Louis Tomlinson talks about BTS breaking One Direction records and the changing music industry: 'I used to feel a little bit ashamed...'

Louis Tomlinson on BTS breaking records of One Direction

• Louis Tomlinson comments on BTS surpassing One Direction's global pop records.
• He credits One Direction for breaking the traditional boy band mould
• Tomlinson's solo album How Did I Get Here? releases January 23

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Louis Tomlinson has witnessed the highs and lows of global pop music up close.  From his days as a member of One Direction—the boy band that sold out stadiums, broke records, and captured hearts worldwide—to watching new acts rise to stardom, he has seen the music world evolve firsthand.

In a recent interview, Louis Tomlinson opened up about observing BTS take over the global music scene. While he admits he doesn’t closely follow bands that emerged after One Direction, the meteoric rise of the South Korean group was impossible to ignore.

Reflecting on those years, Louis Tomlinson recalled how, at one point, every time he opened X (formerly Twitter), there was news of BTS breaking yet another One Direction record.

“It’s not something I paid like loads of attention to, but there was a time where BTS, they just like got to their peak, kind of they’re still there, but when they’re on the way up and I felt like every time I logged into Twitter, they just taken one of our like. Like some record for the fastest selling thing and they’re taking it and I just felt like every week, I just saw a new thing taken away from BTS,” he said.

He added with candid honesty, “When I was reading that about probably about six, seven years ago now, did made me a little bit ashamed. It’s like, oh, we had all these things, but I don’t begrudge them that. It’s not something that I’m listening to all the time, obviously, but I think that’s the nature of the music industry. It keeps moving.”

Louis Tomlinson also emphasised what made One Direction stand out. He believes the group broke free from the usual boy band mould, allowing their personalities to shine. “I still don’t think there’s been anything similar to One Direction. I’m sure people are trying, but I just think what was really interesting about One Direction is that every boy band that had come before us would fit into quite a specific mould. There was a way of doing boy bands back in the day, dressing all in the same outfits, dancing, etc. We kind of broke free from that mold and I think that was an important thing in pop, for us to actually have a personality and not just be yes people. So, yeah, that’s something I’m really proud of,” he explained.

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Looking ahead, Louis Tomlinson is preparing to release his next solo album, How Did I Get Here?, set for January 23.

Coming after a difficult period marked by the loss of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne in October 2024, the album is a deeply personal project, reflecting both his journey as an artist and the resilience that has defined his career.