Grammy Award-winning artist Leon Thomas will release his new EP Pholks on 24 October through EZMNY/Motown Records, extending a remarkable run that has seen him become one of the most talked-about names in modern R&B.
The new collection follows Thomas’ breakthrough album Mutt, which not only topped charts around the world but also redefined expectations of what 21st-century R&B could sound like. Mutt became a cultural marker, landing at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart almost a year after release, spawning a deluxe edition (Heel), and producing viral performances such as his 2024 NPR Tiny Desk concert, which has racked up more than 3.7 million views.
Now, with Pholks, Thomas is looking to push even further.
Described by Thomas as “a love letter to beautiful chaos and the need to feel,” Pholks promises to fuse the groove of funk, the depth of classic R&B, and the grit of rock into something raw and boundary-breaking. The EP doubles down on the creative risks of Mutt, positioning Thomas not just as a singer, but as a multi-instrumentalist and visionary shaping the genre’s next era.
To preview the record, Thomas has released a new single, Just How You Are. The track fuses funk, rock and R&B into what he calls a “raw, electric confessional,” capturing late-night chaos, fractured memories and the kind of love that thrives on disarray. The accompanying video, starring actress Lovie Simone, throws Thomas into a smoky, underground setting, pairing performance scenes with surreal, psychedelic imagery.
Leon Thomas is no overnight sensation. His career began in the mid-2000s as a Nickelodeon actor and singer, starring in Victorious alongside Ariana Grande. But behind the scenes, Thomas was already developing his chops as a songwriter and producer.
He went on to co-write and produce tracks for the likes of Drake (Take Care), Post Malone, and SZA. His Grammy came from his work on Babyface and Toni Braxton’s 2014 album Love, Marriage & Divorce. But it was Mutt that saw him step out as a fully realised solo artist – a project that blended R&B, funk, psychedelia, and storytelling with collaborators including Kehlani, Big Sean and Halle Bailey.
Thomas’ rise has been meteoric. Named Billboard’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year, MTV’s PUSH Artist of the Month, and even dubbed the “new king of R&B” by Ty Dolla $ign, his music has already surpassed 1.2 billion streams. His single Mutt went platinum, hit No.12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and continues to dominate R&B charts globally.
To add to the excitement, Thomas is about to embark on his Mutts Don’t Heel world tour, produced by Live Nation. The North American leg kicks off 30 October in Dallas and has already sold out across major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago and Atlanta, with several shows upgraded to larger venues. Rising R&B star Ambré will support across the US run.
In 2026, the tour expands into Europe and the UK with dates in Berlin, Paris, London, Dublin and more, before reaching Australia in April. Thomas will play five Australian shows inBrisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth marking his first-ever headline dates in the country.
MUTTS DON’T HEEL NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES
North America 2025
30 October – Dallas, TX | House of Blues SOLD OUT
3 November – Austin, TX | Emo’s SOLD OUT
4 November – Houston, TX | Bayou’s Music Center SOLD OUT
5 November – New Orleans, LA | The Fillmore VENUE UPGRADE
7 November – Nashville, TN | Brooklyn Bowl SOLD OUT
9 November – Atlanta, GA | Tabernacle SOLD OUT
12 November – Ft Lauderdale, FL | Revolution SOLD OUT
14 November – Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore SOLD OUT
15 November – Raleigh, NC | The Ritz SOLD OUT
16 November – Silver Spring, MD | The Fillmore SOLD OUT
19 November – Philadelphia, PA | The Fillmore SOLD OUT
20 November – Boston, MA | House of Blues SOLD OUT
23 November – Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount SOLD OUT
24 November – Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount SOLD OUT
26 November – Toronto, ON | Danforth Music Hall SOLD OUT
28 November – Detroit, MI | The Fillmore SOLD OUT
29 November – Cincinnati, OH | Bogart’s SOLD OUT
2 December – Cleveland, OH | House of Blues SOLD OUT
3 December – Chicago, IL | Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom SOLD OUT
6 December – Minneapolis, MN | First Avenue SOLD OUT
9 December – Denver, CO | Summit SOLD OUT
11 December – Salt Lake City, UT | The Depot SOLD OUT
14 December – Seattle, WA | The Showbox SoDo VENUE UPGRADE
15 December – Seattle, WA | The Showbox SoDo VENUE UPGRADE
16 December – Vancouver, BC | Commodore Ballroom SOLD OUT
17 December – Portland, OR | Roseland Theater SOLD OUT
19 December – Oakland, CA | Fox Theater SOLD OUT
21 December – Phoenix, AZ | The Van Buren SOLD OUT
22 December – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern SOLD OUT
23 December – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern SOLD OUT
Europe/UK 2026
5 March – Helsinki, House of Culture
7 March – Stockholm, Fållan
8 March – Oslo, Sentrum Scene
10 March – Copenhagen, Vega
12 March – Warsaw, Klub Stodoła
15 March – Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt
16 March – Cologne, Live Music Hall
17 March – Brussels, La Madeleine
19 March – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg
20 March – Tilburg, Poppodium 013
21 March – Paris, Élysée Montmartre
22 March – Paris, Le Trianon
24 March – Bristol, O2 Academy
26 March – Birmingham, O2 Academy
27 March – Manchester, Academy
29 March – Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanizers
31 March – Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
3 April – London, Eventim Apollo
Australia 2026
10 April – Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
11 April – Melbourne, Forum
14 April – Sydney, Enmore Theatre
17 April – Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
19 April – Perth, Metro City
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