Louis Tomlinson has admitted he 'hated' performing One Direction hit What Makes You Beautiful and can't think of a single time he enjoyed singing it.
The song was the debut single by Louis and his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik back in 2011, after finding fame on The X Factor.
However 13 years later, Louis has admitted he can't stand the debut track which went to number one and gave them their first glimpse of stardom. He revealed singing the track has always 'felt like a challenge'.
In recent podcast appearances, Tomlinson has been candid about the emotional struggles he has faced, particularly following the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne’s close friend — a period he described as deeply painful. He admitted that revisiting old hits like What Makes You Beautiful often brought back difficult memories, making performing them emotionally taxing rather than purely celebratory.
Despite his personal struggles with the song, Tomlinson continues to honour the legacy of One Direction, performing for fans around the world while also pursuing his solo career. His reflections offer a rare glimpse into the human side of pop stardom, where chart-topping hits can carry unexpected emotional weight for the artists themselves.
