Rolling Stone: Louis Tomlinson Reflects on One Direction Days in Documentary Trailer: ‘It Was the Band or Nothing’

The film, All of Those Voices, arrives in theaters March 22

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 1744 -- Pictured: Musical guest Louis Tomlinson performs on Friday, November 11, 2022
Musical guest Louis Tomlinson performs on Friday, November 11, 2022 TODD OWYOUNG/NBC VIA GETTY IMAGE

THE ROLLERCOASTER DROP that signified the end of One Direction is the very first clip played in the trailer for Louis Tomlinson’s upcoming documentary All of Those Voices. “Performing for one last time tonight,” a voice announces, backed by impassioned screams. “It’s One Direction.” In the preview for the film, out March 22, the singer reflects on how much he took those words to heart.

“I thought, for me, it was the band or nothing,” Tomlinson says. “It was hard for me to imagine myself on my own. I didn’t see a way back, not even musically – just to do anything.”

The band’s final performance brought them back to where it all began. Appearing on The X Factor UK season finale in December 2015, One Direction performed “Infinity” and “History,” a song that promises “this is not the end” while serving as a parting message ahead of an 18-month hiatus that has now lasted seven years. A month prior, they had performed the song during their final concert together in Sheffield on the On the Road Again tour.

“I started to feel like, oh, maybe I do have some individual worth,” Tomlinson adds, jumping ahead to when the dust had settled. “What about making some music on me own?” The singer, who released his second solo record, Faith in the Future, last year, then recalls a conversation he had with his late mother about the prospect. “She was like, ‘Well that’s obviously what you’re going to do.’”

Tomlinson’s voice is layered over footage captured in studios, on the beach, in the company of his friends, and backstage before he hits the stage all on his own, performing to sold-out crowds internationally. “It does kind of feel like, finally, the stars might be aligning for me,” he explains. “I think, dare I say, I’m ready.”

All of Those Voices captures Tomlinson in true form as he grapples with “the highs of superstardom to the lows of personal tragedy,” all while becoming a father and settling into the central role of his own musical journey. “I finally feel worthy of where I am and what I’m doing,” he says in the trailer. “Welcome to my world.” 

Louis Tomlinson Shares ‘All of Those Voices’ Documentary Trailer – Rolling Stone