Louis released his first solo song, "Just Hold On," in late 2016, right after his mom died from leukemia. He went on to release a string of other songs before dropping his full debut album, Walls, in January 2020. Louis also went back to his roots and joined The X Factor as a judge in 2018, mentoring the boys category and ultimately having one of his group win the entire show.
Louis also had a baby in early 2016, a little boy named Freddie, with former fling Briana Jungwirth. Louis has also played a handful of shows all over the world, even before dropping his album. The British singer has also kept up his philanthropy through the years, including when he joined the England team for Football Aid in 2016, where he played against Niall, who was on the opposing side.