Leon Thomas Breaks Down His 'Science' of Hit-Making — and What His Latest Grammy Win for SZA Taught Him (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Leon Thomas.Photo:Raymond Alva

Raymond Alva

ForLeon Thomas, there’s a “science” to crafting great music. Just as he jokes there’s a “science” to conducting interviews mid-haircut.

While backstage at his sold-out gig at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in his home turf of Brooklyn, the 31-year-old R&B hit-maker couldn’t help but laugh about squeezing together two parts of his schedule in order to make things work — a quick haircut he needed ahead of some on-camera appearances the next day, and his interview with PEOPLE.

Thomas' pre-show schedule adjustment only makes sense for someone whose career is taking off the way his has in recent years. While the multi-hyphenate has been a familiar face in Hollywood since his breakthrough work on Nickelodeon and a fixture in the music industry with his production and writing credits for the likes of Drake, Ariana Grande andSZA, his latest chapter is proving that he’s just as capable of dishing solo hits and commanding rooms of fans with a guitar and live band. And, from the look of his latest sold-out shows, the music is clearly resonating.

Leon Thomas.Raymond Alva

As he promotes his sophomore albumMutt, released in September, Thomas is now performing to fans across the U.S. on his own, and they’re showing out for him in numbers he hasn’t seen before.

“After the shows, I definitely have those exhale moments that are just so beautiful, seeing sold-out crowds and people enjoy the music and really identify with it. It’s something I dreamt of, something I have on my wall,” he says. “It’s a beautiful thing to be here now..”

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While the singer-songwriter has a long history of working behind-the-scenes and lending his talents to others' projects, he says he’s become “comfortable” on stage solo, especially in Brooklyn. After all, growing up in Park Slope, he attended several local concert series with his family, and even caught a glimpse of a six-songPrinceset at the age of 12. “It was s— like that that really helped me understand it and want to hit the stage, prepared and ready to go,” Thomas says of Prince, who he saw again years later at The Forum in Los Angeles. “He’s definitely my hero. I wish I could have met him.”

He may not have gotten the chance to rub shoulders with Prince, but Thomas' list of collaborators (including people he refers to as “actual legends”) seems to grow longer each time he releases new solo material. BeyondAriana Grande’s"Nasty," Giveon’s “For Tonight” andDrake’s"Pipe Down," Thomas notably co-producedSZA’s"Snooze" and earned the Grammy Award for best R&B song in 2024 as a result.

That trophy is now sitting in a cabinet in his home as a reminder of how far he’s come. “I really do my best not to let that get too in my head because it’s so much work to do,” Thomas says. “And it is a blessing to be up there [at the Grammys] representing SZA. But I’d really love to be up there as an artist one day. So I’m working hard.”

Awards mean a lot to Thomas, but he tells PEOPLE he’s keeping his current focus on “building a community” of fans with his solo material — something he’s continuing to do withMutt.

“I’m trying to create that psychedelic feeling in R&B and it’s a really tough thing because the genre is pretty iron clad,” he says. “They like certain colors, certain vibes, certain things, but I’m doing my best to dare to be different.”

During the two-year process behind the album — which he ultimately started while wrapping up his 2023 projectElectric Dusk— Thomas soundtracked his life with music from the Alchemist, Madlib, Freddie Gibbs and Griselda, while also diving into some Black Sabbath and Roy Ayers during the latter half of the creative process. He’s also been just as big on documentaries in recent years, including a documentary on theRed Hot Chili Peppers.But Thomas, while starting to record footage of his own journey, has a “theory” about keeping cameras around his orbit too much as his career progresses.

The album title itself is thanks in part to Thomas' own mutt: his German Shepherd and Husky mix, Terry. The pup was a gift from his ex-girlfriend, and while Thomas says he “represented the deterioration of that whole situation,” he’s enjoying seeing the dog’s personality as time goes on.

“I’ve been so busy with things, he’s not super trained, but he’s a good kid. I love my dog. A whole lot,” Thomas says, before sharing that he indeed sees a bit of himself in Terry.

He adds: “I’m a free spirit. I want to do what I want to do. He’s a good dog. He doesn’t always do the right thing, but he does have good intentions.”

Mutt— the album, not the dog — marks what Thomas is calling just “one chapter” in a career that’s sure to see more homecomings in the future. As he explains, he hopes people from “every walk of life” can resonate.

“It may not be the most PG album I’ve ever done, but I think there’s elements for different demographics, just knowing that I needed something for the young people and something for the real R&B heads, the OGs, the lovers of vintage funk and the real singers,” he says of his target audience. “Sometimes you try to guess what people would want from you, but I’m glad that I’m in a position where I could just honestly be myself and it worked out.”

“It’s really soundtrack music, so I’m just hoping people fall in love to it. Heal from breakups to it. If we can continue to build together, this will just be one chapter of many in a long series of books.”

Muttis now available via Motown / EZMNY Records.

source: people.com