How Did I Get Here? is the third studio album by the English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson. It was released on 23 January 2026 through BMG Rights Management. Cryptic posters were found in several cities around the world to begin promotion of the album. The first single, "Lemonade", was released on 30 September 2025. The album is notably thematically lighter than his previous record, Faith in the Future (2022), and took inspiration from a trip to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.
How Did I Get Here? is Tomlinson's third studio album and follows Faith in the Future (2022).[5][6] In January 2024, he said that he had "started drawing the outline in [his] head".[7] In April 2025, Tomlinson described the album as "sunny".[8][6] In May, Tomlinson posted a photograph of him inside a recording studio in front of a microphone.[9] By July 2025, the album was finished.[6]
The album drew inspiration from Tomlinson's 2025 visit to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.[10] In addition to Costa Rica, parts of the album were recorded in Los Angeles and England.[11] It was co-produced with Nico Rebscher.[12] Tomlinson described the album as "the record [he] always deserved to make".[13] Tomlinson will commence on the How Did We Get Here? World Tour in 2026 to support the album.[14][15] Describing the album, Tomlinson stated it was thematically more lighthearted that his previous record.[11]
Release and promotion
On 16 September 2025, Tomlinson released a website, "louis-lemonade.com", and posters bearing the words "Louis' Lemonade" were found around the world in cities,[16][17] including in Soho.[18] The first single for the album, "Lemonade", was released on 30 September 2025. Tomlinson announced the release on 23 September through a 15-second snippet posted to social media.[19] The album was released on 23 January 2026.[10]
The second single for the album, "Palaces", was released on 13 November 2025. A "punchy and anthemic slice of guitar-led pop",[20] Tomlinson describes it as "one of my favourite songs on the record since writing it."[21]
Will Richards for Rolling Stone rated it 4/5, calling the album "bright and bold".[25]
Ed Power for The Irish Times called the album "thumpingly okayish", rating it 3/5 stars and describing it as influenced by Oasis and Ed Sheeran.[24]
In a negative review, Will Hodgkinson for The Times criticised the "inoffensive but bland" nature of the album, giving it a final rating of 2/5 stars.[26]
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