Louis Tomlinson took the stage at Racket NYC in Chelsea on Jan. 23 to celebrate the release of his third studio album “How Did I Get Here?”
The singer announced the concert on Instagram with SiriusXM, offering fans the chance to sign up for presale due to the venue’s intimate capacity of 650. His previous album release concert took place at Irving Plaza, which has a capacity of over 1,000 seats.
Tomlinson opened the show with his song “Written All Over Your Face,” which is the second track from his sophomore album “Faith in the Future.” He also debuted the track “Jump the Gun” from his new album. The concert lasted a little over an hour with Tomlinson performing 16 songs, six of which were from his new album. He performed his lead singles “Lemonade,” “Palaces” and “Imposter” along with a live debut of “Broken Bones” and “Lazy.”
“There’s been a lot of anticipation leading up to today,” Tomlinson said. “I’ve been really really excited to show off this new record. Thank you for all your support.”
His third album consists of 12 songs and runs for 36 minutes. The first single off the album, “Lemonade,” was released in September 2025. Fans were appreciative of the new direction that Tomlinson’s music seemed to be leaning toward.
“I feel a new sense of confidence in this record, and that is all down to you lot.” Tomlinson said to the crowd of fans at Racket NYC.
His past two albums leaned into a more pop-rock genre featuring ballads and tracks that covered themes of grief, heartbreak and growth. The new album has an indie-pop sound with elements of alternative, funk and synth-pop. It explores themes of fame, love, reflection and nostalgia.
The album was recorded in Costa Rica over the course of three weeks in early 2025. The vibrant atmosphere of Santa Teresa shaped the album’s feel of a more laid-back indie sound than his earlier works.
Tomlinson credits his past two tours with giving him the confidence to put out this new album for fans.
The touring experience, and being in a room full of fans singing his songs, gave him the resilience to look toward the future and create songs built for that live experience.
“It’s always really important for me that we share our success together, me and the fans,” Tomlinson said in an interview with Jimmy Fallon. “It’s an obvious thing to say, but I wouldn’t be playing those rooms without them, I wouldn’t be sat in this chair without them.”
Tomlinson is set to embark on his third global concert tour, “How Did We Get Here?” opening in Europe and ending in the U.S., spanning four months between March and July. His upcoming tour will reflect a more traditional arena-pop atmosphere as opposed to his more intimate shows with limited capacity on his earlier tours.
Tomlinson will return to New York City to perform at Madison Square Garden on July 8. His sold-out solo show will mark his first time performing at the historic venue since One Direction’s concert there in December 2012.
In an interview with podcaster Zach Sang, Tomlinson marveled at his journey and the growth he has had since being a member of One Direction. “If you’re a fan and you come to Madison Square Garden, just be in awe of the situation like me and celebrate that shit together,” he said. “I’m sure deep down some of my fans still never thought I’d be at that kind of thing because it didn’t look like that at the start.”
