Louis Tomlinson appeared on The Tonight Show to perform his recent single, “Imposter,” and to chat with host Jimmy Fallon about his new album, How Did I Get Here?, which is out today.
The former One Direction member took the stage alongside his band to showcase the pop song, released earlier this week. Tomlinson built the mood with flashing colorful lights and artfully-arranged piles of cords.
The track was written by Tomlinson with Nico Rebscher and Dave Gibson. “Imposter was written in the jungle in Costa Rica,” the singer explained of the song in a statement. “Conceptually it leans into the idea of identity. It’s probably the most melodic moment on the record, I’m really excited for the world to finally hear it!”
Tomlison and Fallon discussed the creation of How Did I Get Here? and the sense of “relief” the singer feels having now released it. “I’ve been sitting on it for a while now,” he said. “There’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of tension, but a lot of excitement too.”
The singer reflected on whether being part of One Direction prepared him to be a solo artist. “Every moment, every memory I have of One Direction is incredibly special, obviously,” he said. “But that experience, it was relevant, but somewhat. Being in a band and doing things collectively and sharing the pressure it’s a very different version of the same thing.”
He added, “This is the record where I feel really comfortable with it. And I felt really comfortable making it. I really enjoyed the process. I’m even enjoying the promo, which is a new thing for me.”
Tomlinson has been dropping Easter eggs for the album for a while. He told Fallon he tries to “imagine what it’s like to be a fan” so he likes to create “as much excitement around it” as possible. He noted that the Easter eggs did confuse Taylor Swift‘s fans.
“I think they were thinking it was somehow related to her album,” he said. “So I got free promo for a couple days.”
How Did I Get Here? is Tomlinson’s third solo album. The singer will embark on an extensive world tour in support of the LP, which will visit Europe and North America. The North American tour dates kick off on June 3 in Vancouver and continue through July 24, when the trek wraps in Miami.
“I sum up it as ‘The record I always deserved to make,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “My bread and butter is my honesty. I genuinely wear my heart on my sleeve, and I hope it comes through in the music.”
