Love, Lyrics & Longevity— A Press Conference with Leon Thomas
Leon Thomas/Photo courtesy of °1824
On Friday, °1824, a youth-led arm of Universal Music Group, held a virtual press conference for Leon Thomas. The press conference offered fans and media outlets a unique window into his career leading up to his debut album Electric Dusk, set to drop on August 18th. He also opened up about the discomfort in writing music about his personal experiences and his overall excitement about releasing this project after facing many obstacles. In addition to answering our questions about new music, the audience took a few moments to get acquainted with Leon as an artist. He recalls working in a studio session with Meek Mill, when James Harden interrupts the session with a group of women, giving Meek the boost to turn the session up one more notch. That moment painted a (laughable) perception that studio sessions would always be party-like as he elevated in success, particularly in the hip-hop space. More importantly, it was inspiring to see the rapper and athlete synergy help the creative process in real time. In the R&B space, he touched on the joy in writing for others but notes the commitment in having to separate those favors from his own projects.
With an enormous buzz around his release, we were grateful that Leon uncovered some additional layers behind the project. He describes the album as having a 70’s psychedelic sound, blended with modern R&B and hip-hop elements, while also being influenced by Black Romance classics such as Love Jones and Love & Basketball. That recipe has stayed consistent so far from the singles to the visuals that accompany them. The push to create this album was tethered to what’s known as the “Drake effect”, where industry decision-makers suddenly find interest in your artistry after working with Drake, following his contributions on Certified Lover Boy.
We were also privy to tour preparation, as he’s set to hit the road in the fall with Ty Dolla $ign and Symba. Leon is eager to reciprocate the love on stage with his core fans and gain new fans as an opener. When asked about his decision to sign with EZMNY Records, Ty Dolla’s joint partnership with Motown Records, Leon replied that he wanted to replicate in R&B, the relationship Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem have in hip-hop. He believes their big-bro-little-bro dynamic can permeate through the music, creating a new experience within the genre.
As Leon looks to the future of R&B, he hopes that patience overrides output for new artists. “Take your time, tell a story and pull from your actual life so your music is relatable” he expressed. Following a slower pace in the studio, he hopes that artists are conscious about injecting more live elements in their music, as we’ve so often heard from artists such as Cleo Sol, Baby Rose and The Internet. For his personal agenda, he’s prioritizing a route to release music he’s worked on with Ty Dolla $ign and continuing dope collaborations with artists, including former co-star Ariana Grande. After years of tirelessly grinding behind the scenes, Leon Thomas is aiming to become one of the most transformative artists in music going forward.