Genuinely knowing what we know about headliner, the things she has said and done, knowing she is vile and that even Jungkook doesn't like her and is uncomfortable. HOW does she still have a platform? Why do people still like, share and save her photos? There are SO many fansites that are GOOD. AND THAT THE BOYS LIKE. Jungkook freaking poses for BnW basically. God I can't stand headliner, how does she keep getting tickets?!! UGH like truly, the comparison?! Anyone supporting or defending her at this point is truly someone I will never understand
Law felt an eyebrow twitch as a sliced pepperoni pizza whizzed past his ear and landed on the wall behind him with a large splat before slowly sliding down, leaving a greasy trail behind it. Another greasy mark for the wall, Law glanced at the grease-shaped pizza splat left on the wall, feeling a blood vessel about to burst, his right eye began to twitch.
“I was saving that,” a deep voice rumbled, interrupting the quietness in the bar. “Don’t you dare touch it,” the red-haired man shouted, grabbing a young boy by the red vest. The boy's cheeks were full of food. “You will pay for that.” He shook the boy aggressively.
“Oh yeah,” Luffy answered Kid, his mouth full of food, “I didn’t see your name on it,” his hand stretched, grabbing a fist full of fries, shoving them into his mouth. A few of them missed his mouth and bounced off the counter, landing near the blank piece of paper near Law.
Kid went and grabbed two slices of pizza, shoving them into his mouth, sending the greasy oil flying everywhere, marking the blank sheet of paper. Law sighed, brushing off the food crumbs that littered the sheet, glaring at the two idiots. Moving his hand from the sticky surface of the table, the frown on his face deepened. How did he get into this mess, he questioned all the life choices that led him to a small, dark bar, owned by the loser Kid, and his time wasted with the idiotic Luffy.
Kid’s bar was never clean; every area in the bar was covered in dirt, with old greasy stains on the moldy couches, almost looking like they were built in patterns. The air smelled old, mixed with the scent of metal and gasoline. All things unpleasant, much like Kid himself. He could still hear Luffy and Kid scuffling, fighting for the last slice of pizza that was now lying on the floor, covered in filth and dirt.
Oh yeah, a bet. A bet he lost.
Nami had entered Luffy into a battle of band contest with hopes of winning a grand prize of million Belis and he got roped in, wanting to increase her odds by having many different bands. He foolishly accepted the bet from the con woman, forgetting that she knew how to cheat and loved to win. She was familiar with tricks with cards. And Kid somehow got tricked into it as well, maybe the same con she pulled on Law. And Luffy was just dragged in, thinking it was a battle, and his relationship with Nami.
“Mugiwara-ya, Eustass-ya,” Law growled, calling attention to the couple of idiots. They turned to him both mouth full of food, “We need to come up with concept, for the competition,” he managed to keep his temper in check, he needs both losers to understand the importance of battle, or he would be stuck with Luffy tailing him where ever he goes if he lost, “What song will be singing,” he said taking in Luffy’s confused look.
They had long figured out what instrument they would be playing; Law would play on the base and back up vocalist, Luffy would play on the keyboard, and Kid would be the guitarist and be lead vocalist.
“There is no need to come up with a song,” Kid said banging his large hands on the table. The table cracked under the pressure. “The song is going to be about me,” he gave a smug smirk, “After all, I am the lead singer, and guitarist, and the most handsome,” he grinned, showing his side profile.
“Nuh-uh,” Luffy said swallowing his food, “It should be about the greatest thing ever.” He smiled his charming smile, “MEAT!!!”
Law could feel his eyebrow twitch clenching his jaw he stared at the two idiots before him, “We need something that will have us actually win,” he huffed, he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was struggling with the lyrics of what the song would be about. Yet his mind was blank.
He wanted to leave that woman happy so he could get away from the straw hats. He knew the woman had enough tricks her sleeve to make his life miserable. And somehow drag Kid to disrupt his peaceful life.
He shook his head, his mind trying to form a plan to wiggle himself out of this mess. But like the lyrics, nothing came to mind. His only option was to play and win.
He was grateful for the piano lessons he had taken when he was young. He had quickly picked up how to play the bass. But unfortunately, he was tasked with training Luffy on the keyboard as the young boy had no talent for singing. Or focusing.
“I think a song about meat would win,” Luffy said. “MEAT, MEAT, MEAT, MEAT, it is delicious, it is good, it tastes like meat. Meat makes you smart, meat makes you strong. MEAT, MEAT, MEAT,” Luffy sang off tune. He shoved more meat in his mouth and continued with the song, spitting chunks of meat everywhere.
Law could only wrinkle his nose. To explain the stupidity of the song would be a waist of breath. He glanced at the blank page before him now covered with grease and food particles, everything but ink. They had been sitting in Kid’s bar for hours; him doing the majority of the work. Kid spent the majority of his time showing off, while Luffy ate and goofed off.
Law’s stomach rumbled from hunger; the waitress brought another pile of food to the table. He reached for the rice ball that was placed in front of him and took a large bite. He needed to figure what to write the meaning.
Brushing his finger through his dark hair, he let out a frustrated growl, getting tired of Luffy singing (His made-up meat song and off-key) between mouthfuls of food and Kid playing the guitar, lazily. They had three weeks left till the competition, and the only thing they accomplished was the roles, and Luffy learned to play the keyboard.
“Just relax,” Kid said he strummed his guitar humming a rhythm, “We will win this battle, after all the song should be about me, and I am the greatest,”
Law rolled his eyes. A love song felt to banality, and he shuddered at the thought of singing a love song with the idiots. Or songs about parting. He frowned, trying to think of different songs he could think of. The TV blaring a soft commercial jingle, did little to help clear his thoughts. He had to finish this today; they had enough time to complete.
He tried remembering the song from his childhood, music his father would listen to when he had to work and had Law study with him. The strong smell of distinct and the sound of soft jazz playing in the background. The smooth voice of the jazz singer singing about freedom, breaking the bounds, and fighting for what they believed.
“I promise to clean the streets of all criminals, mafia members and bandits,” A muffled voice expressed his glanced up at the TV another corrupt politician stood on the podium expressing. He raised an eyebrow familiar with the man, a celestial dragon who preached love and kindness and protection, but in the end, they were all the same all had ties with the mafia.
“What is the asshole talking about?” Kid said stopping playing the guitar to stare at the man on the television. “All the politicians are the same, they have the money and power and preach about how they care but not one and help one another. They say cleaning the street, but they are no different from us.”
Law glanced at the overgrown tulip; he was surprisingly insightful for a meathead.
“Why don’t we do a song about that?” Law questioned, “Freedom, challenges, and fighting what we believe,” he said.
Luffy smiled, “I like the idea of freedom.”
Kid smirked.
---
The last few weeks were hell for Law, he spent most of his time in Kid’s sleezy bar, jotting down lyrics while arguing with the two idiots. Kid or Luffy would often write over what he had written, writing their own lyrics, making it ineligible to read. Often having Law to rewrite everything making it more legible to read.
“The song should be about me,” Kid would say jotting down random lyrics down, “after all I am the best,” he would bellow, jabbing a thumb to his chest, “and I am the lead singer,”
“And food,” Luffy would shout. And Law would ignore focusing on the lyrics and writing the correct melody.
Law hated sitting in Kid’s dirty bar, from the sticky, grimy surface on every table, to the air heavy with smoke and the bitter scent of mold. Unfortunately, Kid’s bar was the best place with good acoustics, with a small stage, and everything set up for them to practice. They would sit on the stage, half their usual table scattered with books on music. The other half with empty food bowls and beer cans.
Law had picked up books on music, practicing when he can so he can master the basics. Thankfully, he had some knowledge from his younger days when he was learning to play the piano, a skill his parents enforced. Lucky he could still read music notes and knew the basic from a beat and rhythm. The skill really helped when it came to teaching Luffy how to play keyboard, fortunately food was a great motivator to help getting the moron to learn and have the lesson stick.
Kid himself was more skilled with music than both Law and Luffy, having played guitar as a hobby. He often corrected mistakes, fine-tuning their instruments till they played perfectly and fixed the inconsistency in the notes Law had written. His voice, managing to fill the small bar, the lyrics Law had written sounded taunting and menacing.
When they weren’t arguing with one another, Law found himself enjoying himself, enjoying the music they were playing. He had enjoyed writing the lyrics, hearing what he wrote being sung. He actually enjoyed the way, the base vibrated through his chest, as he strung a melody and his fingers, skillfully strumming on the strings. The music and melody bounced around in Kid’s bar.
“I've eliminated every single one of those who mock the ambitions of others. Do what you say, make up your mind. Those who aren't prepared will soon find themselves at sea,” Kid sang the lyrics a mischievous grin on his face. He was almost screaming the words bring a different kind of emotion to the lyrics.
“Headliner,” all three screamed into the mic.
Law stood on the stage, feeling the music in his chest, watching Kid as he grabbed the mic and bellowed the song. The light outlined Kid’s shadow as he moved around the stage, strangely being more animated than Luffy.
“The sparkling stage beckons.” Law sang into his mic. Even though Kid’s bar was empty he could imagine the crowd of people gathering around him.
“The king's throne.” Kid sang.
They strummed the final part; Kid sang the final lyrics. The last of the notes hummed into the air.
The bar went silent and the lights went out.
“Not bad,” Kid panted between breaths whipping the sweat between his brows. He slung his guitar over his back and smiled at the two, “Law, your tune was a little off, next time try to keep up with me.”
Luffy could only snicker in response. Law could only glare at Kid, he was putting his base away. A base Shachi had lent him, it was a short interest of his when he wanted to play music as a hobby, that didn’t last long. He brushed his finger on the glistening on the body.
“Try not spitting on the people,” Law spat back.
Practice was done for the day covered in their own sweat, their voices strained and muscles aching they were panting trying to catch their breaths. The battle of the bands was days away and they are working the last of their bugs and getting near perfect.
Kid growled reaching for Law, Luffy snickered in the corner, ready to watch the small fight break out. Nami’s voice rang through the loudspeakers, stopping anything more from happening.
“YOU ASSHOLES BETTER NOT RUIN THE INSTUREMENTS,” she shouted she had been watching safely from the corner monitoring and making sure they were sticking with their plans.
All three assholes glanced at the small female, her gaze fierce she stood unfazed by the powerful men. She held a microphone in one hand a clipboard in the other. She was monitoring all the groups she had signed up for the battle of the bands, after all the more contest she had the better chance she had of winning the prize money, and maybe even second place.
“Any equipment you break will be coming from your pocket,” she warned there as still the hidden threat. The same threat Law and Kid shared.
Grumbling Kid went back to pack his guitar.
--
The day of battle of the band finally arrived, the air was tense with excitement and nervousness as Law sat in the back of the concert hall. The event was larger than he had originally thought; bodies were clumped together, and the smell of sweat and alcohol filled the air with masses of people gathering near the stage.
Law watched a young female band play, as people cheered them on and swayed their body to beat. He could feel the floor pounding, like a beating heart with each sound vibration. He nursed his sake a bit, watching the band finish their song before another band was called on stage and a roaring cheer ran through the concert hall.
He couldn’t help but also feel a slight surge of excitement rush through him, a small smirk on his lips hidden thanks to the glass of sake he was drinking. A bit of gift to himself for making it through the long weeks with Kid and Luffy. He ignored Nami breathing down his neck, the pent-up rage building inside of her, watching each band perform better than the last.
She had signed up three different bands, all in vain attempts to win any Beli: herself and Robin as one band, Zoro, Sanji, and Brook in another, and she managed to drag the supernova trio as well.
“Wonderful band,” the announcer shouted, “Up next the SUPERNOVA,”
Law felt eyebrow twitch and stared at Nami, “Good luck,” She smiled a threat in her voice.
Law huffed, everything was ready for them on the stage. Kid, Luffy, and Law stood on stage watching, the crowd still high from the last band, cheered loudly at the first notes that started playing.
“If we're aiming for a new world, we have no choice but to break through here.” Law sang the first words of the song.
“Adventure is out there,
Meals with friends, party along the way.
Friends by my side, I will travel the Grandline
chasing dreams and getting that crown
Becoming King of the Pirates,” Luffy sang his part. Law winced a little at the off tune off his voice but the crowed was still cheering.
“The legend of the future, yes
It begins here, A new era is being created by HEADLINERS
The balance of power is being rewritten by HEADLINERS” All three sang, together. They were hitting the last of the lyrics, covered in sweat. Law could feel the heat from the lamp burning down on them. Kid moved around the stage, cheering the crowd.
The final notes echoed through the hall only to be drowned out by the loud cheering of the crowd. Panting hard, he could feel his heart racing in his chest from excitement, or exhaustion he couldn’t tell, but he couldn’t hide the smile on his lips. The crowd cheering got louder.
“Headliner,” Law, Kid, and Luffy shouted into the mic. He could feel the sweat running down his skin, crawling down his back. “Wealth and honor,”
Kid sang his final notes.
They stood on the stage and bowed. All of them panting harder than normal covered in sweat. Taking a quick bow, they left the stage.
“Did you see that?” Kid spoke in his deep voice, ringing in Law’s ear, “They loved me.”
“They were cheering glad you stopped,” Law said.
---
Sitting in their spot, Law watched the other bands play. He would admit they were good. Brook was talented with music, and he was shocked by Sanji’s singing voice, even though it was a love song and love for a woman, and Zoro had seemed to find the stage playing the guitar. Even Nami and Robin were singing a duet was decent.
Their table was covered in food, with Luffy and Kid fighting over the food, jumping and singing had left them hungry. Scarfing down the food as quickly as it came, Law chewed on his rice ball. Everything was starting to wrap up, the final band jumped around the stage, a boy band of five pretty boys dancing in sync.
“They are charming,” Robin said sipping her tear a smile on her face.
“Yeah, but we don’t want them to win,” Nami said.
Law couldn’t agree more; he didn’t want to deal with the woman tailing him wherever he went, dragging Luffy along with.
An hour of silence, people were mingling with one another waiting for who the winner would be. The announcer walked up on stage to a large yellow envelope in his hand, and the whole room went silent, even though Law found himself eager to hear the results.
Whatever was in that small yell envelope sealed his fate.
“I want to thank everyone who joined us, and all who sang,” the announcer went on, waxing poetic about the band and following one's dream, and the prize money, all to bring suspense. “And the winners are….”
You were always in the crowd — quiet, steady, shining your light from the shadows.
But Jeonghan saw you.
Every. Single. Time.
From the very beginning, when SEVENTEEN was still grinding in tiny venues, you were there — front row, cheering like your voice alone could carry them to the stars. Jeonghan would always find you. Amid thousands of faces, his gaze drifted until it met yours. You weren’t screaming. You weren’t crying. You were just smiling — like you already believed he was someone worth the spotlight.
“Do you know how much strength that gave me?” he once said after a show, pulling you into a backstage hug that felt like a secret.
As the years passed, SEVENTEEN grew. Stadiums replaced halls. Lightsticks replaced cell phone flashes. But your smile never changed.
Jeonghan still found you in the crowd.
You didn’t want attention. You didn’t need your name in the credits. You just wanted him to shine.
But that night, at their biggest concert ever — his solo stage started differently.
Jeonghan stood alone under a single spotlight.
No music. No dancers. Just him and a mic.
He looked out into the crowd and found you.
And then he said, “This one’s for the reason I still sing.”
Gasps rippled. The members grinned knowingly from the wings. The camera panned to you — stunned, heart racing, tears threatening to fall.
And then the melody of Headliner began.
Jeonghan sang to you.
“Looking at you
My one and only treasure, I'm ready.”
As the song ended, Jeonghan walked to the edge of the stage, crouched in front of you, and whispered loud enough for the mic to catch:
“You made me who I am. Let me spend every day making you feel like the headliner.”
The crowd erupted.
You reached for his hand.
The lights didn’t just shine on him anymore — they wrapped around the both of you.
The proposal was soft. Private.
Jeonghan handed you a folded setlist from his first-ever show and said, “I want you to be the encore of my life.”
You said yes — obviously.
But then came the real problem:
SEVENTEEN wanted to plan the wedding.
Big mistake.
S.Coups insisted on being the officiant. “I led this group, I can lead you into marriage too.”
Woozi threatened to walk if they used anything but a custom-composed walk-down-the-aisle song.
Hoshi was in charge of choreography. You only asked for a simple first dance. You ended up with a flash mob and lasers.
DK and Seungkwan were on vocals — and somehow turned the wedding into a full concert setlist with encores and key changes.
Joshua kept trying to make it classy with a string quartet, but gave up when Vernon insisted the vows be written in rap form.
Mingyu was head of catering. The cake collapsed twice. He cried. You reassured him. He cried again.
Jun said he wanted a minimal role but ended up in five outfit changes and one accidental K-drama-style bouquet catch.
The8 styled you both. He was calm until he saw someone wrinkle Jeonghan’s suit, then banned them from the venue.
Dino live-streamed the whole thing, and made it trend in six countries.
And Jeonghan?
He just stood at the altar, smiling like the sun, mouthing “Worth it.” every time chaos struck.
When you finally reached him, he leaned in and whispered, “Still want the encore?”
You grinned. “Only if it’s you forever.”
Lights down. Music swells.
And somewhere in the crowd, fans held signs that read:
HEADLINER: FROM ONE DIRECTION TO INDIE POP: PRODUCER NICOLAS REBSCHER ON TACKLING IMPOSTER SYNDROME ON LOUIS TOMLINSON’S HOW DID I GET HERE?
Louis Tomlinson was a member of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, boasts the most writing credits in One Direction out of all the band members (selling over 70 million records with the group), and with the release of his third album, How Did I Get Here?, he has just secured his second UK No.1 album. So why the imposter syndrome? German producer Nicolas Rebscher, aka Tomlinson’s very own “mad professor behind the desk,” reveals how heading off to the jungle helped the 1D star confront those doubts and create his most honest record yet.
“It’s so surreal for me,” says Rebscher on securing a UK no.1 with the new album, which he wrote half of and produced in its entirety. “The UK is always seen as an incredible music market that produces amazing artists and has really shaped pop history – I always dreamed of contributing to that in some small way, but I never, ever imagined having a number one in the UK. I’ve been so heavily involved in this project, and I love it, so then actually seeing it at number one was unbelievable.”
Having already established his post-1D sound as more Britpop-esque and finding success as an indie rock artist, Tomlinson’s third album sees the singer continue to lean into that. The new record is one shaped by an artist confident enough to sit with the album’s emotional layers, blending his indie guitar influences with a brighter, more buoyant pop sound laced with synthy textures.
Tomlinson clearly pushes himself as a lyricist, songwriter, and performer in his latest body of work, while making a decidedly less gloomy record than his previous efforts, calling it a more accurate reflection of his decidedly un-gloomy personality.
“I sum it up as ‘the record I always deserved to make,” Tomlinson stated when releasing the album. “My bread and butter is my honesty. I genuinely wear my heart on my sleeve, and I hope it comes through in the music. I’m still learning and getting better as a singer and a songwriter. I find it impossible to be complacent; it’s not in my vocabulary. For the first time now, I’m allowing myself to be the artist I’d always hoped to be.”
It wasn’t Rebscher’s first rodeo with Tomlinson, who was a producer on 2022’s Faith in the Future, and who also brought his experience of working with artists like AURORA, Macklemore, Ella Henderson, and Alice Merton to the table. And by table, he means Costa Rica.
Tomlinson assembled a handful of initial ideas in the English countryside before decamping to Santa Teresa for three weeks in early 2025. Rebscher jokes that the singer-songwriter kidnapped him on a plane to get the creative gears turning for the album.
“It was a wild journey for me,” he recalls, admitting he is not a fan of small planes. “Louis always had this vision of going away somewhere warm and far away. I took a big plane to Costa Rica, but then they told me we’d need to take a smaller one if we didn’t want to spend the whole day travelling by bus or boat. It was just a 10-person plane, and I was really scared because we flew straight into massive thunderclouds and rain, and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m sending my wife my last goodbye,’” he laughs.
“He took us there, right in the middle of the jungle. We stayed in a villa that you could only reach by quad, climbing really steep hills. One night, I walked back alone from the studio through the jungle, and it was incredible; it was so mind‑opening.”
The time in paradise paid off. Ultimately, Tomlinson is unabashedly himself on How Did I Get Here?, finding the confidence to become the artist he has always wanted to be.
“It was about finding a new direction for Louis,” agrees Rebscher. “When I was first asked to do a session with him, they said they wanted to explore a new path for his sound,” he says of working on his second record – their very first session together produced his 2022 single, Out Of My System.
“At that time, I didn’t really know what kind of music Louis was making,” Rebscher admits. “He was working in that alternative rock-pop space, and I assumed we’d continue in that direction in the next sessions. But then he said he wanted to try something completely different – something that felt more contemporary pop.”
The duo used the sound they created on Faith in the Future as a starting point, but only in order to deliberately move away from it to find something new. “Louis really drove the direction of everything,” Rebscher elaborates. “How he is as a person should be in the music too.
"We discovered so many interesting sides of Louis’ character, and the album reflects him really well in that sense. We took the dreaminess, the self-awareness, the emotional side – all of those elements – and tried to piece them together to create something new.”
Thematically, the new album is lighter and more optimistic than Tomlinson’s earlier work. Rebscher explains how this shift affected his songwriting and production decisions: “It changed it completely. I mean, he took us to Costa Rica and put us in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with the best smoothies, the warm sea, and a beautiful studio overlooking the jungle and the ocean,” he points out wistfully. ‘That changes everything about how you write and make music. It’s really interesting how much an environment like that affects the process.
“And right now, it can be hard to find things that feel light and positive in the world,” he adds. “So I was really happy to go in that direction and to bring some lightness into the music. I wouldn’t say it’s simply light, though,” he corrects himself, “because the lyrics are still quite deep, and it’s been a great success. It's on the A-list on BBC Radio 1 at the moment, which has never happened to me before!”
Like George Michael, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Robbie Williams, and JADE before him, Tomlison, free from the confines and pop expectations of an established and successful group, was able to investigate what his musical identity was as a solo artist.
“He has always been evolving,” shares Rebscher. “I don’t think he would ever say, ‘This is my identity forever.’ It's always in motion. Through the first and second albums, he had already started that process, and he’s really proud of this album. I think it’s more about moments in time, because identities shift and change,” he considers.
“He always says that indie and alternative music are his bread and butter; that’s where his heart is. But he also opened himself up to a new direction, and you can hear that on the album. There are indie and alternative tracks, but there are also songs with more of a pop tempo influence.
"We tried to combine the old and new styles a little bit too, and steering away from the old style but still having his DNA in there was a big risk, because it could have gone wrong. We experimented a lot, which is why at times it leans more one way and then another. Listening to the album is a bit of a journey, which I find really interesting and fun. If everything sounded the same, why would you listen to the whole album?”
The record was recorded with a full band to capture a live feel. “We knew the album would showcase so many sides of him and different kinds of music,” says Rebscher. “He loves live gigs – the energy, the instruments, the honesty they bring to the music.
"Also, it made the album more coherent – having the same instrumentalists throughout helps everything melt together, making it more heartfelt and powerful. That was our goal: to capture his energy, because seeing him live is just a wall of power, a massive celebration, and I wanted that on the album too.”
LEMONADE
Radio-friendly Lemonade, although recorded toward the end of their studio time, was chosen as the first single from the album, capturing the spontaneity and fun of the Costa Rica sessions.
A mix of tight funkified guitars, shimmering keys, and organic percussion lead to a merry, sing-along chorus, which saw the song chosen as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record. Rebscher co-wrote the track and served as producer, sound engineer, bassist, keyboard player, guitarist, and singer on background vocals.
“We tried out loads of ideas and had plenty of songs lying around with different sounds,” Rebscher reflects. “This track really pulls all those elements together; the synth melody at the end, combined with the riff, blends Louis’ classic sound with his newer style. It felt like the perfect song to introduce his new direction while keeping the riff-driven energy he loves. In a way, it brought all the threads of the album together.”
He reveals that on the vinyl version, there’s a longer intro they couldn’t add to Spotify – “for charting reasons,” he shrugs. “You hear a ‘gong, gong, gong’ – that’s me hitting some iron scaffolding. In the background, you can hear crickets and even someone coughing. We did the same in the outro, recording the ocean in Costa Rica as it fades out. And Theo Hutchcraft, who co-wrote the song with us, found a funny little flute in the studio. You’ll never actually hear it – it only plays two notes,” he smiles knowingly.
“I used that flute on Lemonade; it’s completely out of tune and so strange, but I loved it. I put it into the intro, and nobody knows – but I do, and I find that hilarious. We added all these little sounds to make it feel real, even if it’s just for us; it’s such a lovely memory.”
The chorus hinges on the word Lemonade – a classic entry in the long tradition of soda-inspired song titles. Were any other fizzy contenders considered? Rebscher chuckles at the notion of Orangeade as an alternative title. “Louis writes down countless concepts and ideas, and he’s brilliant at it. For this one, he was the first to sing when the chords rang out – someone played them on the piano, and he just went for it, coming up with the whole chorus on the spot.
"He was in the living room area where you’d have a drink and hang out, while I was inside the studio producing the tracks. It's an easy, sing-along chorus that everyone can join in with. It’s very stadium-ready, and the verses have a hooky guitar and bass riff that makes it really compelling.”
The progression sidesteps the familiar four-chord pop formula, giving the track a more distinctive sound. “It felt effortless in a way, even after going through such a long process to get to where we wanted to be,” Rebscher notes.
“This was just the conclusion of that journey. As a producer, you try to think from the listener’s perspective and how they experience it, but that’s not always possible.”
IMPOSTER
The album’s third single, Imposter was released in January 2026 and is still going strong on Radio 1’s A list into late March. The raw and lo-fi indie pop song features a pulsing bassline and dirty guitars, with production, instrumentation, and songwriting from Rebscher. The lyrics explore the singer’s struggles with imposter syndrome and not feeling worthy.
“Louis has always been fascinated by the imposter syndrome phenomenon and how it all connects,” says Rebscher.
"He's really interested in psychology, so he had it on his songwriting ideas list. The song came together effortlessly in two or three hours. We just sat down and went for it. It sounds effortless, but songs like this are the result of years of work, of writing songs that may not even make it,” he points out.
“It’s amazing when you finally get it right; you leave your head behind and just follow your heart. We had a simple bass idea for Imposter, then I detuned the guitar really low, giving the sound a growly, compelling edge.”
While the writing may have happened in a few hours, it was a different story when it came to the production. “The others took a break to get some food and called me over, but I said, ‘No, I’m in this flow now,’” Rebscher recalls. “I stayed there and kept working on it for another 10 hours, building the production.
"For Imposter, I didn’t want to lose the magic of the first demo, that first moment. You want to make it better and eventually release a finished product. Often, the last 30% of the work can take 90% of the time. Writing itself might be quick, but reaching the point where writing comes easily takes a lot of time and effort.”
Given that Tomlinson is the 1D member with the most writing credits across the band’s discography, it’s not surprising to hear that the singer-songwriter played an active part in shaping all arrangements, lyrics and sounds on the new record.
“He’s very inspiring to sit with,” nods Rebscher. “Every song has a concept that Louis brings into the room. Sometimes he just leaves it to me, and I think it’s great that he does, because I can do my shit, and then at some point he comes back and listens and gives me feedback, and we talk about things.
"We’ll work on guitar riffs or vocal lines together – that’s the kind of stuff he loves doing. He gives great feedback and arrangement ideas. He also takes a little bit of time off while I’m completely in the zone; it’s great to have somebody not listening the whole time, because you somehow lose the overview in a way.”
Helping Rebscher stay focused for the long studio sessions was his DAW of 20 years: Cubase. He’s stayed loyal to Steinberg’s music production software since then and is currently enjoying the updates in the most recent iteration, Cubase 15.
“I’m always the first to want the new version because I get so excited about new stuff coming in,” he enthuses. “It's my playground, that’s what I call it. Some of the greats use it too, like Cirkut, so I’m like, ‘Yeah, I get why you use it! I love it too.’ I know all the features really well, and I don’t have to learn anything to get my sounds where I want them to be.
"It’s all very intuitive, and I love how technically great it is, and at the same time, it gives you creative tools and freedom to play with and experiment. It’s such a great combination of the two.”
He points out that he’s a big fan of Cubase’s modulators, allowing him to add variation and tension curves to static sound images.
“You can put them on basically every knob you can find in Cubase,” he elaborates. “You can put a modulator on something, and it moves the knob by itself – that was a game changer for me. I can just modulate from Cubase, make it move, do weird stuff, and it’s so much fun. That was a big thing for me, and I use it all the time. I’ve got a template of tools I use for Louis that I use in every song, again and again.”
Tomlinson refers to Rebscher as his ‘mad professor’ behind the desk due to his ability to turn the vaguest concept into a polished hit. “It feels like a real compliment, even though I can’t see myself from the outside,” he laughs.
“But I think I get what he means. When I get excited about something, I go all in, I’m putting plugins, distortion, and changing sounds. I just love doing that, so I think that’s why he came up with this funny compliment.”
Thrilled with the album’s No.1 status and positive reception from critics, and proud of it as a cohesive body of work that reflects Tomlinson’s personality, stage of life and indie leanings, Rebscher struggles to pick a firm favourite from the new record.
“I do love Imposter, Dark To Light, Lucid…and I do love Sunflowers as well,” he adds, laughing at his multiple answers. "Sunflowers brought this new sound and added a whole new vibe to the production. I hear that from a lot of people that they can't settle on just one track. That's a good sign for an album, because it means different songs speak to different people. It shows it’s not just one great song and the rest is like, ‘Let’s forget about that’.
For Rebscher, the real triumph lies in the album as a complete statement: Tomlinson confronting his doubts, embracing his identity, and finally recording the music that feels truly his. "Louis’ project was so heartfelt, and I loved working on it so much. Hopefully, he does another one and asks me again,” he grins. “Until then, I want to find projects that excite me just as much as this one did.”
