Louis Tomlinson has expressed his deep affection for his fellow One Direction bandmates, criticizing the trend of former members disparaging their past for ‘cool points.’
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine regarding his debut album Walls, the singer, now 28, shared heartfelt reflections on his time alongside Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and former member Zayn Malik.
The vocalist, known for his song “Kill My Mind,” conveyed that he feels “super proud” of his journey with the band and believes it appears “desperate” when solo artists criticize their roots. He stated,
“I absolutely f***ing love the band. I’m super proud about where I’ve come from. At the end of the day, I’m from Doncaster, and the band gave me such a nice opportunity.”
During the chat, he responded to previous remarks made by Zayn, who has expressed a lack of affinity for 1D’s music, and Liam, who mentioned the potentially “toxic” environment in the band. Louis emphasized his unyielding support for his bandmates, saying,
“I don’t think it’s authentic. I f***ing love the boys, and I love everything we’ve done together. And I still miss my time with them.”
He further asserted that he believes the other members of One Direction would also deny any discontent over their band experience, adding that the unique strengths each member brings to their solo careers showcases the dynamic they had in the group.
Louis remarked on the high quality of music produced by his bandmates, expressing enjoyment whenever he hears their songs on the radio. He credited their relative artistic freedom compared to other boy bands as essential to their appeal, stating,
“We were lucky because we weren’t controlled as much as other boy bands.”
Louis rose to fame nearly a decade ago after auditioning for the X Factor at just 18, where he was chosen by Simon Cowell to join the iconic boy band alongside the other members. Despite finishing third on the show in 2010, One Direction went on to achieve remarkable global success, collecting nearly 200 awards and topping charts worldwide.
Concluding his remarks, Louis highlighted the unfortunate trend of former band members disparaging their past, calling it a “desperate attempt” to gain credibility.
