Leon Thomas is keeping his foot firmly planted on the gas pedal.
Just one month after gracing the cover of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, Thomas has officially announced his next musical project, PHOLKS. Comprised of seven new songs, the forthcoming EP is due Oct. 24 via EZMNY/Motown Records, and its funky lead single, “Just How You Are,” is currently available on all digital streaming platforms.
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Accompanied by a stylish, hazy music video featuring Forever actress Lovie Simone, “Just How You Are” builds on the sonic world of Mutt, Thomas’ acclaimed 2024 sophomore studio album, with a gutsier fusion of funk, rock and R&B. Thomas’ soulful vocals wrap around each element of the track’s live instrumentation — from the psychedelic edge of Freaky Rob’s guitar to the rollicking groove of D Phelps’ drumkit. “And if you know you had my heart/ Could never finish what you started/ You love to pick my world apart/ But that’s just how you are are are,” he sings in the chorus, tracing the arc of turbulent love that he simply can’t turn away from.
Billboard exclusively revealed PHOLKS as Thomas’ next project in his Aug. 30 cover story, and it will arrive less than a week before the Grammy winner kicks off his Mutts Don’t Heel world tour. Commencing on Oct. 30 at Dallas’ House of Blues, Thomas will play nearly 50 dates across North America, Europe and Australia, before ending his trek in Perth on April 19, 2026.
Last month (Sept. 5), Thomas headlined Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop LIVE at New York City’s Webster Hall, the same weekend he accepted breakthrough of the year at R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players. It’s been a winning year for the Nickelodeon alumnus thanks to the slow-burning rise of his hit single, “Mutt,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 and remains in the chart’s top 15 eleven months after its Aug. 2024 release. “Just How You Are” also arrives the same day first-round voting begins for the 2026 Grammys, where Thomas is a leading contender in both the R&B and General Fields.
Watch the “Just How You Are” music video below.