Doncaster, UK · pop · pop-rock

Louis Tomlinson

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One Direction's scrappiest alum — Britpop-leaning anthems and the most devoted touring fanbase in pop.

Born Louis Troy Austin, Tomlinson was raised in Doncaster by his mother, Johannah Poulston, and stepfather Mark Tomlinson, whose surname he later took. Playing Danny Zuko in a school production of Grease pushed him toward auditioning for The X Factor in 2010 as a solo singer, where he and four other rejected contestants were grouped into what became One Direction.

One Direction grew into one of the best-selling boy bands ever, and Tomlinson co-wrote a substantial share of its later material before the group's 2016 hiatus.

His solo debut, "Just Hold On" with Steve Aoki, reached number two in the UK and went platinum in December 2016, followed in 2017 by "Back to You" with Bebe Rexha and "Miss You." He later judged the fifteenth series of The X Factor, mentoring the Boys category.

His debut album Walls opened at number four in the UK in January 2020, and Faith in the Future went to number one there in November 2022, backed by a widely reviewed world tour the following year. His third album, How Did I Get Here?, also topped the UK chart.

Tomlinson has been open about personal loss, including the death of his sister Félicité in 2019, and a 2022 documentary, All of Those Voices, traced that history alongside his career.

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poppop-rock