#01.10.25

coverboy in more ways that one !

1/10/25

Darren Styles is the CEO of Stream Publishing - the publisher of Rolling Stone UK and Attitude magazines

1/10/25

+ video under the cut:

QUEENS! 🩵

The start of his new era…

Robin Murray · Reviews · 01 · 10 · 2025

Louis Tomlinson has come a long way – only to start all over again. A pop icon thanks to One Direction, his solo iterations have found the Doncaster-born diving into his personal passions. Recast as an indie hero, he’s quietly done his own thing, gradually moving out-with the gravitational pull of the 1D cosmos to sculpt something distinctive.

New album ‘How Did I Get Here’ feels like a pivotal moment in this. His first LP in four years, it’s work of a mature artist playing to his strengths. Kicked off in the English countryside and formulated in the tropical climes of Costa Rica, it’s the work of someone who is gradually learning to fully appreciate themselves.

New single ‘Lemonade’ is the launchpad. Fun, effervescent pop music, it’s self-consciously BIG – big riffs, a big vocal, and a big chorus, designed to fill the cavernous spaces of arenas at home and abroad.

A zesty feast of melody, ‘Lemonade’ has what Louis terms “instant and natural personality” – but it’s his personality, finally brought to the fore.

Whether it’s giving support artists a leg up or transfixing the Glastonbury campsite by setting up a TV hub for a key England football game, he seems to have this sort of magnetic charm, a natural, easy-going temperament that seeks out conversations, and embraces communication.

That sense of communication starts at home – through listening to himself, Louis Tomlinson is uncovering different parts of his art. “I’m still learning and getting better as a singer and a songwriter,” he says in a note to fans. “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.”

A Capricorn king who uses mid-winter to celebrate, ‘Lemonade’ finds Louis Tomlinson writing a crucial chapter in his career.

Our mark? 8/10

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Louis Tomlinson will release new album ‘How Did I Get Here?’ on January 23rd. Catch him live:

April 24 Manchester Co-op Live 25 Birmingham Utilita Arena 27 Glasgow OVO Hydro 28 Leeds First Direct Arena 30 Dublin 3Arena