The new record feels freer, brighter, something you can hear before you even notice it. “Since the tour, I’ve been really excited to make this record,” he says. “Not that I wasn’t before, but I’d maybe put more pressure on myself in the past. This time, I just wanted to enjoy it.”

Part of that ease came from where it was made. “Costa Rica was beautiful,” he says with a small grin. “I’d done about half of the record before I went out there, but I’d always wanted to just go somewhere paradise-like, soak up the atmosphere. You can hear that across the record. It’s light. It’s free. It’s me feeling good in myself.”

If Faith in the Future was about rebuilding, How Did I Get Here feels like flying. “I wanted the record to feel like a journey,” he explains. “Tension, weirdness, trippiness at the start, but by the end, something triumphant.”

Tomlinson has always worn his truth in plain sight. In the past he’s likened his honesty to being his bread and butter. “That translates to being vulnerable, being brave enough to speak about the stuff that maybe makes you uncomfortable.” He laughs softly, admitting he doesn’t really get scared sharing deep feelings. “I’m lucky. I was raised on brutal honesty, so I’ve always kind of dealt in that. It’s just how I’m wired.”

That rawness anchors How Did I Get Here, even in its lighter moments. The lead single “Lemonade” is a perfect example, playful, guitar-driven, and refreshingly cheeky. “I just wanted it to be fun,” he says. “Not taking yourself too seriously. I’m obsessed with that guitar lick. It just feels good.” He pauses, thinking for a second. “I’ve often carried weightier stuff,” he adds. “It’s nice to make something that just feels like pure fun.”

When he talks about where he stands now, the pride is palpable. “I suppose the biggest surprise in all this,” he says, “is just being able to consider myself an artist and mean it.”

For a long time, he explains, that didn’t come naturally. “It felt like a steep mountain to climb. I never really imagined doing this on my own. But between the tour and how I’m feeling now, I finally get it.”

He recalls the moment it all clicked: “The O2 in London,” he says instantly. “Any time I’d done something on my own of that magnitude, I used to choke under the pressure. But that night, it felt like a celebration. It was the first time I could really enjoy it. That was a big moment for me.” 

With How Did I Get Here, Tomlinson isn’t interested in playing it safe. “This record feels distinctly different to anything I’ve done before,” he says. “Faith in the Future was an evolution of stepping stones to get here, but this feels like a deep pivot.”

He admits he’s curious how fans will respond to the shift. “Hopefully more in the “Lemonade” vein, fun, bold, but there are darker moments too. It’s emotional, but it ends in a really triumphant place. I wanted it to feel liberating.” There’s an ease in his tone when he talks about it, like someone who’s finally making art for himself first.

If there’s one thread that runs through everything Tomlinson says, it’s gratitude. “I’m really lucky with the fan base I’ve got,” he says earnestly. “The more I’ve chased my heart in terms of music, the more it feels like the fans have met me there.” He laughs, reflecting on how that freedom translates live. “There are songs I don’t even love from my first record, and I know some fans do, but I still feel supported to do what I want. That’s an amazing feeling.”

As he looks ahead to the next tour, he hopes the shows feel like a joint celebration. “Between me and my fans, I want it to feel like a true celebration. We’ve done far better than I ever imagined doing on my own.” Tomlinson sees How Did I Get Here as both a continuation and a reinvention. “There are songs like “Palaces” that could have lived on Faith in the Future, but then there’s “Sunflowers”, that one never would’ve fit on the other records. So yeah, a mix of the two.”

When asked what advice he’d give his younger self, he doesn’t hesitate.“Trust your gut,” he says. “Be brave enough to make the choices that feel right, even if they don’t make sense yet. Your instincts are usually there for a reason.” It’s simple advice but it’s also the story of How Did I Get Here, a record that trusts itself completely.

If his last albums were painted in greys and blues, this one glows in gold. “I can’t decide between yellow or orange,” he laughs when asked what color the album feels like. “It’s summer-y. Lighter. Just… good.”

Photographer: Ed Cooke