On April 30, 2026, untoldency went international! For the first time, we were invited to an international concert and got to see Louis Tomlinson on his How Did We Get Here? – Tour in Dublin. As someone who was never a huge One Direction fan and isn’t deeply immersed in the Louis fandom, the entire concert experience was intense and exciting for me. And it can be summed up in one sentence: Live music connects people and changes lives. And I’m so glad to let it continue to change mine.
How Did We Get Here?
The story of Louis Tomlinson’s career is a truly fascinating one. As a member of the boy band One Direction, he became part of a phenomenon that completely captivated the UK and Ireland in particular—but also the rest of the world—in a very short time. Cast in 2011 on X Factor and winning third place, the band has become a huge and significant part of countless people’s teenage lives. For many, it’s the band they grew up with, even after they decided to take a “one-year” hiatus after just five years in 2016. Since then, the five band members haven’t reunited, but have continued making music as solo artists—with varying degrees of success. Harry Styles was the one to headline the biggest festivals and arenas, but the others have also built on the boy band’s success and expanded their careers.
Louis Tomlinson released his first album, Walls, in 2020. Two years later came Faith In The Future, and this past February, his latest album, How Did I Get Here?, was released. Six years after his debut, he has now released, in his own words, “the record I always deserved to make.” How Did I Get Here? asks how he got to where he is today. The One Direction fandom, of course, plays a central role as the starting point of his career. But the last ten years are entirely down to Louis Tomlinson himself. It’s his tireless work, his loving relationship with his fans, and his disarmingly honest way of dealing with success. If you take a closer look at the Brit, you realize: this likable underdog has more to offer than you might think.
That’s what I learned, anyway, when I started getting into Louis Tomlinson. Without high expectations but with a touch of skepticism, I got lost in interview clips and live footage and found the down-to-earth ex-boy band singer just getting cuter and cuter. Maybe it’s his dry English humor or his laid-back nonchalance toward the media, while his love for his fans seems all the more genuine. At some point, I became a bit of a Louis fan—and was thrilled when I got to see him live in Dublin.
“There’s beauty in the scars tonight”
My girlfriend, who is a huge Louis Tomlinson fan, and another friend came along with me and warned me right from the start: “You have to enjoy the music because he doesn’t have any kind of stage presence.” To my surprise, they were right.
The arena’s large stage was filled by his band and an LED screen, and Louis spent 60% of the time simply standing at the microphone. About halfway through the concert, the stage expanded to include a B-stage in the middle of the audience, but even there, the focus remained on the singer at the mic. No stage performance, no major interactions with the crowd — just a lad on a stage singing his songs. But what surprised me was that it worked. Because his songs stand on their own and reach a whole new level when thousands sing along with all their hearts. There wasn’t a single song where the entire arena didn’t hear itself. Songs from his new album were sung along to loudly as if they were already fan favorites (though you could clearly tell the difference from the actual fan favorites by the exploding decibels), and there wasn’t a moment when the concert felt monotonous.
On the contrary, there was a sense of vulnerability in the air—the kind that only arises when you open yourself up completely. Every emotion was felt openly: frustration, sadness, joy. Love for live music, love for Louis Tomlinson, love for the entire fandom. Signs were held up and fans around them pointed their flashlight on them so they could be seen from the stage. There was no pushing and shoving, no passive-aggressive jostling. That might be due to Irish friendliness or the fact that the concert wasn’t sold out, but the harmony and love that filled the entire arena that night was almost healing. Because, no matter how long or how big a fan you are of Louis Tomlinson, it’s all about the music. It’s about the moment everyone shares, and the emotions you feel together in that moment. The certainty of being able to just be yourself and be accepted for it. And that’s a little life-changing indeed.