Louis Tomlinson has described carving out a post-One Direction career as 'a f***ing fight', but his third solo album, How Did I Get Here?, finds the 34-year-old sounding more confident than ever. Recorded partly in Costa Rica, the record blends indie guitar influences with a sunnier, synth-driven pop sound.
The album opens with lead single 'Lemonade', driven by a zesty guitar riff and percussion, celebrating the bittersweet feeling of being drunk in love. 'Sunflowers' continues the yellow theme, with Tomlinson crooning for a bright paradise over a mid-tempo beat. On 'Lazy', he casually sings about an asteroid destroying the planet with a blasé 'la-la la la'.
Tomlinson reflects on One Direction's messy history on 'Palaces', which nods to The Cure, and on 'Broken Bones', where he sings 'f*** it, I'll do it all again' over heavy guitar reverb. 'Jump the Gun' offers a punky racket, while 'Imposter' channels a Tame Impala mood with a rubberised bassline.
The album's emotional core is the acoustic ballad 'Dark to Light', where Tomlinson confronts grief following the deaths of his mother in 2016, his sister in 2019, and former bandmate Liam Payne in 2024. He sings, 'There's no phoenix from the flames/ There's only empty photographs', and questions what he could have done differently. The track builds to a heartfelt refrain: 'Don't go anywhere I can't follow.'
While Tomlinson's vocals may not be wildly distinctive, the album is a likable, grounded collection of sunny-side-up pop from a grounded artist.
