehend. But, while it'd be all too easy for him to sit back, consider his ambitions fulfilled and live off some sizeable royalties, Louis is looking ahead. On November 11, Louis will release his second solo studio album Faith In The Future. The follow-up to his 2020 debut Walls, it sees him collaborate with such unlikely influences as Australian trio DMA's, Courteeners' bassist Joe Cross and Hurts' Theo Hutchcraft. As he readies the release of lead single Bigger Than Me, we speak to Louis about his most 'sonically ambitious' work yet, and why he's 'immensely proud' of his new-found artistic 'freedom.' We firstly congratulate Louis on becoming a first-time uncle to sister Lottie Tomlinson's baby son Lucky ("I'm dead excited," he beams) and his mammoth world tour; a series of shows that've seen him play 80 shows to over 500,000 fans across five continents. "I’ve been so lucky with this whole tour," he says. "I spent two years over lockdown being excited for these moments. I wasn’t even prepared for how I feel in this moment, right now. I feel so fulfilled with everything that’s happened this year. "I’ve been so, so blessed. I mean this – everywhere I f**king go the crowd bring the energy. I feel incredibly lucky, and it’s taken quite a bit of work to get here. Looking back and reflecting, I’m really proud to be here and of the year I’ve had." We tell Louis we were blown away by his performance at London's OVO Arena Wembley earlier this year. "Even in the sling?" he laughs. "There’s such a raucous energy out in the crowd, so it really warrants that feeling back from me." On the topic of resuming his tour post-COVID lockdown, we question how Louis mentally coped with such a drastic lifestyle change; from 100mph living throughout 1D and his solo career to a complete standstill. How did he navigate such a shift? "I’ve had most days filled for the last ten years," he acknowledges. "What I liked about that period? My life, by definition, comes with a lot of pressure in this job. I felt like the world had gone on pause. That was the first time I’d really had a moment where I didn’t have to worry what was to come. I felt a lot of freedom in that. I feel like it gave me room to declutter my brain and, hopefully, I got a better album out of that. "I knew, in that time, I needed to make a record, but it just felt like I could take my foot off the gas a little bit. I really needed that. It revitalised me. It also made me dead excited about what’s to come. "We live in a world now where we get everything we want quite quickly, and I think the fans would agree it was nice to wait for those moments. It meant that, when they did come around, it felt even more special." The title of Louis' second record, Faith In The Future, immediately sparks a certain hope in things to come. "I had the title before anything else," he explains. "I was 99 per cent sure I wanted to call it Faith In The Future, then lockdown happened and it just felt like an appropriate statement. "I actually tweeted it for the first time, without any context, last year. I felt this magnetism to the phrase. With that statement, I’m not saying we can predict the future or that it’ll necessarily look any brighter, but it inspires hope. Have faith in that idea and you won’t be any worse off." Taking some of the album's somewhat unlikely collaborators, from DMA's to Courteeners' Joe Cross, we ask if Louis allowed himself to be more open to experimentation on this record. "This whole album’s been a learning process for me," he says. "With the first record, there was an element of me finding my feet and working out what it is I could do. Deep down I always knew what I wanted to do, but there was definitely a time when I asked myself the question ‘can I pull this off?’" It's during moments like this it becomes apparent that superstardom hasn't actually changed Louis. Much as he was throughout The X Factor and One Direction's infancy, he remains somewhat self-critical, aware and refreshingly humble. He continues: "I felt much more freedom in this record to express myself in the way I wanted to. I didn’t put as much restraint on myself as I did on the first record. "On Walls, I was so overanalytical about every sound. Every lyric. Every moment. I went into this process with a lot more freedom and, naturally, I’ve created something that’s more true to who I am as a musician and as a music fan; what I like listening to. "All my experience from being in a band like One Direction, the experience was incredible but doesn’t feel that relevant to what I’m doing now. "The restraints, and they weren’t put in place by anyone specifically, I’m sure all the lads in the band will have felt their own version of this, you leave the band with this idea of who you are. Ironically, who I was was a member of a band. I wasn’t an individual artist. It took a bit of working out of exactly who I was. I had to work out if I was willing to be brave and say ‘it’s on my head, so be it.’ On this record, that’s what I did." Asked what might surprise listeners most with Faith In The Future, Louis explains: "The fans won’t be surprised that the guitars are the most prevalent instrument across this record. That won’t surprise my fans, but it might surprise other people. "There are a couple of more dance-leaning tunes on this record. I was so particular on the first record that I wanted to be seen in a certain light and it had to be organic and credible. Of course, those things are still vitally important to me, but I’ve given myself more freedom. "I loved DMA’s last album THE GLOW, which Stuart Price produced. That has dance elements in it but was done in a really authentic way. It doesn’t feel remotely contrived or like a f**king made-for-radio pop-dance hybrid. That was really food for thought for me throughout the process. "Those moments across this record felt brave for me, because I dipped my toe in with the Steve Aoki track. That’s a song I’m immensely proud of, but if I’m being completely honest it was me playing for radio. It was something I felt I had to do. These songs come from a different place. Yes, I’m using dance elements, but I hope it’s done in an authentic way." We tell Louis we're DMA's fans, too. "They’re amazing, aren’t they? I’ve been lucky enough to meet them a few times. Johnny [Took] came to one of my shows in Australia. They’re just really f**king lovely lads, great blokes. They’re an amazing live band. "What I did on this album, more than I did on the first, and this is meant with no discredit to professional songwriters, I tried to work less with ‘professional’ songwriters and more with artists. I found that idea so fulfilling across the record. It comes with a different intent when you work with artists. "They understand that it’s not all about commercial success and radio. In my experience, there’s much more heart and soul in the music." This leads us seamlessly into Louis' work with Hurts singer-songwriter Theo Hutchcraft. How did that come all about? "Me, Theo, Joe Cross and David Sneddon did a writing camp together, and what was great about that was that – from the off – we were all on the same page. Theo is vastly intelligent and an incredible writer. Even just being around these people, getting into their brains and taking on their different ideas; I’ve learnt so much more making on this record than I did the first. That’s purely from being around the right kind of people. "I'm a massive fan of both Hurts and The Courteeners. Even the fact they were willing to work with me, I was buzzing about that. We’ve got some really great songs out of it. "The songs with them – She Is Beauty We Are World Class, Silver Tongues and Saturdays – two of those songs are my favourites on the record. There was something amazing about that writing camp. I got there on the first day, we went to the pub together and just spoke about music. It meant that, the next day, we were already on the same page. We’d already had those conversations. The whole thing felt so easy and so free. "When you go into a studio, turn up at midday and know you’ve got to be out by 6pm, that brings with it its own pressure and actually influences what you create. What was great working with these guys, over two or three days at a house, was we had the freedom to create whatever we wanted. That freedom shows in the music." Louis' passion in this project is clear. He beams with pride as he discusses the intricacies of the record and his reasoning behind certain artistic decisions. "One song in particular, Silver Tongues, I’m immensely proud of," he tells us. "It’s one of the first times that I’ve written a song that I could definitely imagine myself listening to, had I not written it. "That track’s very much in line with what I listen to and love musically anyway. Writing that made me feel really confident that I was writing the album I wanted to write. I feel really confident in what’s to come." It's a confidence that's in no way tinged with cockiness. Louis reflects on his growth, acknowledging how far he's come as an artist and how much further he hopes to go. "I feel like I’ve come such a long way, since the start of my solo career," he explains. "Specifically with how I’m performing on stage. "One of my fans actually made a video of a show I played pre-COVID, from the end of my set when I sing Kill My Mind. They compared that show to the same song from the most recent show I did, and it was a really literal example of how far I’ve come. "That makes me feel amazing. There are times when I’m looking at myself in the mirror thinking ‘are you sure you can do this?’ But then I think ‘course you can f**king do it, man – and you do it well!’" (source: Official Charts)

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Bigger Than Me’s current iTunes charting positions worldwide - 1/9

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warnermusicsg Somebody pinch me… #BiggerThanMe, the first single from @louist91’s upcoming album is out nowwww 🥳 #FaithInTheFuture // Nov 11 📌

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I want to keep the momentum going. My solo career since the band has been a bit stop-start, some for personal reasons, some for professional reasons. Now, I’m finally feeling comfortable where I am. I just want to keep it rolling. Ideally, I’d like to try and write the next record before I go on tour next year. I want to do something similar to what I’ve done this past year.

Louis on keeping momentum going and his next album

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Louis Tomlinson releases “Bigger Than Me" as the lead single off his sophomore album, 'Faith In The Future.'

It’s all happening in the world of Louis Tomlinson. The British singer is in the final stages of his first ever global tour. Seven legs, five continents, and over 80 concerts later, he will wrap things up in Milan, Italy, in just a matter of days. Fear not. As one chapter is about to close, another one has just opened.

Tomlinson’s new song in over two years, “Bigger Than Me,” arrives today as the lead single from his upcoming sophomore album, Faith In The Future, which is slated for a November 11 release. The album aims to not only push the boundaries of Tomlinson’s sound but also to provide a collection of material that has been crafted for more live shows to come.

To discuss the whirlwind of the last two years, I meet Tomlinson on a sunny yet gray day in London on a balcony at his management office. Welcomed by a warm handshake, he is all geared up for a full day of promotion. “Do you mind if I smoke?” he asks. “Go for it!” I reply. Tomlinson picks up his red lighter, which matches the design of his Stone Island t-shirt, and is all business.

Let’s go back to 2020—a memorable time for everyone in many ways. For Tomlinson, he put out Walls, his long-awaited debut album that had been two years in the making. Released on January 31, 2020, he began touring six weeks later in Europe before the inconvenience of the pandemic put everything on pause for longer than expected. While Tomlinson was only initially able to perform the first two shows, it was a short-lived experience he remains grateful to have had. “I’m thankful for having those two shows; otherwise, lockdown would have been a lot of wondering, a lot of light thinking of what might be,” he tells EUPHORIA. “And those two shows, although there were smaller venues, they were incredible. So, at least I was going into lockdown really excited about what was to come as opposed to wondering and crossing my fingers for what I hoped they would be.”

Lockdown allowed Tomlinson to take time out of his busy schedule and enjoy life. Having been used to being on the go constantly, he admits it was a time when he didn’t have to persistently worry about the next thing. “It was the first time in my career, One Direction included, where I didn’t really feel the pressure to be working as quickly as I possibly could,” Tomlinson explains. “I wasn’t creative, especially in the first half of lockdown, but it meant that when I was ready to be creative, there wasn’t as much of a clusterfuck going on in my head. I felt like I just had the time to breathe and actually think about things properly as opposed to finishing this and starting the next thing and just rolling off.”

It didn’t take long until Tomlinson did start to get creative, though. Six months before continuing his tour, the writing process began for the second album. “I didn’t do any Zoom sessions. I know some people had some success through that,” he says. “I think some songwriters, they’re very clinical. I think it does suit a certain kind of writer.” Like many artists, Tomlinson missed being in the room with other creatives and bouncing off others’ energy. For this reason, he resisted for as long as possible so everyone could experience the magic together under one roof.

Tomlinson made most of Faith In The Future in London while completing the rest in LA. Even though the album’s name gives off major pandemic vibes, it has been stuck with him for some time, way before the Coronavirus and another record was even in the picture. “I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that it’s a title that, for some reason, spoke to me. COVID and the lockdown happened, and I thought it was kind of weird and that it felt appropriate to have this hopeful sentiment to go out there,” he says. Having the title before writing any songs helped Tomlinson create an optimistic narrative which he believes his debut album lacked. “The thing that frustrates me a little bit with Walls, even though I’m incredibly proud of it, there is a weight to it emotionally, especially with songs like ‘Two Of Us,’ etc. And that’s not really what I’m about; you know what I mean? So this was a moment with the second record to kind of break away from that and try and create these hopeful, happy, positive stories,” he continues.

The album’s lead single, “Bigger Than Me,” not only kicks off an exciting new era but also plays a big part in shaping this album. He shared that the track became his first moment of excitement in the studio. Described as a coming-of-age song, it helped boost Tomlinson’s confidence and gave him the freedom to explore further. “It’s definitely the biggest sounding song I’ve got on the record, definitely the song that stands out as being one that should be a single,” he says. “I wasn’t certain I was going to have one of these songs on this record that has a big chorus. It shows off my vocals, so I’m really proud of what we got out of it.”

After having several conversations with different songwriters, Tomlinson mentions he wants to be “more careful” and doesn’t want to be “too specific” about what the songs are about this time around. “I think part of music is people making their own opinions,” he insists. What he does share, however, is that the concept for “Bigger Than Me” came about after overanalyzing during the lockdown. “There have been a lot of times in my career where I’ve gone on stage, and 50% of the show, I’m in my own head. I’m thinking about ABC and questioning, ‘Is this right?’ And from doing even those two shows, and I do this festival called Away From Home, you get a sense of what the shows mean for people who come watch it. It’s so much more about what’s going on in my head and if I think I’ve done great or shit or whatever it is,” Tomlinson explains.

He continues, “Everything I do musically, the shows, etc., is a joint effort. I suppose it’s just trying to capture that idea, which is also why I don’t want to shed too much light on the concepts because it’s bigger than what I thought. It’s whatever everyone else wants it to be.”

Faith In The Future showcases Tomlinson’s range like never before. Opening with the pounding drums of “The Greatest,” the song was penned with the intention of being the opener for his next tour. “That was specifically written as a tour opener, not necessarily an album opener at the time,” he says. “Musically, it’s interesting. There’s probably not another song like that on the record. It starts the album with a statement of intent, which I think is important. There’s a certain ambitious level to that.”

The album immediately switches it up and dives straight into “Written All Over Your Face,” an infectious indie floor-filler that we both agree is reminiscent of the first two Arctic Monkeys albums. “I’m a big fan of that sound, big fan of that energy,” Tomlinson says. “I went into the room with these people I’ve done a few sessions with, and I said, let’s try and take this as punk as I can get away with. I suppose that’s where the Arctic Monkeys reference comes from; there are obviously punk elements within what they do.” At just two and a half minutes long, Tomlinson confesses it wasn’t a song he was trying too hard with. The aim was to create a “punchy energy,” declaring this was another song he could imagine performing live.

Still keeping future tours and live performances in mind, Tomlinson continues to compare his previous album to Faith In The Future. If there’s anything Tomlinson believes Walls fell short of sonically, it’s the number of bangers that featured on it, which is why this new record will be jam-packed with even more of them. “There’s ‘Kill My Mind,’ which I close the set with currently. That’s probably the closest I had, but I didn’t have another one like that,” Tomlinson explains. “My band did a great job on this first tour by beefing everything out and making things feel more lively. While on the record, a lot of them sound like mid-tempo. I’d say this new album maybe makes up a third or even half of that energy. That, for me, makes me proud.”

With that, one particular track that Tomlinson is most pleased with is “Silver Tongues,” a joyful and wholesome moment that honors the little intricacies of his relationship. Once completed, he boldly stated it was the first time Tomlinson had written a song that he could imagine being sung by an artist that he is really fond of. “That song was a great part of the writing process,” he says. “On this record, I tried to write with less professional songwriters and more artists, and ‘Silver Tongues’ is a good example of that. What you get with that is a different level of care and love for what you’re doing, instead of making it about money and trying to get the single.” Another reason Tomlinson credits “Silver Tongues” for being so special is its authenticity. “It’s not trying to be anything that it’s not. We were not trying to write a single, and there’s just a certain level of energy to it,” Tomlinson adds.

Faith In The Future is bursting with exciting moments. However, what might surprise fans the most is the fact that Tomlinson is delving back into the dance genre sooner than expected on “All This Time” and “She Is Beauty We Are World Class.” His first-ever single in 2016 without One Direction, “Just Hold On,” saw him team up with hit producer Steve Aoki. A global smash in its own right, Tomlinson had chosen not to revisit that sound until now. “On my first record, I was very particular about the sounds I wanted to use, and I wasn’t necessarily worried about perception, but I wanted everything to be as authentic, bandy, and guitar-driven as possible,” Tomlinson says. “I’ve still done that on this record, but I tried not to shy away from some of the more interesting modern sounds. And it was actually the DMA’s record, their last album they did with Stuart Price, which has quite a lot of dance elements to it, but they did it in a really authentic way, and it doesn’t feel like a play for radio or anything like that. It just gave me real food for thought for the album. There were lots of sounds that I would have alienated on the first record. I took a bit of that inspiration into those two songs.”

After taking on a journey through various sonics, Tomlinson closes Faith In The Future with the melodic and most tender song, “That’s The Way Love Goes.” After playing around with the tracklisting, Tomlinson claims that he “couldn’t get away from that idea,” adding that “you’ve got two options to end the album: you either end with a slap round the face or a little ballad moment.” Detailing a non-sexual love between two best friends, Tomlinson is confident that this is a song fans are going to adore. “I think it’s an interesting story, an interesting visual going through the song. With the way the album is structured, it kind of fits nicely to finish on that message. I wouldn’t have been able to do that on the first album because there weren’t enough peak moments of energy,” he says.

At age 30, Tomlinson has lived the dream and continues to do so. As a member of one of the biggest boy bands of all time, he has won countless awards, performed on the world’s most prestigious stages, sold millions of records, and achieved No. 1 hits left, right, and center. With that being said, how does Tomlinson measure his success today as a solo artist? “It’s a difficult question,” he replies. “It’s very easy to be over-analytical in my job about a million different things. If I leave the stage after a show and I feel like 90% of the people in there have had a good night, then I’ve done a fucking good job,” he continues.

When Tomlinson first came onto the scene, musicians didn’t have to think about trying to secure their songs on Spotify playlists or coming up with TikTok challenges. With those two factors now at the forefront of the music industry, Tomlinson has maintained an ongoing triumph without depending on them, which is extremely commendable and rare. Instead, he credits his loyal fanbase for all his recent victories over the past few years. “That’s where I feel incredibly blessed for the fanbase that I’ve got because in terms of that side of my job and how much support I’ve had, there’s not been a ton of it, to be fair. The reason I’ve sold my tour, it’s not thanks to Spotify, Apple Music, radio stations, or a record label. It’s just down to my fans. It’s as simple as that,” Tomlinson says.

While others may immediately think of Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Harry Styles as this year’s top touring artists, it must be said that Tomlinson has been considered an underdog and deserves all the mentions. His “Louis Tomlinson World Tour” allowed the Doncaster-born star to perform to over 500,000 fans in eight months. When he could not do in-person performances due to the pandemic, he arranged Live From London, a live-streamed concert, and broke a Guinness World Record for the biggest selling live stream from a male solo artist, shifting over 160,000 tickets. As far as Walls is concerned, it also racked up accolades, reaching the spot in four countries from two different continents, gathering over 500 million streams, and becoming the first artist in nine years on his label to reach the Top 10 in the US.

“This tour has done so much for me, man. So much for my confidence, so much for my understanding of what it is I need to do with my job,” he says. “I’ve waited for this moment for a long time, and I didn’t know what to expect. You know, when I’m comparing my touring experience, I’m comparing it to the pinnacle in pop, the One Direction days. After 90,000 capacity stadium shows, it was a really hard thing to work out what the shows were going to look like.”

Tomlinson continues, “I know every artist says this, but there’s such a powerful connection between me and my fans. That’s what I felt collectively throughout these shows. There is this kind of co-dependency, and I really thrive off them. When I’m having a good show, I can feel their energy, and their levels go up as well. It’s taught me a lot this tour, and it’s probably been the best year of my life, professionally.”

Now Tomlinson’s career is back in full swing, and he’s ready to keep things moving. Fans will be more than happy to know that another tour is fairly imminent. After a crazy year back on the road, he is eager to get back out there and perform all the new material that he has been imagining will go down a treat with audiences. “I want to keep the momentum going. My solo career since the band has been a bit stop-start, some for personal reasons, some for professional reasons. Now, I’m finally feeling comfortable where I am. I just want to keep it rolling,” he says. That’s not all, however. Tomlinson also wants to start working on album No. 3 sooner than expected. “Ideally, I’d like to try and write the next record before I go on tour next year. I want to do something similar to what I’ve done this past year,” he adds.

With Faith In The Future, Tomlinson has already made it clear that he wants listeners to take the album into their own hands and come up with their own thoughts. But, if there was to be one thing he wants them to take away from the songs, it’s that they get a sense of hope. “As long as they get a feeling for that, and maybe if there are times when they need to hear those messages, I hope it makes them feel good,” he says. “I think one thing that makes me proud and that I hope will also make them proud is that I’ve just followed my heart loads more on this record. Through my experience with my fans, when I’m doing what I love, that’s when I really grab their attention, and that shit’s infectious, man. We feed off each other like that.”

Tomlinson concludes, “I hope that they listen to the record and think, ‘This is what Louis should be doing.’”

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