Louis Tomlinson on a One Direction reunion: ‘I’d be really surprised’

As Louis Tomlinson graces the cover of Rolling Stone UK for the first time, the former One Direction star has reflected on why he doesn’t think a One Direction reunion will happen.

The singer is gearing up to release his third album How Did I Get Here? on January 23 next year, but was asked whether Oasis‘ reunion – which he personally watched on the band’s opening night in Cardiff this summer – had summoned any feeling inside him about the prospect of reuniting One Direction one day.

“That was one of the first feelings I got when I was there, but I think it’s more that you’re romanticising the idea than [thinking about] the reality of the situation,” he explained.

Tomlinson then went on to explain that the prospect of a reunion feels “infinitely more complicated” in the wake of Liam Payne’s untimely death last year. “Right now, I can’t foresee a time where I would actually feel comfortable doing that,” he said.

Reconvening as a four-piece would “feel like something else, almost”, Tomlinson believes.

“Before Liam passed, I kind of always had it in the back of my mind. Like, ‘I’m sure we’ll do something, even if it’s just one big show.’ But now I’d be really surprised,” he says. “I also kind of love that the last time that we were on stage together, Liam was there. That’s just so perfect.”

Even if that reunion doesn’t materialise, fans can take comfort in knowing that Louis will reunite with bandmate Zayn for a new documentary series for Netflix, slated to drop next year.

The three-part series will be directed by Nicola Marsh, who is behind Song Exploder and Leo Baker’s Stay on Board. The yet-to-be-named project will follow the former One Direction members going on a “spontaneous adventure” across the United States, sharing a “rare look” at both of their private lives and a rekindling of their friendship.

According to a press release, the show will see the pair “opening up about life, love, loss, and fatherhood.”

Louis’ third album, meanwhile, will see the singer offering “a reflection of how confident I am” and told RS UK that the new music will “feel like a journey from the mildly dark sonic place” of his last album, 2022’s Faith in the Future, to a much sunnier destination.

Issue 24 of Rolling Stone UK with Louis Tomlinson will drop in print on October 9. The full cover story will arrive online in the week after. You can pre-order the magazine here.