#12.11.2025

[prosy-days]

November 12, 2025 - Day 146

Wove in ends while chatting during book club.

[septentrrional]

Silence is Violence @ Expirat, Bucharest, Romania

12th November 2025

[myfirstmeal]

[ssfoc]

Louis Tomlinson at the Milan Listening Party [13.11.2025] via radio105 IG story

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Louis Tomlinson at the Milan Listening Party [13.11.2025] via radio105 IG story

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Louis Tomlinson on the cover of Apple Music’s New Music Daily. Palaces is included.

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Louis Tomlinson via Twitter [13.11.2025]

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Link to El Mundo article [Google translate]

Louis Tomlinson (Doncaster, 1991) knows what it's like to touch the sky and fall starry. After a hard year marked by the death of his friend and former One Direction partner, Liam Payne, and a recording silence that seemed endless, the British returns on January 23 with How Did I Get Here. An album marked by maturity, honesty and a sound more consistent with its artistic identity. He will present it live in Madrid and Barcelona in April 2026.

Gone are the days of hysteria as a teenage boy and the hesitant first solo steps with Walls (2020) and Faith in the Future (2022). On his fleeting visit to Spain, the singer receives EL MUNDO to talk about his new work, the inevitable comparisons and the art of moving forward without getting lost along the way.

You come from a complicated year, and three without releasing music. How was it to prepare this new album with so many emotional ups and downs in between?

They say that writing is always therapeutic, but when you are so emotionally moved, it is not always easy. Even so, I think you have to be in that state to write a good album: live intensely both the good and the bad. In the past I have found a lot of inspiration in moments like this. I wanted to do it, to vent, bare my soul and take it all out.

At the beginning of your solo career you collaborated with artists of other genres, such as Steve Aoki and Bebe Rexha... Do you plan to do something similar soon?

Not for now. I am open to ideas, but at the moment there are no collaborations. I stopped doing it because I wanted to prove who I was as an artist by myself, without relying on others. Now the idea of collaborating attracts me more again, but it would have to be something that really fits.

In a recent interview you talked about the contrast between the One Direction era and solo tours. Do you still find it difficult to go on stage without them?

Yes, of course. There are moments of "fall or run away", in which you have to decide whether you are going to be brave or not. But the good part of the live is that the audience is already there, so even if you feel nervous, you have to get on and do it anyway. It's intimidating, but the connection with my fans is liberating to me. They don't see me as a superhero, they know I'm human, and that gives me a lot of peace of mind. There are artists who if they fall on stage would live it as a tragedy. I laugh, and so do my fans. There is a very playful energy between us.

Is there an obsession with selling out in big stadiums? Do you think it's false modesty when artists talk about it being better to make an intimate bolo?

It's a mixture. When people say they prefer small concerts, they usually refer to very, very small ones. But yes, you have to have that internal conversation with yourself to become aware. I have played in places far from where I grew up, and I have not filled the capacity, and of course sometimes that frustrates. But then you put it in perspective: I come from Doncaster, a small town, and the simple fact of playing thousands of kilometers away is crazy. The reality is that this industry is incredibly competitive: if you fill stadiums, you announce it to everyone. But for me it's not so much a matter of ego, but of energy. The more people, the more intense the atmosphere. Even so, you have to learn to relativize everything.

It's been 10 years since the band's separation, which was initially announced as an indefinite break. How do you keep comparisons with your colleagues regarding the success of your respective careers?

More than the fans, those who encourage those comparisons are the media. I understand, I would do it too, it's normal. But I don't feel in competition with them. I wish them all the success in the world. Competing would mean wishing they were worse off than me, and I hate that idea.

Your docuseries project with Zayn Malik for Netflix was recently announced. How has it been to work with him again?

I try to keep the matter a secret for now. But let's say that it has been a very... interesting experience that has made me reflect a lot on the past.

Bruce Springsteen's biopic has just been released, the Beatles and Michael Jackson's are underway... What do you think of the phenomenon, do you see yourself approving someone about the band or about you in 20 years?

Yes, of course, as long as it was told in an authentic and not sensationalist way. Although I think the story of One Direction does not need to be exaggerated, it was already quite crazy in itself. I love biopics when they are well done. I thought Elvis's was incredible. I think the beautiful thing about those movies is to see the beginnings of artists who start from normality, see them stumble or learn. It's inspiring.

Apart from music, have you been offered a role in film or television?

When I left the band, yes, I received a lot of offers, but I haven't for years. When I was a child I liked to act, but now I'm very focused on showing who I am as an artist. And interpreting is just the opposite: pretending to be someone else. Maybe in the future, I don't rule it out... Although I think I already have too much memory like a fish to learn scripts.

You left Factor X, a program to which you returned years later as a jury. Do you still rely on talent contests as a springboard for young artists, or do they pigeonholes too much?

Yes, although they have things to improve. Especially in how the contestants are treated after the program. But without a program like that, I wouldn't be here. I grew up in a city without musical opportunities, where there were no important references or record labels. Those types of programs give you the possibility to dream, and that is very valuable. The important thing is that they are in good hands and adapt to the times to come.

Artists live under constant scrutiny and you have a rather peculiar mood... aren't you worried about being canceled?

Not much. I usually say what I think and I don't usually bother people too much, at least that I know. It's what it is today, but it doesn't take away my sleep.

How do you get along with social media?

Love-hate relationship, totally. They are exhausting and I think we should all spend less time on them, but I also have to thank them very much. Well used, they can be wonderful. One Direction exploded just when Twitter started to be relevant and that allowed us to connect with fans from all over the world. Although sometimes I am overwhelmed by the constant need to be present. I resisted as much as I could to open a TikTok account, but in the end you have to do it: all artists use it. It frustrates me, but it also helps a lot with things like the release of the album. So yes, love-hate.

And with artificial intelligence? Many composers are experimenting in their musical production...

I'm very interested, especially on a creative level. It can help develop ideas or serve as a mirror to try things. But in music... it's complicated. I look for authenticity in what I hear, and that goes against AI. I love the organic elements of the songs, and thinking about a music world completely produced by machines scares me a little. Although, deep down, it will only make the authentic sound even more special.

Do you think there is still an open door to a One Direction meeting, even if it's as a tribute to Liam?

I don't think it's something I have to decide, neither me nor the others. Right now, it would seem in bad taste to me, even as a tribute. Maybe in the future I will see it differently, but without us all of us, it would not make sense. Liam was the one who bet the most on the reunion, he would have loved it