Leon Thomas teases new album: 'I was happy being single and wanted to document it'

After picking up his first Grammy (Best R&B Song for co-writing SZA's “Snooze”) earlier this year, Leon Thomas is gearing up to release his new studio album.

“This new album is definitely a different range of sound and sonics and even lyrical choices,” said Thomas Advertising sign ahead of his performance at Nashville's inaugural Blavity House Party on Friday (June 14). “I feel like the work I'm doing now is definitely elevated and continues to grow and build on who I am as an artist, [and] Doing shows really played into that. There's a lot of energy in what I've done.”

In August 2023, Thomas released his debut album, Electric twilight, which featured collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign (“Love Jones”) and Benny the Butcher (“X-Rated”), as well as the breakout single “Breaking Point.” He released the set on Motown Records via Ty Dolla $ign's EZMNY Records imprint, which signed Thomas as the label's first artist in 2022.

“[The last album was] after the breakup. 'Breaking Point' was the lead song that talked about that,” he explained. “[Going into the new album], I was on my only trip just doing my job and recorded a lot of the things I was going through. It is said Mutt, like a dog, because I feel that at that time I was a dog. I was happy being single and wanted to capture that in the R&B landscape and [there are] in many different ways that I do it. They're not all super toxic, a lot of them are very introverted and vulnerable too.”

Thomas, of course, is no stranger to traversing the vast range of tropes that span R&B and hip-hop, having lent his talents to songs by Toni Braxton (2014's “I'd Rather Be Broke”), Kehlani (“Butterfly” 2019), Ariana Grande (“Nasty” 2020), Giveon (“For Tonight” 2021), SZA (“Snooze” 2022) and Ty Dolla $ign & Kanye West (2024 “Burn”) . While the cast of players up Electric twilight remained relatively tight, a number of associates are in the kitchen to watch him.

“Me, Ty Dolla $ign, Wale, Baby Rose, we got together and did a bunch of different joints on there,” Thomas revealed. “I'm trying to see if we can keep the Madlib audience that I have, I hope it makes the album, that would be a really cool song for people to hear.”

Thomas released his latest single, “Dangerous Game,” a collaboration with ESTA, on May 24th.