Claiming to have been turning a page in his life, the One Direction member declares in a social media post that he won't be competing with the likes of Drake and Ariana Grande for commercial success.

• Apr 23, 2019

AceShowbiz - Louis Tomlinson is ditching his quest to create instant pop hits after realising he doesn't need to "compete" with superstars like Drake and Ariana Grande following his teenage sister's death.

The singer has been working on his solo project ever since One Direction went on hiatus in early 2016, giving fans an early taste of what to expect with singles like "Miss You", "Back to You", and his Steve Aoki collaboration "Just Hold On".

However, his most recent release, "Two of Us", was a more personal tune dedicated to his late mother, and, after losing his 18-year-old sister Felicite Tomlinson in March, Louis has started to rethink the purpose of his forthcoming album.

He took to social media on Monday, April 22, to share his revelation with fans in a lengthy note, which begins with: "Wanted to get this off my chest".

"Someone recently said something very interesting about how so many people focus on the 'end game' without enjoying the doing," he writes. "I've been thinking a lot more about what success means to me. I feel like I've been mistranslating it for the last 3 years."

"Everything I've ever known in my career is straight down the middle pop. My expectations and aspirations are all shaped around my experiences, as much as I try and stay realistic I couldn't help but crave a 'hit' single."

"It's because of this that I've spent so long on this album, trying to fit into top 40 radio when in fact maybe I should start with what I love and work from there instead of trying to fit into top 40 radio."

Louis has since come to understand that the music he makes should be more of a reflection of his personal preferences, and not simply pop tunes for fans.

"Over the last few weeks I've put a lot of things into perspective and in fact what I should be doing is forgetting about perception and to a certain degree worry less about being defined on commercial success (sic)," he shares.

"I'm not here to compete with the likes of drake and Ariana grande (sic). I'm here to make music I love and make my fans proud to say they're a fan. Turning a page today."

"Enjoy today and enjoy the ride!" he concludes. "Don't get lost on the way up."