Leon Thomas has come a long way from his days as a Nickelodeon star. The singer-songwriter and producer has made a name for himself thanks to bodies of work like his recent sophomore set MUTT. The album, which boasts the hit title track among several strong cuts, is quickly making audiences take notice. It’s also keeping him booked and busy, as shown by him snagging an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and now making his debut on NPR Music’s famed Tiny Desk Concert Series.
For his first time behind the desk, Leon made sure to keep the audience enthralled with selections from his recent album. He started with the soulful “VIBES DON’T LIE,” on which he waxes about women and relationships. The song’s cool vibes were emphasized by the live instrumentation and backing singers, which allowed him to throw in a few Isley Brothers riffs for good measure.
He followed that up with the sexy “YES IT IS” and “MUTT.” The former brought out Leon’s sensual side while also giving him and his supporting vocalists TK, Ayana Layli and Sha’Leah Nikole a chance to flex their R&B sensibilities with yearning vocals and an interpolation of Floetry’s quiet storm staple “Say Yes.” The latter got a slightly more upbeat arrangement as the band interpolated the sample used in the original while adding just a bit more bounce to the ounce.
Leon took the crowd back to his first album Electric Dusk with “Breaking Point” and “Treasure In The Hills.” Before he began “Breaking Point,” he dedicated the cut to his late grandfather, citing it as his favorite song. The tender ballad was done with care as he and the band slid into the song’s mood and gave it the gentle reverence it deserved. “Treasure In The Hills,” meanwhile, was a fitting closer as anyone unfamiliar with Leon and his talents definitely found R&B’s newest golden boy with this performance.
We must say that Leon Thomas did that! Get into the crooner’s much-talked-about Tiny Desk Concert when you press play below.
