When former One Direction member, Louis Tomlinson, announced the release of his first album, I was overjoyed. After being a die-hard One Direction fan since 2010, and living through 6 other solo album drops, I was ready for this one. However, I do not think anything could have prepared me for the emotion, truth, and pure beauty that Louis brought to this release. Here is a track-by-track review of the singer’s debut album Walls.
01. “Kill My Mind”
The first track of this album was a familiar one to people who followed Louis before the announcement of the record itself. As one of the most upbeat songs, it plays a crucial role in setting up the rest of the tracks. Its faster-paced music and more lucrative lyrics help to remind listeners of the overall tone that Tomlinson was going for. It’s a perfect song to dance to, drive around with, or even just sitting around listening.
02. “Don’t Let it Break Your Heart”
This is another familiar track to those who followed the promotion of this album. Louis released this song as a single after announcing the album drop. The classic theme of not giving up after heartbreak is ever-present in this track. This is an endearing song that I can see many people listening to when going through a tough breakup or even if one is struggling with other life situations. Though many of his fans can use this song, I think it was one he needed for himself as well.
03. “Two of Us”
THIS SONG. This song was another single that released many months before his big announcement in October. This was his first song for nearly two years. I woke up at 5 a.m. just to listen to this song, and then I cried. I cried, and I cried, and I cried (90/10 the song vs. waking up that early). This song was a tribute to his mom, Johannah Deakin, who passed away. In one of his videos posted to his YouTube, he explained that they tried to do the recording of this song in as few times as possible. This was to ensure the raw emotion could be captured and that everyone could feel the sadness and still hope that show up in it. As a listen, they achieved their goals in this song, and there is not a second of it that does not feel genuine and straight from his heart.
04. “We Made It”
This is the third single that came from this album before its official release. This is a song of growth, and, in the end, succeeding from that growth. This song had a lot of weight on its shoulders. It needed to follow the saddest song on the album that is meant to bring so much emotion. I think this song successfully did so. The way it swung the mood back to happy, and even though the song is not as upbeat as the first, it is much more so that “Two of Us.” It is a song that can bring one up from the dark and was a perfect follow-up.
05. “Too Young”
This is the classic “age got in the way” song that could have been expected from an album like this one. The tales of love that are told would not have been complete without the introduction to young romances. He approaches it in a way that takes blame equally away from himself and the other person, as well as placing it by apologizing. However, even though the apology is coming from him, it is clear that he is not the true antagonist. Right person, but the wrong time.
06. “Walls”
“Walls,” the final of the five singles that were dropped with this album. It is also the title track. I think that this was the perfect song to make the name. The story of allowing yourself to be open to someone else, even if it ends up hurting, ties every song on the album together. Because this album centers on love and heartbreak, the only way for either of those to happen is by breaking down one’s walls and allowing oneself to be vulnerable. Even if the bad comes, there is no chance for good without it. Without this piece of the entire picture, this album would not work, nor would it make as much sense.
07. “Habit”
This catchy tune is a nice lighthearted addition to the rest of the tracks. To turn someone into a habit and not just something is not a casual happening. However, the music that is paired with the lyrics of this song makes it seem like it is. It makes it seem easy and not near as scary as it can be. It is a good follow-up to “Walls” because it takes breaking walls down to the extreme.
08. “Always You”
This is a classic song of loss and wanting it back. It is an upbeat song for its topic, but it works. He seems to be good at taking poor situations and making them more positive. It’s a very repetitive track, but met with Louis’s gorgeous high notes; he turned it into something special.
09. “Fearless”
This may be one of the less relatable tracks on the album but in a good way. First, even though the topic for him specifically is not recognized by many, he still made it open enough that someone can take a similar message out of it. Second, this song makes me sad. It is talking about times when things were happier, and being Louis Tomlinson was thrilling. He has lost his life a bit to fame and fortune, but still would not trade it because he has to be ‘fearless.’ It’s a very emotional song that paired well with the mood exerted from the actual music.
10. “Perfect Now”
Take “Little Things” and make it grown up. That is what this song is. It is a song about loving yourself and how you are a queen, even without a crown. He wants you to take a look at yourself through the eyes of those around you and give yourself the love that they give to you. This song is definitely for his fans that come to him daily about how his music has helped them learn to love themselves. This is going to be another song that does that for his fans. Louis has always cared for his fans so deeply and to write music he knows can help them to feel that love and care. This song is an example of that.
11. “Defenceless”
This track is a good second to the last song. It’s regarding relationships (presumably) and how they have ups and downs. He is trying to get through to the other person, while they don’t necessarily want him to. He feels like he does not stand a chance, but he might actually. He does not want to say the wrong things in fear of losing. I feel like this could be translated to not only romantic relationships but platonic just as easily. It has flexibility and chances to be used in more than one situation.
12. “Only the Brave”
Another one of his personal tracks. This song is very much about him and his life experiences. Listeners can tell that it is more for him than the rest because it sounds very different than the rest of the album. It uses large room reverb and seems to echo with no reply. It reinforces the idea of the song that he has to get himself through the tough times. It helps to be surrounded by people, but without yourself, you have no one, not even an echo. It’s a short and sweet song that ties the entirety of the album together and solidifies his experiences that he spoke of throughout the rest.
This album is nothing short of beautiful. Though his debut seems late, I think that it was worth the wait. To be able to see him find his true sound and not force something else out made this album the one it is today. Without taking his time and recognizing his strengths and playing to those, we would have had a disaster on our hands. The way he does not hide his accent in his singing is so well done. By making all of his lyric videos for the tracks look the same and be in a handwriting font, it seems so much more personal to him. Watchers can tell that he wrote the names of all the songs at the beginning. Handwriting has been a theme that pops up throughout the release of his first single. To continue this is brilliant. Louis is a pure ray of sunshine, and the way he cared for and curated this album is what I would have expected and more. He didn’t dance around difficult topics like death but turned them into something relatable and hopeful. By making his experiences at the forefront of his album and making them fan-friendly, he has a masterpiece. Check out Walls now!
Feature Image courtesy of https://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/2020/louis-tomlinson/
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