{"id":798906,"date":"2026-02-18T14:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T13:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/numero.com\/?p=798906"},"modified":"2026-02-18T14:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T13:46:45","slug":"leon-thomas-iii-the-rnb-genius-behind-sza-and-ariana-grandes-hits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/leon-thomas-iii-the-rnb-genius-behind-sza-and-ariana-grandes-hits\/","title":{"rendered":"Leon Thomas III, the R\u2019n\u2019B genius behind SZA and Ariana Grande\u2019s hits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a2d0dfc40f42&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a2d0dfc40f42\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/General-DSP-Press-Select-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"New R'n'B star Leon Thomas III &#xA9; Universal Music Group.\" class=\"wp-image-797095\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leon Thomas III. \u00a9 Universal Music Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leon Thomas III, the artist who collaborated with Ariana Grande and SZA<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At just 32, American actor, singer-songwriter and artistic director Leon Thomas III has already, or perhaps at last, established himself as a major figure in R\u2019n\u2019B music. First, thanks to his unmatched mastery of groove &#8211; that volcanic, swaying rhythm inherited from blues and gospel. Then, thanks to the most emblematic hits he composed in the past few years. Among them are <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/how-sza-emerged-as-todays-biggest-rnb-star-2\/\"><strong>SZA<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s banger <strong><em>Snooze<\/em><\/strong> (2022), several tracks for <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/ariana-grande-why-is-2024-her-year\/\"><strong>Ariana Grande<\/strong><\/a>, like <strong><em>Honeymoon Avenue<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>Tattooed Heart<\/em><\/strong>, and three songs from <strong>Drake<\/strong>\u2019s cult album <strong><em>Certified Lover Boy<\/em><\/strong> (2021). He has also worked with <strong>Snoh Aalegra<\/strong>, <strong>Post Malone<\/strong>, <strong>Ella<\/strong> <strong>Mai<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/interview-with-kehlani-the-spiritual-and-sensual-rnb-singer-praised-by-jay-z-and-drake\/\"><strong>Kehlani<\/strong><\/a> and <strong>Giveon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Physically speaking, one cannot miss him. He always has his black sunglasses on wherever he goes and his dreadlocks with scarlet ends. But what stands out, above all, is his expressive singing, built on melismas &#8211; melodic figures in which several notes are sung on a single syllable &#8211; and call-and-response phrases &#8211; a series of two musical lines, the second answering the first one. Through two albums, several mixtapes and EPs, the artist has fused the legacy of soul from the 1960s and 1970s with psychedelic rock textures and the narrative codes of modern pop.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zvNcNP1Ac7o&amp;list=RDzvNcNP1Ac7o&amp;start_radio=1\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zvNcNP1Ac7o&amp;list=RDzvNcNP1Ac7o&amp;start_radio=1<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leon Thomas \u2013<em> Mutt <\/em>(2024) (Live Performance for Genius Open Mic).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Broadway to the Grammy Awards<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born in the heart of Brooklyn,<strong> Leon Thomas III<\/strong> discovered singing and acting as a child. A multi-instrumentalist, he found himself propelled onto the stage alongside legends, such as American trumpeter <strong>Wynton Marsalis<\/strong>. At just ten years old, he landed the role of young <strong>Simba<\/strong> in the Broadway production of <strong><em>The Lion King<\/em><\/strong>. After several years on stage, he joined the cast of the series <strong><em>Victorious<\/em><\/strong> (2010), alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/movies\/wicked-for-good-the-sequel-to-the-musical-with-ariana-grande-takes-shape\/\"><strong>Ariana Grande<\/strong><\/a>\u2026 But like <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/miley-cyrus-what-to-think-of-her-new-album-something-beautiful\/\"><strong>Miley Cyrus<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/how-olivia-rodrigo-became-a-pop-rock-phenomenon\/\"><strong>Olivia Rodrigo<\/strong><\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/sexy-cover-controversy-what-to-expect-from-sabrina-carpenters-new-album\/\"><strong>Sabrina Carpenter<\/strong><\/a> before him, he quickly managed to shed his teen-actor image. Indeed, <strong>Leon Thomas III <\/strong>had other ambitions. He set out to carve his own path in music, becoming a behind-the-scenes songwriter for major stars.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His career reached a new peak last February, at the <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/kendrick-lamar-named-chanels-new-brand-ambassador\/\"><strong>68th Grammy Awards ceremony<\/strong><\/a>, where he performed live and won over the audience. That night, he took home two major awards &#8211; \u201cBest R&amp;B Album\u201d for <strong><em>Mutt<\/em><\/strong> (2024) and \u201cBest Traditional R&amp;B Performance\u201d for the track <strong><em>Vibes Don\u2019t Lie<\/em><\/strong> (2024). A feat of endurance, as he said, for he knew the ceremony well\u2026 Back in 2019, he had already won a <strong>Grammy Award<\/strong> for Best Rap Song for his collaboration on <strong>Rick Ross<\/strong>\u2019s track <strong><em>Gold Roses<\/em><\/strong>, featuring <strong>Drake<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vTfd54EO_YY&amp;list=RDvTfd54EO_YY&amp;start_radio=1\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vTfd54EO_YY&amp;list=RDvTfd54EO_YY&amp;start_radio=1<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leon Thomas \u2013 <em>Vibes Don&#8217;t Lie<\/em> (2024).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><h2>The global hit <em>Mutt<\/em><\/h2><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After years spent shaping other artists\u2019 careers, <strong>Leon Thomas III<\/strong> signed with <strong>EZMNY Records<\/strong>, <strong>Ty Dolla $ign<\/strong>\u2019s label in partnership with <strong>Motown<\/strong>, in May 2022. However, his first solo album, <strong><em>Electric Dusk<\/em><\/strong> (2023), got a lukewarm reception. Inspired by a breakup and by his dog, he then started working on <strong><em>Mutt<\/em><\/strong>, released in September 2024. The album blends silky R\u2019n\u2019B, jazzy soul and psychedelic rock. Its success would prove phenomenal.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unapologetically sexy and driven by shimmering synths and razor-sharp snares, the title track climbed to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. A remix featuring <strong>Freddie Gibbs<\/strong> and another version with <strong>Chris Brow<\/strong>n propelled the song up the Anglo-American charts. Even <strong>Stevie Wonder<\/strong> personally praised him for <strong><em>Mutt<\/em><\/strong>. As for the deluxe edition, released in 2025, it features guests like <strong>Kehlani<\/strong> and <strong>Big Sean<\/strong>. In total, the album has been streamed over 1.2 billion times, and the title track has been certified platinum in the United States.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Mutt (2024) by Leon Thomas III, available now. Live at the Trianon in Paris on March 22nd, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leon Thomas III, the artist who collaborated with Ariana Grande and SZA At just 32, [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/leon-thomas-iii-the-rnb-genius-behind-sza-and-ariana-grandes-hits\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from Leon Thomas III, the R\u2019n\u2019B genius behind SZA and Ariana Grande\u2019s hits<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":797094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,87,3177,3085],"tags":[2123,2218,2424],"class_list":["post-798906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-culture-en","category-music","category-musique","tag-ariana-grande-en","tag-drake-en","tag-sza-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Leon Thomas III, the R\u2019n\u2019B genius collaborating with SZA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Leon Thomas III has established himself as the new R&#039;n&#039;B genius. 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