Louis Tomlinson's impressive career: From X Factor contestant to judge
The singer is going on tour in 2026
Louis Tomlinson hasn't stopped since One Direction announced an 'indefinite hiatus' back in 2016. Famously, he was the first member to release solo material, with Simon Cowell so impressed by him that he signed him up to be an X Factor judge in 2018.
To celebrate Louis and his new song 'Imposter', from his recently released album 'How Did I Get Here?' and newly announced tour, we’re taking a closer look at his career. From his first audition in a teen boyband, to an X Factor judge, Louis has achieved so much.
Just like his bandmates, the Yorkshire lad has never really left the spotlight since 2010, so let's explore 15 years of career highlights.
Check out Louis Tomlinson's impressive career so far:
Early life
Louis William Tomlinson was born on 24th December 1991 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. He was bought up by his mum Johannah and is estranged from his biological father. He took on his then-stepfather Mark Tomlinson's surname. He grew up with four half-sisters, Charlotte, Félicité and twins Pheobe and Daisy. He later gained two more half siblings, twins Doris and Ernest.
2010: Factor audition
Louis was clearly made for stardom as he auditioned for The X Factor not once but twice. He clearly didn't give up on his dreams when he got rejected the first time. His performance of 'Deliah' by The Plain White T's got the nod of approval from Simon Cowell and co.
Louis said in 2017 that he was motivated to audition for the talent show after he was kicked out of the band he was in, after a new boy came to the school and decided to replace him as their vocalist.
He was then put through to bootcamp but failed to get through - well, until Nicole Scherzinger decided Louis and four other boys (Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and the late Liam Payne) were too good to let go. One Direction was officially born.
2010-2015: One Direction global stardom
One Direction went on to become the biggest boyband on the planet, releasing five studio albums and winning over 200 awards worldwide.
They toured the world, made their very own film One Direction: This Is Us in 2013 and had four Number 1 singles 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Little Things', 'One Way Or Another' and 'Drag Me Down'.
2015-2016: One Direction hiatus
Following Zayn's departure, Louis, Harry, Niall and Liam continued as a foursome until 2015. However, when they released their last album, 'Made In The AM', they also announced that they would be going on an 'indefinite hiatus'.
2016: Louis decides to go solo
Louis was the first member of the group to pursue a solo career. In 2016, he created his own record label, Triple Strings Ltd, as an imprint of his then-label Syco.
In December 2016, he released 'Just Hold On', a collaborative effort with American DJ Steve Aoki. The song stormed the charts and reached Number 2 in the UK chart.
2017: Louis Tomlinson releases 'Back To You' with Bebe Rexha
In 2017, Louis released 'Back to You' with American singer Bebe Rexha and the track was certified Platinum in the USA and UK. He then released his second solo single 'Miss You' which peaked at Number 39 in the charts.
2018: Louis joins The X Factor as a judge
In 2018, Louis was signed up to appear on the 15th series of The X Factor as a judge and a mentor of the 'Boys' category. He became the first former contestant of the show to become the winning mentor due to his mentee Dalton Harris winning the show.
2019: More new music!
2019 marked the start of even more music from Louis, who released 'Two of Us', 'Kill My Mind', 'We Made It', 'Don't Let It Break Your Heart' and 'Walls', all songs that would feature on his first album.
He also signed a brand new record deal with Arista Records.
2020: Louis releases first album, leaves Syco and hosts digital concert during lockdown
Louis released his debut solo album 'Walls' on 31st January 2020, but his plans for a full tour were scuppered due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Not one to let his fans down, Louis held a digital concert 'Live From London' on 12th December 2020, which sold over 160,000 tickets, breaking records as the most live streamed concert for a male solo artist. Not bad, eh?
2021: Louis promises his second album is on the way
In May 2021, Louis announced that he signed a global deal with BMG to release his second album and in July confirmed that he was to celebrate the return of live music by performing at 'The Away From Home Festival' curated and conceived by him, on 30th August.
2022: Louis Tomlinson releases second solo album
Louis released his second album, 'Faith In The Future' on Friday 11th November 2022. He also announced he would be touring Europe and North America in 2023 to support the record!
In August 2023, the album was certified Silver by the BPI.
2023: Louis Tomlinson releases his documentary film
Louis released All Of Those Voices, a documentary about the singer from his One Direction days to 2023. The film was released in cinemas in March 2023 and added to Paramount+ on 5th October 2023.
2025: Louis Tomlinson announces 2026 tour to support upcoming album
Following the release of his single 'Lemonade' in September 2025, Louis announced he would be releasing his third solo album 'How Did I Get Here?' on 23rd January 2026. Just hours after revealing the news, he followed it up by sharing he would be going on a huge world tour, bringing the tour to the UK in April and May 2026.
2025: Louis Tomlinson releases 'Imposter'
Ahead of his new album, Louis released the second song from his latest record called 'Imposter'. The song is about the reality of experiencing imposter syndrome and not feeling worthy.
2026: Louis Tomlinson releases new album 'How Did I Get Here?'
Louis Tomlinson's released his third studio album 'How Did I Get Here?' on 23rd January 2026. Ahead of the project, he teased fans with a taster of the track list, with singles 'Lemonade' and 'Imposter', and announced a 2026 tour to mark his latest album.
Now read:
101 One Direction facts you NEED to know
One Direction through the years
Louis Tomlinson reveals the BEST moment of his solo career