Music Rewind 2022 – Louis Tomlinson: A Year Like No Other, Wrapped.

Every December here at THP HQ, we sit down to reflect on the successes of the artists we’ve loved and had the joy of supporting over the last 12 months, and it’s one of our favorite times of the year. But honestly, we don’t even know where to start with this one. If you’ve been here for a hot minute, you know we’ve had a pretty Louis Tomlinson-centric life year, but how do we summarize Louis Tomlinson’s 2022 in one go?

One world tour, a second world tour announcement, his own festival, three new singles, the sophomore album of all sophomore albums (and a partridge in a pear tree!?).

Sometimes, when you admire someone so much, the ability to put it into words that do it justice, somehow escapes you (which is concerning as that’s literally our job). We’ll give it a good bash though, so without further ado, welcome lovely readers, as we rewind this incredible year of Louis Tomlinson. A year of hard work, laughter, utter talent, musical excellence, confidence, and love. This is Louis Tomlinson… A Year Like No Other, Wrapped!

Louis Tomlinson World Tour: February 1st – September 3rd 2022

2022 saw Louis Tomlinson finally able to take his debut album, our beloved Walls, on the road, having started in Barcelona in 2020 before Covid grounded the tour. This highly awaited tour kicked off on February 1st 2022 in Dallas TX, and ended 79 dates later, on September 3rd in Milan Italy, as part of Louis’ festival era! LTWT spanned 32 countries across five continents, as Louis and his incredible live band performed to well over 500,000 people. Louies across the world got to see Louis Tomlinson take his rightful place on stage, and it was exactly where he belonged. And he did it with a twinkle in his eye, humility in front of his fans, and vocal power across his entire setlist, night after night. Core memories were made on LTWT that will remain part of all of us forever. No, we’re not crying, you’re crying.

From the anticipation of the opening beats of ‘We Made It,’ that let us know we were about to witness something special, right through to the energy of ‘Kill My Mind’ as we united with Louis to say goodnight in the best way we knew how, every second meant something to everyone involved. LTWT was a tour full of “odds,” soaring vocal confidence, life changing memories, red streamers, forgotten lyrics, fireball shot distain, cupcakes, one very ripped Burberry shirt, races, an accidental finger in mouth situation, a broken elbow, and above all else, genuine mutual love and appreciation. The connection between Louis and his Louies felt more palpable than ever at LTWT. Or as Louis put it in Austin, Texas: “You need me and I need you, and I f*cking like that.” The lights twinkled and shone for Louis Tomlinson, across the world, in 2022, and we would have it no other way.

Away From Home Festival 2.0: August 27th 2022

Saturday August 27th 2022 saw the return of the Away From Home Festival – Louis Tomlinson’s headlined, and personally curated and created festival. 17,000 fans filled the stunning Marenostrum Fuengirola, in Malaga, Spain, to see Louis and a plethora of hand selected bands and artists perform. This was the second installment of AFHF, with the first taking place in London in 2021. The atmosphere of AFHF is like no other, as fans come together to not only celebrate Louis Tomlinson, but also support the often independent bands Louis chooses to champion. Louis shone on stage, with a 17 song set list of Walls tracks, One Direction songs, and covers that left us with goosebumps. 2022’s AFHF even unexpectedly gifted us the first ever solo Louis performance of ‘Night Changes,’ which quite literally had us on our knees (once we realized what it was!). Lord, have mercy.

2022’s AFHF festival saw Louis give a spotlight to many of his own favorite bands: Sunroom, The Vaccines, Hinds, and Stone, as well as competition winners Voodoos. We could go on until we’re blue in the face, about the meaningful footprint Louis has in the industry, as he lifts up fellow musicians, and sticks a famous middle finger up to the snobbery sometimes seen in the indie scene. As Louis said in conversation with NME: “I’ve always been really interested in the development stage of bands’ careers – I think they’re some of the most exciting times, so, you know, any way where I can help benefit [new bands] like that has always been really important to me.” The Away From Home Festival is a catalyst for just that. Put simply, 2022’s AFHF was a celebration. A celebration of live music, bands, fans, and of course, Louis Tomlinson. And it was spectacular. Here’s to next year! Watch this space.

The Singles

‘Bigger Than Me’: September 1st 2022

And then it began. Our first taste of Faith In The Future, and we thought we were prepared. Spoiler – we were in fact, not prepared. ‘Bigger Than Me’ erupted on September 1st 2022, and currently has over 24 million streams on Spotify alone. We will never forget the feeling of hearing this for the first time. To some it is just a song; to us, it was a life chapter. A pivotal moment of this journey we are on with Louis Tomlinson, a Pandora’s Box of anticipation and longing that was finally being opened. And it was magical. Seeming to stem from a realization of just how big his impact is on the fans that surround him, ‘Bigger Than Me’ with its enormous live rock chorus, was a turning point in many ways. Never one to polish his own ego, Louis has never fallen into his own hype; but on this single Louis seems freer – less bound by any perception of ego or arrogance, to let himself accept the massive world that he is at the center of. Like a fire he fuels, that grows and in turn, warms the lives of others…. It truly is bigger than all of us.

‘Out Of My System’: October 14th 2022

The pop-punk anthem that our Louie lives had been waiting for, October 14th should really be declared a national holiday simply for gifting us with this masterpiece. The second single ‘Out Of My System’ currently sits at over 16 million Spotify streams. With its heavy sound that fills every space of our chests, and that resonating bass which is honestly pure filth, this song scratched our brains in ways we never could have imagined. ‘Out Of My System’ is staying out all night, speeding through the night streets with the windows down ’til it takes the air our of your lungs, and feeling alive, knowing the next day is fast approaching and you just need to get there. Our first love ‘Kill My Mind’ walked so ‘Out Of My System’ could sprint as fast as its legs could carry it. And we’re not even ready to try and describe what this did to us physically when we first heard it live at Pryzm Kingston. The earth moved.

‘Silver Tongues’: November 9th 2022

The final pre-album entrée to tickle our taste buds, ‘Silver Tongues’ became part of our world on November 9th, just two days before album release, and gave us yet another sound to explore from Louis. Still with a playful flirt into a pop punk sound, ‘Silver Tongues’ which currently sits at over 8 million Spotify streams, delivered brightness and nostalgia. Potentially the warmest of the three singles, ‘Silver Tongues’ brings a playfulness both in lyric and sound, which feels fresh within Louis’ discography. And ever the true songwriter, we’re given such a clear smoke-plumed lyrical visual; the comradery of street races, choices made after too many cans of lager, stupid jokes, and refusal to let a good night end. The most visual story-telling seen across the three singles, ‘Silver Tongues’ feels like a glance into Louis Tomlinson’s memories and life, with friends, at home, care free and euphoric, and it was a joy to be invited in.

Faith In The Future: November 11th 2022

And then came the album, and with that, the departure of our last remaining brain cells and any mental stability we were so pitifully hanging on to pre November 11th 2022. Faith In The Future shifted the tectonic plates and our life trajectories, in ways we couldn’t even imagine. Released independently via BMG, Louis’ sophomore album threw away any preconceived notion the world and indeed Louis, had about the box that his music fitted into. An auditory charcuterie board of sound that is playing as we write this, of course. With 16 tracks on the Deluxe EP, Faith In The Future takes us on a journey like no other. An adventure which stops off at sonic landmarks that leave us never wanting to leave. From the “as punk as [he] can get away with” masterpiece that is ‘Out Of My System,’ to the emotionally heavy smack in the mouth that is the last chorus of ‘Chicago,’ and from the lyrical testament to his fans in ‘The Greatest,’ to the “Hey Babe” of ‘Written All Over Your Face’ which had us spitting out our Yorkshire tea, Faith In the Future owns our lives and we’re thankful for it.

Louis Tomlinson and Faith In The Future deserve every ounce of celebration and success, and that success is down to Louis Tomlinson and his incredible fans; fans who take their place as part of his team, to share an intention and drive, even in the face of an honestly distasteful lack of radio support (don’t start us off). Louis Tomlinson’s sheer talent, hard work, and artistry, combined with the unwavering support of his fans, ensured that Faith In The Future is truly what Louis wanted to create. And the confidence that we see in Louis because of that, extends to the stage too. The first ever live performances of Faith In The Future lifted the ceiling off the venues. With One Night Only performances in New York and London (with a shoulder surgery intermission), and three special shows at Kingston’s Pryzm hosted by Banquet Records, Faith In The Future filled every inch of air in the room, smacked endorphins into the brains of every person in attendance, and cemented this album’s place as a record made for live performance. We still have goosebumps on our faces from the ‘Saturdays’ encore.

FITF now sits at over 110 MILLION Spotify streams and counting. Damn, that’s hot. And if you think that’s hot, get ready to self combust for this next bit. We’ll leave you with this one, the best sentence we’ve ever written in a THP article…. “Faith In The Future, the UK Number 1 Album by Louis Tomlinson.” No sentence has ever been so delicious. And with that, 2022 has come to an end. What an album, what a year, and what an artist.

With love from The Honey POP to you Louis Tomlinson, you talented, special and beautiful man. Thank you for everything you brought to our lives in 2022. We’ll see you in 2023 as we continue to celebrate and support you in the way we know you, and your fans, deserve. This was your 2022 Louis – A Year Like No Other, Wrapped.

Stream Faith In the Future right now.

What was your Louis Tomlinson highlight of 2022? On a scale of 1-369, how emotionally unstable are you about everything Louis has accomplished this year? Tweet us at @thehoneypop or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

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