The eventful few years separating Louis Tomlinson from 2022’s Faith in the Future and his third solo album more than justify the question he poses in the title How Did I Get Here?—a line taken from dreamy, soft-rock closing track “Lucid,” which narrates Tomlinson’s tenuously trippy connection to reality. Front-loaded with sugary, summery, lovestruck pop rock before opening the gate to a more insular excavation of Tomlinson’s darker mental recesses via the jagged chords and distortion of “Broken Bones,” the record is a game of two clear halves. Co-written with a clutch of old faithful collaborators including Jamie Scott (Tom Grennan), David Sneddon (Rag’n’Bone Man), and Hurts singer Theo Hutchcraft, the album kicks off with a rush of new-relationship energy. Sun-drenched tracks like “Lemonade” and “Lazy” add funky new shades to Tomlinson’s sonic palette, while “Last Night” builds a rush of apocalyptic euphoria onto skittering drum ’n’ bass production. Later, dramatic synth stabs punch up the “proper paranoia” of “Imposter,” in contrast to the slow, stripped-back climb to crescendo on “Dark to Light,” a poignant rendering of grief’s unanswered questions. And though “Jump the Gun” retains some of the Britpop-inspired swagger that has been foundational to Tomlinson’s identity post-One Direction, the bombastic pop energy that permeates much of How Did I Get Here? reflects a distinct—and welcomed—shift in his artistic approach.