Introduction

As I was doing research on Louis Tomlinson, the news seemed to be focused on only one thing: that some fan tricked him into signing a marriage certificate during a meet and greet. The other thing I could find was that Louis T had broken up with his longtime on-again/off-again girlfriend Eleanor but was maybe talking to her again, which checks out when you listen to the lyrics of this album.

I know from his other music and past research that Louis lost both his mother and sister in the late 2010s, and that he has a son with a previous partner. Out of all of the One Direction (1D) boys, he’s who I would say acts most like a typical “lad,” but I get the sense that, despite his mischievous nature, his internal life is much more complex. He wrote some of the 1D songs, was the oldest in the group, and is one of the only 1D guys who was upset about the band breaking up. As far as I know, he’s transparent about his life and decisions—whether they’ve been good, bad, or a mix of the two—and he seems pretty down to earth (if not almost performatively).

Also, apparently Louis T has a documentary on Paramount+ about his solo career that really affected his former bandmate Liam Payne, but I have yet to watch that. (Though I definitely plan on doing so eventually! You know me; I can’t resist a good look at a parasocial relationship.)

Faith In The Future came out in November 2022, and Louis T started the tour for this album in 2023, which is only his second tour as a solo artist. When I watched his live-streamed concert in 2021, he performed two awesome covers (“7” by Catfish and the Bottlemen and “Beautiful War” by Kings of Leon). He’s covered “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers before, and apparently he sings a cover of “505” by the Arctic Monkeys on this tour. You can definitely see where he gets his music inspiration from, as these songs and artists have similar vibes to Louis T’s music. It’s the “I’m a bit problematic and like to dabble in drugs/alcohol, but I have a good heart” vibes. (For all of us who love a “bad boy” with a soft side…) And, like the Arctic Monkeys and Catfish and the Bottlemen, he is so very British.

I think part of Louis’s charm is that he seems insulated in his own Doncaster culture despite being an international star. I’ve always wanted to love where I’m from, and Louis T’s example of loving where he’s from but also making fun of it feels very familiar to me.

And now, onto the Boy Band Music Critique! *Adjusts hat.*

Faith In The Future (2022) by Louis Tomlinson

“The Greatest”: Oh, dang, what a strong open! I feel like this could play during the sad part of an action movie.

I love the echoing effect in the chorus. It feels very capital-B Big, you know? This song is all about rediscovering what makes a relationship wonderful and making up for lost time—and recovering from that time apart, too.

“Written All Over Your Face”: Is this album going to be in a spy movie? Because, dang, I would watch that movie just for the soundtrack.

Not these vocals coming through. Not the bass absolutely slaying. The vocals, especially the “hey, babe,” remind me of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box.”

The lyrics are about knowing your partner has woken up angry about something, knowing their way of dealing with that anger, and preparing yourself for the inevitable argument just so you can get through it to the other side.

I’m not sure how the spy movie music works for this message. Maybe he has to sneak around and put together clues to find out why his partner is upset and how to best support her? In any case, I’ll be adding this to my daily playlist.

“Bigger Than Me”: Okay, I already reviewed this song when it came out as a single in 2022, so these are new 2024 thoughts only!

Still hits hard as a post-COVID and, now that I’m thinking about it, post-coming-of-age song. You wake up to the world around you and waking up to the ever-changing nature of humanity. And, of course, one of the main themes of this album (I’m assuming) is going to be about changing internally while the world changes around you.

Although, I have to say, I’m not sure how I feel about the sudden shift from “spy movie rock music” to “stadium coming of age song.” Very abrupt.

“Lucky Again”: Ooh, upbeat summer rock! Back to the rock music.

Wow, this summer rock hits hard. If this song were a beach, it would be a rocky yet beautiful one.  

“Whatever gets you through the darkest night / Just find the light out in the madness, hold tight.” Totally agree, Mr. Tomlinson. If you enjoy something and/or it helps you survive, there’s no shame in that! No matter if it’s drawing squiggly lines or watching Marvel movies or looking at pictures of sheep. Find that joy and hold onto it when you can.

This is like a more positive response to “The Greatest,” in that we can be nostalgic for the past but still make the present and future good. And we all know I love a hopeful song. “I was lucky once, I could be lucky again.” Yes, indeed, Louis T. This is the attitude we need to strive for.

“Face The Music”: We’re done with the beach—back to the action movie!

“I don’t wanna face the music, but I still wanna dance with you / Let’s buy some time / For what we shouldn’t do.” This is a very “live in the moment” song, but I like that it doesn’t ignore that there will eventually be consequences. You can do what you want, live in the present, make reckless decisions, but there will be a future after the present moment. It’s your own mind that chooses how you deal with that future in the now.

“Chicago”: A post-breakup song with simple guitar strumming… the feelings are just around the corner.

“Just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean it’s meaningless to me / It just wasn’t meant to be.” Yes, yes, yes! I’m a big believer in the idea that things don’t have to be destined to last forever in order for them to have meaning. And you can still care about someone long after you’ve stopped being in a close relationship with them.

Man, Louis Tomlinson’s music is so good at being straightforward yet relatable. He includes enough specificity to make the vaguer lyrics more meaningful.

“All This Time”: This is the first song on this album that I’m kinda “meh” about when it comes to the music. The vocals are trying to be gentle and the simple instrumental is trying to be mellow, but the beat is just a bit too fast for this to really work.

Okay, the synth late in the song makes it more cohesive. Kind of like a song by The Killers in the 2010s. But the message, as is usual with Louis T’s lyrics, is very good and well-worded: “It’s worth it all this time” no matter the doubts and failures you’ve endured.  

“Out Of My System”: This song suits Louis T’s voice so well! It’s got so much energy, like a burst of adrenaline.

According to Genius Lyrics, he recorded this right after a live show on his world tour, which explains the energy in his vocals. And it totally fits with the lyrics. It’s kind of like Alexander Hamilton “writing like he’s running out of time” but from Hamilton’s perspective. No matter what he’s already done, he has no choice but to keep going and keep striving.

“Headline”: Honestly, I’m loving how Louis T is exploring different vocal styles (if still in a comfort zone). This is another beachy, summer rock song, just head bobbing and smoothly rolling on.

“You used to read me like a headline” is actually such a good metaphor—if you only read a headline, you can miss a lot. You can even misinterpret that headline without all of the information. If only his partner had dug a little deeper, they could’ve had something wonderful.

The last lyric is heartbreaking! (“Sometimes, I wake up and I wish you were beside me.”) He still cares about this person and yearns for the life they could’ve had if only that person had put the same amount of effort into the relationship.

“Saturdays”: This is a very different “I’m out partying because I’m sad about the end of a relationship” song for Louis T. It’s much slower and simpler, a reflective moment after the fact (or maybe during the drowning of his sorrows) when the deeper meaning of this distraction rears its head.

The lyrics “Not for the first time / Not for the last time” are just perfect for this song. They make the melancholy mood fit much better, along with the repetition of an echoey “Some things change.” In the end, it’s a hopeful song. You can feel sad and broken, but there’s still hope.

“Silver Tongues”: The slow and reflective vibe continues. Nope, nope, I was wrong! We’ve picked up speed! It became more fun after the meandering first verse.

I’m not one hundred percent certain how to interpret this song. It’s another “let’s make bad decisions in order to have good memories” moment, but it’s also a bit more nuanced (with some clear hypocrisy between substance users). However, the upbeat music and generally positive lyrics also indicate that these moments can still be valuable.

Oh, a sudden stop… what an odd way to end this song.

“She Is Beauty We Are World Class”: Am I in a spaceship? On a runway? This song is very trippy.

Apparently, the title of this song (and the lyric of the same words) is from a picture of some weirdly poignant bathroom graffiti. Explains everything about this song, tbh.

“Common People”: Acoustic guitar strumming! Memories! Nostalgia for a home and for a specific past! Angst!

This reminds me of Louis T’s song “Just Like You,” with the same theme of trying to be a “normal” person despite having had bigger than life experiences. However, I think it’s interesting that he talks about how nothing’s changed for the common people considering that change is a main theme of this album. Well, we all have contradictions inside of us, and maybe one of Louis T’s is that his home/past have changed and stayed the same all at once.  

“Angels Fly”: This is a rare message in pop music: to be able to sit in your feelings, let them marinate, before you can deal with them and eventually let go. Sometimes we just need to be together with someone who gets us, who doesn’t pressure us, but who can still reassure us that this will pass, that this hurt is not forever.

This is a great example of how nihilism can actually be comforting. Sometimes, knowing that you’re so small in the universe can be overwhelming. But other times, it’s nice to know how small your mistakes and hurts really are in the grand scheme of things.

“Holding On To Heartache”: This is Louis’s post-1D song. A few of the band members have one, but I think Louis’s is unique in that he really loved being in One Direction. He loved the band and would have continued on in the group if he could. He struggles with that loss, the loss of his group members and all of the things they could have done, even if it has allowed him to discover himself as an individual.

I think it makes a lot of sense to be hung up on the thing that got you where you are today no matter how it ends. If you care a lot about something, mourning that something and what that something could have been is a never-ending process.

Not to sound like a broken record, but this is another side to parasocial relationships that isn’t explored often enough: the “what happens next.”

“That’s The Way Love Goes”: Oh, man, a friendship breakup song. Not in a “the friendship is ending” way, but in a “checking in on someone who has experienced heartbreak” way. I can’t help but wonder if LT is writing this to himself… Much of his music includes messages to himself, and this song is no exception.  

Final Thoughts: This album is fairly cohesive, just like Louis T’s previous album, Walls, although it’s less varied in emotion. Compared to Walls, Faith In The Future has more songs that I would listen to often but fewer songs that have affected me deeply. However, the music is more complex and rock-oriented, which I definitely enjoy!

Faith In The Future (Bonus Edition) (2023)

“Change”: I already reacted to this song too—a live version from a livestreamed concert—so these are new 2024 thoughts only.

Louis T is great at writing bridges that make me go “oof,” that hit me right in the feels. “When we gonna realise we don’t get another life? / Always overanalyse, what’s the point? / I know it’ll be alright.” Sometimes you just gotta let the world change around you without letting it change you too much.

“High In California”: This title is very self-explanatory… But I have to say, the lyric “Spent my whole life just thinkin’ I had to change” really hits home as a queer person—or just as a person who doesn’t exist in conventional ways.

Really, though, this song is about getting high somewhere it’s socially acceptable to smoke weed. You can draw your own metaphors from that.

Unreleased Songs

“Paradise” (2022): Alright, I had to go to YouTube for this one, my friends. Apparently it’s on a “Target Exclusive” version of this album, along with a version of “Copy of a Copy of a Copy,” which I have given my thoughts on before! (Though I have only been able to find this Target Exclusive version on eBay.) These are basically songs he only plays live.

This is one of those songs that encourages you to go after your dreams, “Just get there your own way.” I can interpret this one of two ways: 1) make your own path and dream, or 2) work as hard as you can to accomplish your dreams. In other words, your dreams are your own. You can make them conform to your life, or you can conform your life to your dreams. Both are valid paths, as long as you put effort into the things you love and want to accomplish!

“Saved By A Stranger” (B-side to “Bigger Than Me” Single CD) (2022): YouTube sent me to this song after “Paradise,” so let’s give it a listen.

Oh, dang… this is heavy. One person can make such a difference in your life no matter how brief your paths cross. This is why I always try to be kind and understanding, because I’ve needed people like this, too. Stories like this give me hope in humanity in a time that it’s easy to give up on people.

“All Along” (2022): YouTube wants this post to go on longer, and who am I to disobey the gods of YouTube? Apparently, Louis T mentioned this unreleased song in some interview, so let’s listen!

Summary of the lyrics: Right person, wrong time.

This has the same message as LT’s song “Too Young.” It’s so incredibly bittersweet. We feel things so deeply when we’re young, but we don’t always understand that until later. Sometimes too late, but not always.  

Conclusion

Well, these were some more bangers from Louis Tomlinson! Louis T is definitely someone whose live performances make his music better, and I hope I can one day watch in person rather than having to watch online. He’s a pro at writing pop-rock songs, and the pop-rock spectrum of music is my favorite place to be.

As always, I hope reading this was as fun for you as it was for me to write! I’m caught up on the 1D boys’ solo music, so I’ll be back next time with a review of a 5 Seconds of Summer solo project. I wonder what those boys are doing now… Do 5SOS still make music? We shall have the answers soon!

-Ryn PB

---

 [RB1]Add link