Earlier this year at Coachella, funk forefather George Clinton gifted Leon Thomas a custom hat, lauding him as one of the contemporary torchbearers of the genre. A few months later, not only is Thomas still riding high on the success of “Mutt,” but he’s also doubling down on his funk inclinations with a new seven-song EP titled Pholks.
Featuring just one collaboration in the 4Batz-assisted “Lone Wolf,” Pholks deepens and expands the now-signature blend of funk, soul and classic rock that Thomas honed across Mutt. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter teamed up with frequent collaborators D. Phelps and Freaky Rob for the new project, resulting in standouts like the brooding “Baccarat,” new single “My Muse” and “Just How You Are,” which arrived earlier this month alongside a gritty, cinematic Lovie Simone-starring music video.
On Monday (Oct. 20), Thomas shared an official PHOLKS trailer narrated by Issa Rae, with whom he co-starred on HBO’s Insecure. “This man will make your liver quiver,” Rae declared in front of red stage curtains before introducing Thomas as “Soul Brother No. 1.” “This man will make your bladder splatter. This man will set your knees free.” Rae’s shimmering trailer also serves as smart transition into the next PHOLKS music video, an Arrad-helmed clip for “My Muse” featuring retro homes and sunlit pools.
Arriving a few months after he turned his viral NPR Tiny Desk set into an EP, PHOLKS is the latest in a year of career-shifting moves for Thomas. Over the summer he won best new artist at the BET Awards, “Mutt” became the highest-charting Hot 100 song of his career (No. 11) and he earned his first two MTV Video Music Awards nominations. Just last week (Oct. 17), Thomas joined Reneé Rapp’s Bite Me Tour for a surprise duet performance of “Mutt” at the Kia Fourm in Inglewood, Calif. Now, thanks to Mutt and its singles, Thomas is a frontrunner across the R&B and general fields at the 2026 Grammys.
Next week (Oct. 30), Thomas will head to Dallas’ House of Blues to kick off his headlining Mutts Don’t Heel Tour. The Billboard cover star will play venues across the U.S., Europe and Australia, before concluding on April 19 at Perth’s Metro City.
Stream PHOLKS now.
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