“Defenceless” by Louis Tomlinson

Louis Tomlinson’s “Defenceless” features him being enraptured in a tumultuous relationship. And basically the lyrics are an expression of his feelings and observations. For instance, from the onset, he even hints that this may be a doomed romance.  Or rather let’s say that it is his overall love for the addressee, not what is actually transpiring at the moment, is what is actually keeping him committed.  Indeed in a physical sense he and his partner are very close. However, they have the tendency of burying their problems and letting them build up as opposed to confronting them. And Louis perceives this as being the core reason why they are not getting along to the point that he fears the relationship ending.

Even more specifically he blames his partner as being the main culprit behind this reality. That is to say that she has the tendency to guard her thoughts and feelings. In fact she is depicted as being prideful, as in someone who deems she must put up an invulnerable, unfazed stance for the good of the relationship.

But by contrast the singer himself is “defenceless”. What that means within the context of the song is that he is hiding nothing from her. And it can also perhaps be hypothesized that her aforementioned disposition has him even further concerned that she is not as interested in perpetuating their relationship as he is. And all lyrics considered, it can also be said that he is not too fond of the way she treats him in general.

Conclusion

So ultimately, it is such a theme of unrequited, or perhaps we can say incompatible love which underlines this entire effort.  And why? For just the fact that the singer’s lover ‘keeps on building up fences’ while he is simultaneously “defenceless” is symbolic of the overall fact that, at this particular moment, the two of them possess conflicting personalities.

When did “Defenceless” come out?

One of the labels behind this track is 78 Productions, which was founded by Louis Tomlinson himself. And the other two are Sony Music Entertainment and Syco Records.

“Defenceless” was released on 31 January 2020 as part of Louis Tomlinson’s first solo album, Walls. Tomlinson is an artist who has made a name for himself as a member of one of the most-popular boy bands of the 2010s, One Direction. And the singer also wrote this song, in conjunction with Sean Douglas and the track’s producer, Joe Janiak.

Song’s Success

Despite not being released as a single, “Defenceless” still managed to blow up, even a solid year after “Walls” was initially released. For example, it charted in over 50 countries via iTunes. And this is in addition to topping the famous platform’s World Song Chart. It also made Spotify’s list of the top 50 songs from around the entire globe. And even more notable from a historical context, this song also broke the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. It should be stated that this achievement has not been a common feat for Tomlinson as a soloist.

These notable achievements have been attributed to those who are sometimes referred to as Louies, i.e. fans of Louie Tomlinson who buttress his product on social media. These are individuals who long felt that Tomlinson does not get the recognition he deserves. According to them, they feel he is as good as the other One Direction members such as Zayn Malik and Harry Styles. Owing to this, they promote his music accordingly. And Louis himself went on to acknowledge the amazing feat of a non-single like this blowing up by thanking those involved who helped get it to that point.

And this is not the first time Louies have intervened on the singer’s behalf. In 2015 they were also behind an obscure One Direction song he led, entitled “No Control”, achieving viral status.

“Defenceless” premiered at a festival called the Coca-Cola Music Experience which was held in Madrid on the date of 14 September 2019.

Summary

All in all, this song has just one primary theme. And this is all about Louis trying to get his significant other to open up, in the name of saving their troubled relationship.

Who sings this track’s backing vocals?

That would be one Joe Janiak (who also co-wrote the song). Joe is a noted British singer and songwriter. Over the years, he has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including the likes of the following:

• Ellie Goulding
• Adam Lambert
• Britney Spears
• Take That