Faith in the Future is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson. It was released on 11 November 2022 independently through BMG.[1][2] Tomlinson announced the album's release date, track listing and album artwork on 31 August 2022.[3] The album was supported by three singles: "Bigger Than Me", "Out of My System" and "Silver Tongues". The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK making it his first in the country as a solo artist.[4]
Following the release of his debut album Walls, Tomlinson confirmed in July 2020 that he would be working on his second album.[5] Tomlinson confirmed that he had finished the album in August 2022.[6] Upon the album announcement, he wrote;
I'm so excited to finally tell you that my new album Faith In the Future is out 11th November. After living with this album for a while I can't wait for you all to hear it. Thank you for allowing me to make the music I want to make.[3]
Tomlinson also stated that he had enjoyed the recording process a lot more than working on Walls because, as he declared in his documentary All of Those Voices, he had the experience of playing two live shows from the tour Louis Tomlinson World Tour before the tour was delayed due to the COVID pandemic and that gave him the inspiration to found his new sound "something which honors the live show" [7] highlighting that "the thing I wanted to get out of this record, mostly, was to create a great live experience on the next tour" [8]
A deluxe CD zine edition of Faith in the Future includes two more songs, "Headline" and "Holding On to Heartache".[9]
Conception
On 29 September 2022, Tomlinson appeared on American DJ Zach Sang's YouTube podcast Zach Sang Show, where he talked about how Faith in the Future became the title of the album;
In lockdown, for whatever reason, that phrase found its way onto my lap and it spoke to me in a certain way. I wanted this album to feel more hopeful than my last record, and I think it does that from the off of that statement. About 9 months ago I put out on my social media that phrase with no context and I just felt there was this kind of magic around that phrase, so I kinda built the album around it.[10]
Inspired by making the album in the most authentic way Tomlinson decided to work with artists like Theo Hutchcraft, David Sneddon and Joe Cross from The Courteeners. They lock themselves in the countryside for the winter, as Tomlinson said "a writing camp",[11] and wrote "Silver Tongues", "Saturdays" and "She Is Beauty We Are World Class". Tomlinson believes that:
"Some professional songwriters - their intentions are quite obvious - it's their livelihood, so they're looking for singles, and unfortunately, when you look for singles - and there's that intention - in my opinion, it can affect the song and the reason that you're making the song."[12]
Singles
Tomlinson announced "Bigger Than Me" as the first single, which was released on 1 September 2022.[13][14] The second single, "Out of My System", was released 14 October 2022.[15] On 8 November 2022, Tomlinson announced via his social media that "Silver Tongues" will be released as the third single on the following day.[16]
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album has an average score of 68 out of 100, based on four reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
In a mixed review, Clash writer Robin Murray stated that "Faith in the Future" can at times become stuck in formula, failing to rock the boat in the process," and added that "It's all perfectly pleasant, but you end up yearning to an injection of… well, anything, really."[19]
Writing for Dork Jessica Goodman described the album as "eclectic, electric, and always energetic" while also stating that it's "a collection of songs purpose-made for pints-in-the-air, arms-around-shoulders, voices-to-the-rafters sing-alongs."[20]
Rhian Daly of NME notes that the record "feels much more assured" and "is a solid step forward as the musician continues what he's acknowledged will be 'an ever-evolving process'."[22]The Guardian's Alim Kheraj lamented that "Tomlinson himself, is lost in a sea of influences", but pointed out that "apocalyptic rave synths and woozy reverb-heavy guitars at least gesture towards experimentation."[23]
Accolades
At the end of 2022, Faith in the Future appeared on critics' lists ranking the year's top albums.
Faith in the Future debuted atop in the UK with 35,239 units sold in its first week making Tomlinson the fourth member of One Direction to achieve a number one solo album. [26] Tomlinson spoke about earning his first number one in the UK calling it "an absolute honour."[4] In addition, the album also peaked at number one in Argentina, Belgium, and Spain.
In the US, the album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 43,000 album-equivalent units, including 37,500 in pure album sales. This marks Tomlinson's highest-charting effort and his best selling week to date.[27]
