Louis Tomlinson All of Those Voices: 5 surprising things we learned from the documentary

A group huddle is how every good music documentary starts. And All of Those Voices doesn’t stray from what works. Louis Tomlinson’s camaraderie with the five members of his band mirrors the tight bond he had with his fellow members of One Direction. But this isn’t a One Direction movie, this is the story of an artist rising from the ashes of grief and self-doubt into superstardom.

In All Of Those Voices, Tomlinson gives fans an all access pass to his past and present, taking us along with him on his journey from being placed in One Direction over a decade ago on The X Factor to selling out a 30,000-person outdoor venue in Milan as a solo artist.

Tomlinson wants us to believe we’re watching the story of an underdog hitting his stride, but we’re really witnessing a star coming into his own and shining brighter than ever expected.

Here are some of the most interesting things we learned from the documentary.

Read more: How Louis Tomlinson had to find his purpose again to make Faith In The Future

One Direction’s big break came as a shock
Tomlinson has spoken a lot about how he feels One Direction had just hit their stride as a group leading up to the breakup. They were writing their own songs, they were making moves different than any boy band really had before, and he “felt like [they] were unstoppable.”

The singer shares that the five-piece were as tight as they could be, but when Zayn decided to leave it felt like the beginning of the end. Tomlinson was prepared for the band to call it quits, but he was angry rather than upset because he was fully committed to One Direction. 

He didn’t know if he had the skills to go solo
Never once in One Direction’s five years together did he even daydream about a solo career — it was always the band or nothing for him. After their final performance Tomlinson voiced concern about what would come next for him. 

Tomlinson and his team also discuss the feeling of having to prove himself to the masses. There was a fear that because he was most known for being in One Direction his solo music would be seen as less credible, especially if he made the type of music he really wanted to make. It doesn’t help that Tomlinson holds himself to an incredibly high standard, so he stresses over his live shows being pitch perfect.

Family is the most important thing to Tomlinson 
Throughout all the highs and lows of his personal and professional life, Tomlinson has always had his family back home in Doncaster to rely on. He comes from a large family unit including four younger sisters. He and his late mother, Johannah, had an incredibly close relationship. She had him when she was only 19 years old, and it was just the two of them for most of Tomlinson’s childhood.

In the documentary we hear from the singer’s grandparents, all of his sisters and even his son, Freddie, who lives in LA with his mom. Tomlinson reveals that his son doesn’t get to spend a lot of time in England, so he’s out in LA with him whenever he can spare some time, making sure to FaceTime with his family back home so they can be a part of Freddie’s life. 

Tomlinson views his backing band as his bandmates rather than employees
The camaraderie between Tomlinson and the band members he tours with is palpable. Watching them interact with each other, it’s as if they’re a six-piece fixture rather than a solo artist and hired touring musicians. Hearing Louis speak about how it meant so much to him that One Direction felt like a unit and seeing him replicate that feeling with his new bandmates is a beautiful full circle moment to watch.

We see multiple moments of the touring crew enjoying time together letting loose in places like Iceland, South America and Italy. Tomlinson even treats everyone to a day on a yacht, where his bandmates share with him how he’s unlike any other artist they’ve toured with because of how he makes them feel included. 

There’s a deep connection between Tomlinson and his fans
“You need me and I need you” is a common phrase heard coming from the Faith In The Future singer. A main theme of the film is how thankful and appreciative he is to have his fans. When the turn out for his lockdown livestream concert broke a Guinness World Record he fully understood how much his fan base supported him and wanted to see him succeed.

It’s not uncommon for fans to camp out for days and sometimes even months to get the opportunity to be up close and personal with Tomlinson. The love they feel for the singer is intense. So much so that it’s not uncommon for Louis to leave the stage with scratches on his neck and holes in his shirt. But he eats it up as much as they do. His dedication to making sure his fans know they’re seen is unparalleled, and something that needs to be seen to be believed.