Louis Tomlinson Slams One Direction’s ‘Corny’ What Makes You Beautiful

Louis Tomlinson has been reflecting on the highs and lows of One Direction’s discography.

During an interview with Scott Mills on the Radio 2 breakfast show, the always-unfiltered singer was asked if there was a 1D song he least enjoyed performing live, and he didn’t exactly have to think long for an answer.

“What Makes You Beautiful,” he responded. “Always, always, always, always.”

He insisted: “I’m not undermining the journey, because obviously it worked out great. But also, performing that, always felt so eggy. Like, at the time, I was 18 – it wasn’t the coolest thing to be in a boyband, and then we got really big, so, like, it was cool, you know what I mean?

“But in the first couple of years, it wasn’t really like that. And so singing, ‘baby you light up my world like nobody else’, honestly, it wouldn’t be out of place in a Disney film. So it felt a little corny, you know? But it was a great song and I probably have my whole career to thank for it.”

As for his favourite One Direction single, Louis named Story Of My Life, which he co-wrote with his former bandmates.

“That was a real moment,” he recalled. “That’s not the kind of record you expect from a band like One Direction, and I think that was kind of a turning point for us.

“So I remember feeling really proud that wasn’t the kind of song that you could ever dance to. There was definitely a kind of mould of boybands before then, and I think that was a song that really helped us kind of break out of that.”

What Makes You Beautiful served as One Direction’s debut single, topping the UK singles chart and reaching number four across the pond.

Notably, Louis has not included it in the setlist of any of his solo live shows since the group disbanded, though he has performed One Direction hits Night Changes and Drag Me Down on tour.