Walls

For the title track, see Walls (song).

## ***Walls***Studio album by Louis Tomlinson

### Producer(s)

ADP, Duck Blackwell, Julian Bunetta, BURNS, Johan Carlsson, Mark Crew, Stuart Crichton, DJ Frank E, Yei Gonzalez, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Jamie Hartman, Andrew Jackson, Joe Janiak, Levi Lennox, Danny Majic, Dan Priddy, John Ryan, Jamie Scott, Andrew Watt

## Singles

1. "Two Of Us"
Released: 7 March 2019
2. "Kill My Mind"
Released: 5 September 2019
3. "We Made It"
Released: 24 October 2019
4. "Don't Let It Break Your Heart"
Released: 23 November 2019
5. "Walls"
Released: 17 January 2020

***Walls*** is the first solo debut album by Louis Tomlinson, released on 31 January 2020 through Syco Music and Arista Records. It has spawned five singles: "Two Of Us", "Kill My Mind", "We Made It", "Don't Let It Break Your Heart" and "Walls". The album was met with mixed reviews, but was successful commercially, selling 35,000 copies upon its release and debuting at number 9 on the US *Billboard 200* chart.

## Background

In making the album, Tomlinson stated he had spent "so long on this album" as he "couldn't help but crave a 'hit' single" after a career of "straight down the middle pop". While he started his solo career with the electro-influenced singles "Just Hold On" and "Back To You", after the deaths of both his mother and sister and reflecting on what he wanted, Tomlinson decided that "maybe I should start with what I love and work from there". In an interview with *Billboard*, Tomlinson said that the album is him "just wearing [his] heart on his sleeve, and being honest, reflecting on a breakup", and that "once fans have heard the album, they will see a slightly different side" of him.

Tomlinson announced the album in a video posted to social media, saying he was "really relieved to finally be here" and thanking fans for their patience.

In an interview with *Far Out Magazine* Tomlinson stated that his album was influenced by such indie rock and britpop bands as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys that he grew up listening to. Lyrically Tomlinson took his inspiration from acts like Alex Turner, Amy Winehouse, Mike Skinner] and Sam Fender. The themes of the album range from relationships and family to the folly of Tomlinson's youth and days of self-doubt, go back to his 1D days, recall relationship ups and downs and relate the life lessons learnt on the way to his present life.

## Promotion

### Singles

The album's lead single, "Two Of Us", was released on 7 March 2019. The song is about Johannah Deakin, Tomlinson's mother who died from leukemia in December 2016 at 43. The song reached number 64 on the UK Singles Chart.

The second single, "Kill My Mind" was released on 5 september 2019. Its music video directed by Charlie Lightening was released on 13 September 2019.

The third single, "We Made It" was released on 24 October 2019. Its music video was directed by Tomlinson and Lightening, and it was released on 24 October 2019.

The fourth single, "Don't Let It Break Your Heart", was released on 23 November 2019. Tomlinson described the track as the one he's "really proud of" and "a song about hope and seeing the glass as half full". Its music video, directed once again by Charlie Lightening, was released on 2 December 2019.

The fifth and final single, "Walls", was released on 17 January 2020 to positive reviews. Its music video, directed by Lightening, was released on 20 January 2020.

### *Breaking Down Walls*

***Breaking Down Walls*** is a series of videos released on Louis' Youtube channel. In the videos, Louis sits down for a pint and a chat with Radio X's host Gordon Smart.

Breaking Down Walls Chapter 1. ReflectionBreaking Down Walls Chapter 2. A Weekend In SouthendBreaking Down Walls Chapter 3. The Shows and FansBreaking Down Walls Chapter 4. Don't Let It Break Your HeartBreaking Down Walls Chapter 5. The Debut Album
### Tour

Main article: Louis Tomlinson World Tour
On 23 October 2019, Louis announced that he would be embarking on the Louis Tomlinson World Tour, spanning over five months and visiting 20 different countries.

The tour began on 9 March 2020 in Barcelona, and is set to conclude on 7 November 2020 in Monterrey. Several dates from March to July were postponed due to increased health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Critical reception

*Walls* was met with mixed reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album has an average score of 53 out of 100, based on six reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 5.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Rob Sheffield of *Rolling Stone* called Tomlinson's album '"excellent" and "worth the wait" and praised him for "putting a lot of heart and soul into it". He particularly singled out "Two of Us", calling it "emotionally bold" and saying that "these days people aren’t necessarily used to hearing male songwriters open their hearts like that"; and "the Oasis-style Britpop guitar blast" "Kill My Mind" - "the sound of a pop artist hitting a new creative breakthrough." Neil Yeung of AllMusic was similarly positive, calling album tracks a "pleasantly surprising [and] straightforward collection of indie and Britpop-influenced singalongs from a maturing family man", "wholesome and sweet as any of 1D's hit singles" and praised Tomlinson's "genuinely heartwarming and enjoyable authenticity". He ended his review by saying that Tomlinson's album "winds up being the most mature and natural of the ex-1D bunch". Mike Nied of *Idolator* called the album "a strong debut", "a compelling collection that boldly defies current trends and simultaneously proves [Tomlinson] has more to say now than ever before" and "a serious win that will keep us coming back for more". Jeffrey Davies of *Spectrum Culture* called *Walls* "an introspective look at growing up and finding yourself—and your voice" and praised Tomlinson for "addressing some more mature subjects on Walls, such as anxiety, mortality, and self-integrity, which also sets the album apart from the solo work of other ex-1D members" and "stressing the importance of taking your time, honoring yourself and your self-worth, feeling your feelings and finding your footing as you go".

Ella Kemp of *NME* described the album as "Oasis-inspired", "largely conservative" and "primarily guitar-led", particularly praising its opening track "Kill My Mind" (which she called "the album's best track") and "Walls", an "Oasis-imitating title track [that] indicates [Tomlinson's] headstrong ambition, the neat major-minor key changes just about sophisticated enough to pull at your heartstrings". She ended the review by saying that Tomlinson's "perhaps taking the time to find himself properly before launching into a boisterous future. He may be looking back on what he loved – both the history he helped make and the one that shaped him – before rebuilding something new. There are the foundations here for a rewarding future." In her review for *Entertainment.ie*, Lauren Murphy praised "Kill My Mind" - "if someone told us that this was an album track on one of Oasis's last two efforts, we'd probably believe them"; "Too Young" - "a simply strummed guitar ditty with a toe-tappy beat, it's got a sweet, simple little melody that's mercifully not ruined by glossy pop production"; "Habit" - a "perfectly fine" "laidback indiepop song" "with crashing drums and sweeping strings" "that you can imagine a band like Athlete or Embrace ... putting out in the late 1990s/early 2000s"; "Fearless" - "one of the most dramatic songs on the album" that "sounds like Louis' version of Robbie Williams' 'No Regrets'" and "Perfect Now" - a "sweet little ditty" with "briskly-plucked acoustic guitar" and "gentle violins", "very Ed Sheeran". Murphy ended her review by stating that Tomlinson's debut solo album "embraces his love of indie music but doesn't quite go far enough" and takes "zero risks in a musical sense" though it has "some really tender moments that undoubtedly show his flair for lyric-writing."

Some reviews were less positive. Alexandra Pollard of *The Independent* called the album "deeply unremarkable" while adding that "listening to it is like wading through a quagmire of banality" although she opined that "We Made It" and "Two of Us" were "two exceptions". Mark Kennedy, writing for *Associated Press*, wrote that Tomlinson "has an appealing voice and a hand in writing every song" but said that the album was "a total snoozer" while calling it "unoffensive and uneventful". Brenna Echrlich of *Rolling Stone* felt that the album was too nostalgic of Tomlinson's days in One Direction and that it "doesn’t quite assert enough musical independence" while hoping that in the future "he has the guts to let go and realize that those salad days are getting a bit wilted" although she did compliment "Kill My Mind", "Two of Us", "Walls", and "Only the Brave". Rachel McGrath of *Evening Standard* echoed Echrlich's thoughts, writing that "while Tomlinson attempts to embrace a slightly edgier sound, he often falls back on what worked for 1D" and that he "hasn’t quite shaken off his boyband past" although she did compliment his songwriting, vocals, and ability to "confront the tough subjects". Lior Phillips of *Variety* felt like Tomlinson didn't "try to recapture that group's past [One Direction] glories but tries recapturing Oasis's and Britpop's instead, keeping his real identity a blur" and that "it’s not yet clear exactly who Tomlinson is without them" although she did specifically compliment "Two of Us" and "Habit".

## Commercial performance

*Walls* debuted at number nine on the US *Billboard* 200 with 39,000 album-equivalent units, making it the first new album for Arista Records in almost nine years to hit the top 10 on the chart. At release, the album sold 35,000 units. The album also charted in several countries and reached number one in Mexico, Scotland and Portugal.

The album is the third biggest debut album of 2020 so far in the United Kingdom, with 15,000 copies sold on physical formats.

## Gallery

### Videos

* Track by track

<gallery position="center" widths="100px" spacing="small" bordercolor="#5a5c6d">
Louis Tomlinson - Kill My Mind (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Don't Let It Break Your Heart (Track by Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Two Of Us (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - We Made It (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Too Young (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Walls (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Habit (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Always You (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Fearless (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Perfect Now (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Defenceless (Track By Track)
Louis Tomlinson - Only The Brave (Track By Track)

<gallery>
## Track listing

The full track list for the album was revealed on 11 January 2020 through a mural painting on 83, Hanbury Street, London.

## Cut Tracks (Outtakes)

* All Along
* The Way I Do
* Under The Sun

## References

1. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Announces Debut Album 'Walls'
2. ↑ See When Louis Tomlinson's Debut Album Is Finally Arriving
3. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Releases New Single 'Don't Let It Break Your Heart'
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kesha, Louis Tomlinson And Russ Chart Top 10 Albums Behind Lil Wayne’s New No. 1
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Walls by Louis Tomlinson Reviews and Tracks
6. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Sounds Like The Britpop Star He Was Born To Be On 'Kill My Mind'
7. ↑ How Louis Tomlinson Combined His Love Story With a Thank-You to Fans on New Single 'We Made It'
8. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Announces Debut Album Walls
9. ↑ From Oasis to Arctic Monkeys: Louis Tomlinson reveals 5 musicians to influence his new album
10. ↑ Louis Tomlinson – Walls: Various Formats + Ticket Bundle (An Evening with … at The Wardrobe) \*Pre-Order
11. ↑ Louis Tomlinson is breaking down walls
12. ↑ Proper good to see you mate. Thanks again for doing it!
13. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Announces First Solo Tour: See When He's Coming to Your City
14. ↑ Walls by Louis Tomlinson reviews
15. ↑ Louis Tomlinson on Starting Over and Life After One Direction
16. ↑ *Walls* - Louis Tomlinson
17. ↑ Album Review: Louis Tomlinson’s ‘Walls’ Is A Strong Debut
18. ↑ Louis Tomlinson: Walls
19. ↑ Louis Tomlinson – ‘Walls’ review: Oasis-inspired album is the foundation for a rewarding future
20. ↑ First Impressions: A track-by-track review of Louis Tomlinson's debut solo album 'Walls'
21. ↑ Louis Tomlinson review, Walls: Like wading through a quagmire of banality
22. ↑ Review: Louis Tomlinson drops a total snoozer of an album
23. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Searches For a New Direction on 'Walls'
24. ↑ Louis Tomlinson, Walls review: Ex-One Direction star tackles grief with a (slightly) edgier sound
25. ↑ Louis Tomlinson’s ‘Walls’: Album Review
26. ↑ Louis Tomlinson's 'Walls' Brings Relaunched Arista Records Back to Billboard 200 Top 10
27. ↑ The Official Top 10 biggest debut studio albums of 2020 so far
28. ↑ Louis Tomlinson Unveils 'Walls' Album Track List