Louis Tomlinson has opened up about how the death of One Direction bandmate Liam Payne has brought the surviving members closer than they had been in years. In a Billboard cover story published on January
12, the 34-year-old singer acknowledged the renewed bond but admitted that maintaining consistency is difficult.
“I suppose that we’ll see in time,” Tomlinson said when asked whether he thinks the closeness will last. “Naturally, there is a closeness — it definitely feels closer than it was. But I think we’re all so busy, it’s hard to keep that consistency. It also depends person to person. Like, Niall [Horan] — and hopefully he’d say the same about me — we could not exchange a text in a whole year and then go for a beer and literally be chatting nonstop.”
Tomlinson also reflected on his early solo career, recalling the fear he felt after One Direction went on hiatus in 2016. “That was really f*ing scary,”** he admitted. “I was never thinking, ‘I’ll be in that group [of One Direction alumni] that succeeds.’ There might be one or two people from a band that prosper, but history says there’s not normally more than two. … I always knew Harry [Styles] was going to go on to do what he’s done … and Niall, I had a good feeling about too — he’s Irish, he’s lovely, everyone loves him.”
Revisiting One Direction Songs as a Grown Man
Tomlinson, who is preparing to release his third solo album How Did I Get Here?, shared that performing old 1D hits as a man in his mid-30s can be tricky. He and ex Briana Jungwirth share a 9-year-old son, Freddie, turning 10 later this month, which also influences his approach to some lyrics.
“For starters, I like to pick one that I wrote — but the biggest challenge is finding a lyric that feels all right to sing as a 34-year-old guy. And that’s actually not the easiest thing to do, because some of those One Direction lyrics are f*ing raunchy, man, proper!”** he joked. Reflecting on fan favorites, he added, “I put off singing ‘No Control’ forever … but I did buckle during my Away From Home festival, and actually, I really enjoyed it. That song was a big moment for me in the band, actually.”
Coping With Payne’s Death
Despite their renewed closeness, Tomlinson admitted he will “never really accept” Payne’s death. Liam Payne, 31, tragically passed away in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
