Ashley Louis Tomlinson has been behind some of the most influential songs over the past 7 years. From smash hits brought to us by One Direction to his first solo tunes, Just Hold On and Back To You, he’s credited on some resounding songs in pop culture.
He’s got a voice that you can’t get out of your head, not that you even want to, and talent that far surpasses most. He’s been through a lot in his life, and while he’s been lucky enough to chase his dream, that dream came with its fair share of problems, too.
So when Louis announced on social media today that he’d be releasing ‘Just Like You’, not as a single, but a song he wanted to give to the fans – it proved it’s importance. The song is so special because it means so much to him. It allows him to tell his story in a way we haven’t heard it before.
The message of this one is simple, Louis wants to be ‘just like you’, but who is the ‘you’? Someone who isn’t constantly in the spotlight, someone who doesn’t have their every move dissected under a microscope, someone who can breathe without being judged for doing it wrong.
Louis has received some ‘in your face’ feedback on everything from his music to his personal life over the years, and he’s finally speaking out about the way it’s made him feel.
Night out and it’s ten grand
Headlines that I can’t stand
But you only get half of the story
The cash, the cars, and the glory
No sleep and we party ‘till morning
‘Cause nobody cares when you’re boring
At the end of the day, it’s not anger that he rests on. It’s not frustration that takes over, it’s just a longing to be ‘normal’, and for Louis, it just means a life with beer at the pub and having someone understand that his heart beats and breaks the same as everyone else.
None of this is to say Louis isn’t grateful for everything he’s earned during his time in the industry. In fact, he’s one of the most humble and grateful celebrities out there, but it is taxing – constantly living in the spotlight.
Yeah, I feel the same way as you would do too
Same stress, same shit to go through
I’m just like you
If you only knew
‘Just Like You’ is already playing on radio stations, trending on social media, and reaching number 1 on charts around the world, and it’s that teamwork between Louis and his fans that’s making it happen.
We don’t want to harp on the past, especially since Louis has grown so much since then, but it’s important to remember where he started out with all of this. He was not getting solos in the band, he was getting negative feedback on his voice, and he was being harsher on himself as a result. He didn’t have the confidence, for some time, to really embrace all that he was.
Now, he’s taking control of his story, he’s sharing his message, and he’s doing so with pride and appreciation. It’s what he deserves.
‘Just Like You’ is available for purchase on iTunes or you can stream the song on Spotify.
