Leon Thomas Brings the Soul to Groovy Tiny Desk Concert Debut: Watch

Tiny Desk Concerts have become a rite of passage for artists, and Leon Thomas checked off another box in his ascension on Thursday (Feb. 20) as the R&B star made his debut on the NPR office stage.

Rocking a Satoshi Nakamoto T-shirt, shades and his red-dyed braids hanging out of his bandana, Thomas strummed his guitar and let his intoxicating vocals sedate the audience.

The Nickelodeon alum kicked off his set with the rock-fused “VIBES DON’T LIE.” “This has to be the most lit office of all time,” he said in the midst of his performance. “I’m f—ing with y’all.”

Per NPR, Thomas beat a snowstorm to fly in and was even a half-hour earlier than expected. Flanked by a live band and a pair of vocalists, the 31-year-old singer performed the jazzy “YES IT IS” and his album title track “MUTT,” which invaded the Billboard Hot 100 earlier in February to give Thomas his first chart entry.

Thomas took it back to Electric Dusk to close out with catalog staples “Breaking Point” and “Treasure in the Hills,” proving performance artistry is still alive and well.

There are plenty of firsts taking place for Thomas in his burgeoning career. In addition to “Mutt” cracking the Hot 100 at No. 100, the Brooklyn-born polymath made his late-night television debut on Feb. 6 with a dazzling performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Thomas’ Mutt topped Billboard‘s Best R&B Albums of 2024 list, and the singer slotted in at No. 6 on our Hottest R&B Singers of 2025 list.

“With the release of Mutt – an introspective survey of relationships in the social media age, told through rock-infused R&B and soul – Thomas quickly became one of the hottest names in R&B,” staff writer Kyle Denis wrote. “Whether you’re hearing “Answer Your Phone” in a bar or turning up to “Yes It Is” at an R&B function, Thomas has the hottest album in R&B right now. Just ask SZA or Keke Palmer or Issa Rae.”

Watch Leon Thomas’ Tiny Desk Concert below.