Louis shares why the song never felt natural to him
Louis Tomlinson revealed in a recent BBC Radio 2 interview with Scott Mills that his least favorite One Direction song to perform was always “What Makes You Beautiful.” Speaking on the show, he explained that the pop hit felt too sugary and too polished for his taste. He labeled it as One Direction’s most pop-driven and bubblegum pop era, even though he understands how important the track was to the band’s success.
The early years of the band shaped how he saw the song
The singer also explained that performing the song felt awkward when he was younger. Revealing that being in a boy band did not always feel cool when he was 18 years old, and especially during the group’s beginnings. According to him, singing lyrics like “Baby, you light up my world like nobody else” felt a little corny on stage. He even said the line sounded like something that could belong in a Disney film.
🎥| “I: Qual è la canzone che ti piace di meno?
L: What Makes You Beautiful. Per sempre.
I: Louis, è una buona canzone.
L: Okay, ti credo sulla parola. […] Non sto mettendo in discussione il percorso perché alla fine è andato bene. Però anche quando la cantavamo, mi è… pic.twitter.com/R1Td648Qal
— 🇮🇹 LT Italy ໑̣ (@LT91UPDATESIT) March 18, 2026
“Performing that always felt so eggy,” he revealed. “At the time I was 18, and it wasn’t the coolest thing to be in a boy band, and then we got really big, so it was cool… But for the first couple of years it wasn’t really like that.”
But these revelations about “What Makes You Beautiful” are not new. The singer has previously opened up about his feelings on the song. Back in late 2025, he had a Q&A with Capital FM. During the segment, he shared that he was not sure there was a single time “he enjoyed” performing the track, saying it always felt like a “bit of a challenge.”
🎥| 'What's the one song you hate, hated performing?'
“The thing is with this, the irony of this game of like shredding is like I am an open book. I will just give you every answer. So maybe some people wouldn't answer this, but I'm not sure there was a single time I performed… pic.twitter.com/EVWobinTxR
— World Tomlinson (@LouisWT91World) November 28, 2025
He still respects the song’s success and the band’s history
Released in 2011 as the lead single from their debut album “Up All Night,” “What Makes You Beautiful” reached #1 in the United Kingdom and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. In the same interview, Louis Tomlinson admitted his favorite One Direction song is probably “Story of My Life,” which he described as a real moment for the band. For those who might not know, One Direction was formed in 2010 and remained active until the group announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016. The group members are still releasing their solo project, including Louis himself. This January 2026, Louis Tomlinson released his third solo album, How Did I Get Here?, and he is expected to begin a world tour later in March 2026.