This week is exceptionally rewarding for Directioners, as Zayn Malik begins his Las Vegas residency, Harry Styles prepares for his next album cycle, and Louis Tomlinson releases his new studio album.
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Dropping at midnight, How Did I Get Here? (via BMG) is Tomlinson’s third studio album. As a songwriter, Tomlinson is “delving deeper into who he is than ever before,” according to a statement, as the pop artist developed several initial ideas in the English countryside before working in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica for three weeks in early 2025.
On this album, the Brit collaborated with primary partner and co-producer Nico Rebscher (Aurora, Alice Merton), resulting in 12 songs, including the title track and the anthemic “Lemonade,” “Palaces,” and “Imposter,” which is promoted with a new music video featuring James Nelson-Joyce (Mount Pleasant, The Outlaws).
After an era-defining moment as a member of One Direction, which entered an indefinite hiatus in 2016, Tomlinson debuted with his first album, Walls, in 2020. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, selling over 1.2 million copies worldwide and accumulating nearly 1 billion streams, according to representatives.
His follow-up album, Faith in the Future, released in 2022, reached No. 1 in the U.K. and No. 5 in the U.S.
Much more is on the horizon. Later in 2026, he and Zayn will feature in a Netflix docuseries that captures their shared journey across the United States last year. In his cover story with Billboard, he hints that his upcoming world tour to support the new album will have a more traditional arena-pop vibe.
“The confidence I’ve gained from my last two tours was crucial for me. What I appreciate about those live performances is that they leave little room for self-doubt — something I struggled with after [One Direction],” he explains. “But being in those live settings and performing night after night makes it undeniable. So I’m entering this record revitalized in my confidence. It feels great.”
The How Did We Get Here? world arena tour will first stop in North America and Europe, starting June 3 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada, and concluding July 24 at Kaseya Center in Miami, FL. Tomlinson will warm up with a special show at Racket in New York this Friday, Jan. 23, following an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday.
Listen to How Did I Get Here? in full below.
