Louis Tomlinson asks for support to ‘cut through the noise’ ahead of new album release

Louis Tomlinson has asked his fans for their support as he prepares to release his new album, How Did I Get Here?

The former One Direction star turned solo artist will release his new record this Friday (23 January), following the release of singles including the summery pop-rock track “Lemonade”.

Earlier this week, his former bandmate Harry Styles caused a frenzy when he announced that he would release a new single “Aperture” – also on Friday – shortly after revealing that his next album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, would be released in March.

Tomlinson, 34, shared a post on the same day that Styles, 31, announced his single, writing on X: “Going to need your help over the next few days to cut through the noise. Time to give this record the moment it deserves!”

In an exclusive interview with The Independent last year, Tomlinson spoke about the process of making his album and how he felt it was the “most confident” thing he has done.

While his initial instinct was to “push back” against One Direction’s pop sound, he said he now wanted to bring “more people to the party” and “accept what I’m great at, which is a cool thing to be able to say out loud”.

One Direction – formed of Tomlinson, Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and the late Liam Payne – went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Payne died aged 31 in October 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

“It’s something I’ll never really accept, I don’t think,” Tomlinson told The Independent of Payne’s death.

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Remembering his bandmate, he said Payne would “always entertain me” and praised him for always showing up to support him: “Even if he might have been struggling, he put himself second and still turned up. Those moments are really testament to the truth of who he was as a person.”

In the same interview, Tomlinson expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of his fans, stating: “They get me what they think I deserve, which is beautiful. It’s really lovely.”

Styles is releasing his single “Aperture” at midnight GMT on Friday 23 January. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally is scheduled for release on 6 March.

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Tomlinson also recently released a new single, “Imposter”, along with a music video starring actor James Nelson-Joyce.

“‘Imposter’ was written in the jungle in Costa Rica,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “Conceptually it leans into the idea of identity. It’s probably the most melodic moment on the record. I’m excited for the world to finally hear it!”