Louis Tomlinson did not need a crystal ball to see Harry Styles’ future. Even back in the One Direction days, he says the signs were already there.
In a Billboard cover story published on Monday, Jan. 12, the musician looked back on the band’s 2015 split and explained why Styles’ solo success never surprised him.
Seeing It Before Everyone Else
“I always knew Harry was going to go on to do what he’s done — I’m sure he’s superseded his own expectations in the way that he’s taken over the world, but we knew he’s got everything it takes to be a great artist,” said Tomlinson.
Styles, now best known for hits like “As It Was,” was not the only former bandmate Tomlinson believed in. He also pointed to Niall Horan as someone he felt confident about early on.
“Niall [Horan] I had a good feeling about too — he’s Irish, he’s lovely, everyone loves him,” said Tomlinson.
Why Solo Success Is Rare
Tomlinson added that history is not exactly kind to boy bands when it comes to solo careers.
“History says there’s not normally more than two,” added Tomlinson.
That reality made the future feel uncertain for him when One Direction came to an end.
Fear After the Breakup
He admitted it was “really f—ing scary” to think about what life would look like after the group.
“I was never thinking, ‘I’ll be in that group [of One Direction alumni] that succeeds,'” said Tomlinson.
Those feelings were still raw years later. In a February 2023 interview with The Times, Tomlinson said the breakup hit him hard.
“When One Direction split up, I was mortified, I was absolutely gutted,” he said at the time. “I was a bit bitter, I suppose because it just felt like another loss to me.”
He also shared how his mindset has changed since then.
Added Tomlinson, “But I’ve a better understanding of things now, and there’s not as much anger. It is what it is.”
Moving Forward on His Own Terms
Later in that interview, he explained that while he missed Styles, Horan, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, who since died in October 2024 at the age of 31, he also appreciated his independence.
He liked “doing my own thing too” and felt “it was time” for a change.
Now, Tomlinson is focused on his next chapter. He is set to release his third studio album, How Did I Get Here?, on Jan. 23.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She’s made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
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