November 11, 2022, marked the much-anticipated release of Louis Tomlinson’s sophomore solo album Faith In The Future, and it did not disappoint. The record was announced on the 31st of August and was preceded by three singles: “Bigger Than Me”, “Out Of My System”, and “Silver Tongues”. Faith In The Future will be accompanied by the Faith In The Future World Tour, which reflects the success of Tomlinson’s first solo tour Louis Tomlinson World Tour, having already sold out several of the dates, which begin in 2023. The record is Louis’ secondary album to his 2020 solo debut Walls, which was released almost exactly 4 years after One Direction took their indefinite hiatus, leaving Louis and his fellow bandmates to find their own paths in the industry. The 14-track – plus two additional deluxe tracks – album is peppy and poppy, but substantial and full of meaning. The 30 year old former One Direction star was responsible for almost 35% of the boyband’s hits, and while he has not been able to reach the extent of fame that former bandmate Harry Styles has, Faith In The Future makes it clear that Louis can hold his own, and that he can hold it with ease. 

The record features a variety of different sounds; songs like single “Silver Tongues” taking on a more alternative/pop sound that is similar to that of Group Love’s, while track two, “Written All Over Your Face” is more punky, inspired by the works of Arctic Monkeys. Each song takes the listener on a journey into Louis’ brain, revealing his personal pains and struggles, as well as personal highs and lows. Faith In The Future is intricately knit together, the vocals, lyrics, and music flowing beautifully in a raw and intimate tone. After struggling to find his place in the aftermath of One Direction, Tomlinson’s Faith In The Future has found its way to the number one spot on the Official Charts, UK, a massive achievement for an artist who considered stepping away from the spotlight after the band’s disbandment in 2016.

While the album is heavily inspired and influenced by a multitude of artists, Louis makes them his own, carving his own path and showing the talent we’ve always known he had. On Walls, the songs reflected that of One Direction – quite poppy, with an undertone of minor substance. That’s not to say the album lacked food for thought, but rather that it was a safe album, and clearly written by an artist who had not yet found his sound. This is not the case on Faith In The Future, which was written deliberately, with clear confidence and depth. The record is strong, written from Louis’ heart and entirely of love. Faith In The Future is all things love: how love hurts, how love heals, how love comforts, and how love breaks. Louis twists and turns, weighing the consequences of love, trying to find a way through, and trying to find a way to make it worth it. In “Face The Music ”, Louis agonizes over the consequences of being with the one he loves, searching for a way to make it work, avoiding “facing the music”, when he’d rather act recklessly without worry. Similarly, “Lucky Again” finds Louis breaching the topic of losing himself, trying to regain his grip on reality, finding his way back to a time where things were easier, less serious. 

While “That’s The Way Love Goes” may be one of Faith In The Future’s weaker moments, the song dives deeper into the importance of giving someone time, allowing them to reflect and recover on their own, which ties in tightly with the themes of other songs such as “Chicago” and “Saturdays”. Love often requires healing and recovery, even in the healthiest of situations, and unlike other artists, Louis does not shy away from this, instead focusing on it and bringing it forward, in a way that makes his music feel easy to understand and connect to. While love is something that the human race holds close and admires, it is often overlooked as one singular thing, a 2D shape that lacks a certain depth. Faith In The Future explores the dimensions of love, scratching straight through the surface and to the core, finding the true heart of love, and allowing listeners to find the true heart of Louis Tomlinson’s music.