Leon Thomas “Just How You Are” & Announces EP
Today, Grammy Award-winning artist Leon Thomas announces his forthcoming EP PHOLKS out October 24 via EZMNY/Motown Records. A love letter to beautiful chaos and the need to feel, PHOLKS doubles down on raw creativity following the acclaim of MUTT, marking a movement as bold as it is timeless, an experience meant to be disruptive, not just heard. Blending the groove of funk, the golden age of R&B, and the raw defiance of classic rock, the EP showcases his command as a multi-instrumentalist and visionary.
Accompanying the EP announcement, Leon unveils his new single and video “Just How You Are,” a genre-bending track fuses funk, rock, and R&B into a raw, electric confessional. With live instrumentation and Leon’s soulful delivery, it captures the chaos of late nights, fractured memories, and the sting of a love that thrives on disarray. The video, starring Lovie Simone, blends underground frit with a sultry, psychedelic edge, following Leon and Lovie from a hazy cab ride into a smoke-filled billiards club, Cutting between cinematic vignettes and performance shots, Leon is joined by D Phelps and Freaky Rob on live drums and guitar, fusing the electricity of rock with the soul of R&B.
This fall, Leon will embark on his MUTTS DON’T HEEL World Tour, produced by Live Nation, in support of HEEL, the deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed sophomore album MUTT. Before the tour, he headlined Billboard’s Hip-Hop & R&B LIVE concert on September 5 at Webster Hall in New York City, a marquee event during Billboard’s Hip-Hop & R&B Week. The completely sold-out North American leg kicks off October 30 in Dallas, hitting Austin, Nashville, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with rising R&B standout Ambré supporting. In 2026, the tour heads abroad with a run of European dates including London’s Eventim Apollo, Paris’ Élysée Montmartre, Berlin’s Huxleys Neue Welt, and Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre, before heading to Australia for stops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. Tickets are available HERE.
Leon Thomas recently released MUTT (LIVE FROM NPR’S TINY DESK) EP, featuring “YES IT IS,” “MUTT,” “VIBES DON’T LIE,” “Treasure in the Hills,” and “Breaking Point.” Expanding on a viral breakout that launched Leon into a new stratosphere following the release of his sophomore album MUTT, his Tiny Desk performance became one of the year’s biggest, surpassing 3.7M views to date and hitting #2 Trending on YouTube and #5 Trending on X. In May, Leon unleashed MUTT Deluxe: HEEL, the daring continuation of his critically acclaimed 2024 sophomore album, MUTT. Where the original navigated duality, HEEL bares its teeth, pushing his sound further into psychedelic R&B, raw rock textures, emotionally charged storytelling, and new collaborations with Kehlani, Big Sean, Halle, and more.
Leon Thomas continues to cement himself as a generational force in R&B, redefining the genre and sharpening its cultural landscape. The current cover star of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, Leon was also honored as Billboard’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year and received the Creative Visionary Award. Ty Dolla $ign recently underscored that sentiment, calling Leon the “new king of R&B” The album has amassed over 1.2 billion streams, and the title track, now certified platinum, hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, remains No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs, and rose to No. 1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales, R&B Streaming Songs, Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay and the UK R&B Singles Chart. He won Best New Artist and performed “MUTT” at the 2025 BET Awards, following a performance of “NOT FAIR” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Named Billboard’s Chartbreaker and MTV PUSH Artist of the Month, made his late-night debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show. MUTT was named the #1 R&B Album of 2024 by Billboard and VIBE, earning additional spots on several Best of 2024 lists. Praised by Rolling Stone, Billboard, VIBE, and UPROXX, the album and Leon’s NPR Tiny Desk performance cement him as “one of R&B’s most exciting” and defining voices. He also presented at the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards and received two MTV VMA nominations: MTV PUSH Performance of the Year for “YES IT IS” and Best R&B for “MUTT (Remix)” featuring Freddie Gibbs.
From a viral Tiny Desk to BET nods and Hot 100 climbs, Leon Thomas has spent the last year rewriting R&B’s rulebook. With the MUTT era and the arrival of PHOLKS, Leon pushes his momentum further–fiercer, bolder, and more boundary-defying than ever, emerging as a leading contender for Best New Artist at the 2026 GRAMMYs. Check out more on Leon Thomas here.