Louis Tomlinson references One Direction in surreal new music video for 'Walls' from upcoming debut album
Former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson has just dropped the official music video for 'Walls' — the fifth and final single from his debut album also called 'Walls' which is slated for release on January 31 this year.
The upcoming album will also feature previously released singles including 'Don’t Let It Break Your Heart', 'We Made It', 'Kill My Mind' and 'Two of Us'.
The singer took to social media on January 20 to make the announcement for the official music video — "The video for #Walls is here ! I'm so proud of this one. Being able to go to the Moroccan desert to film this was such an experience. Hope you enjoy it."
Directed by Charlie Lightening, the new music video for 'Walls' seems to perfectly mirror the mood for the track — the gradually-shifting sand dunes of the sunlit Moroccan desert are the perfect visual backdrop for the introspective and gently-building song.
And the track is definitely as inspirational as it is aspirational, going by the lyrics. "But these high walls, they came up short / Now I stand taller than them all / These high walls never broke my soul / And I watched them all come falling down for you," sings Tomlinson in the chorus.
The song has been co-written by Britpop legend Noel Gallagher (of Oasis fame), who currently tours with the band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
The 28-year-old singer said earlier this week that the song 'Walls' was about "coming home having been on tour, soon after the band had split."
"I found some of my girlfriend’s clothes in the cupboard and it hit me what I'd done. I love the indie sound of the song and its circular nature – it opens and closes with the same lyric." Check out the new music video below:
The intriguing visuals start off in a barren Moroccan desert landscape, which the young singer walks through until he encounters a mysterious, solitary door located in the middle of nowhere and confronts his reflection in a series of mirrored panels.
The video also features Tomlinson playing a jangling acoustic guitar and sitting on a chair that is precariously perched halfway up a brick wall. The imagery becomes even more surreal as the singer enters through the strange door into a well-lit ballroom.
Tomlinson lies down in the middle of a shooting target amid dancing guests dressed to the nines, sings in front of a fiery backdrop, and later wanders through a crowd of strangers wearing masks. By the end of the song, he and his band are seen performing on a glowing platform as the sun goes down.
Another scene definitely worth talking about features Louis taking his place next to four silhouetted young men who are seen standing in front of blinding bright lights.
While we can only see them from the back, it seems pretty clear that this image is a deliberate reference to Tomlinson's former One Direction bandmates, namely Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan who have all embarked on successful solo careers themselves.
We can't wait to see how Louis Tomlinson's solo career pans out as well! His debut solo album will release on January 31.