Autor: NexoRadio

Just one day after The Weeknd wrapped the latest North American leg of his ongoing After Hours Til Dawn Tour, the superstar announced on Thursday (Sept. 4) that the show must go on: He’s headed to Mexico, Brazil, the U.K. and Europe next year. The international extension of the tour kicks off with back-to-back shows on April 20 and 21 at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguro and includes an April 26 date at Rio de Janeiro’s Estádio Nilton Santos and April 30 and May 1 dates at São Paulo’s Estádio MorumBIS to fill out the remainder of the Latin American leg. Fittingly, his “São Paulo” collaborator Anitta will join The Weeknd on his Mexico and Brazil dates. She joined him Wednesday night (Sept. 3) at San Antonio’s Alamodome, the final stop of his 2025 North American leg, where they debuted the Hurry Up Tomorrow single one year ago on Sept. 7, 2024 during his special one-night-only show at Estádio MorumBIS in the titular city. Meanwhile, his “Timeless” collaborator Playboi Carti — who opened for his latest North American leg — will stay the course for the European trek. The 12-date jaunt will kick off on July 10 at Paris’ Stade de France and include stops in Amsterdam, Milan, Frankfurt, Stockholm, London and more before wrapping up with back-to-back shows on Aug. 28 and 29 at Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano. The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour is the biggest R&B tour in history, grossing $635.5 million and selling 5.1 million tickets since its launch in 2022, according to Billboard Boxscore. Tickets for the Mexico and Brazil dates will be available first via artist presale beginning Monday (Sept. 8) at 10 a.m. local time. Additional presales will run ahead of the general onsale beginning on Sept. 10 at theweeknd.com/tour. Onsale start times vary by market. Tickets for the European dates will be available first via artist presale beginning Sept. 9 at noon local time, followed by a Mastercard presale in select markets at 2 p.m. local time. Cardholders will have special access to presale tickets in Paris, Stockholm, Milan and Dublin. Go to priceless.com/music for more details. The Nespresso presale starts on Sept. 11 at noon local time. Additional presales will run ahead of the general onsale beginning Sept. 12 at noon local time at theweeknd.com/tour. See The Weeknd’s latest After Hours Til Dawn Tour dates below.    Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Pedro Rivera started out taking photos and selling cassettes in Huntington Park, California. He dreamed of becoming a singer, and although he achieved that dream, destiny led him to make his mark in the music industry in a different way: by discovering talents who were just starting out and needed exposure. That was the case for four aspiring artists who would go on to become major stars in regional Mexican music: Chalino Sánchez, Valentín Elizalde, and two of his children, Lupillo and Jenni Rivera. Mr. Pedro had the idea of recording them with local bands by renting a studio. This is how Cintas Acuario was born in the late 1980s — a label that, without any formal facilities, gained a reputation thanks to its founder’s knack for promoting and marketing his artists’ music by distributing it to small shops in the area and in Tijuana, across the Mexican border. “The first artist I recorded was Graciela Beltrán,” Rivera tells Billboard Español in an exclusive interview. “We charged between $40 and $45 per show, but we sold at least 100 cassettes. That’s where the profit was.” With the ranchera and banda singer he launched in 1988, Rivera became very popular. That’s how he caught the attention of Chalino Sánchez, a singer and songwriter of custom-made corridos. “Our first meeting was on Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park, at a housewares store owned by my friend Anthony Prajin. [His son] George [Prajin], who is now Peso Pluma’s manager, was just a child. They weren’t involved in music, but they sold records and cassettes. Chalino would bring them boxes of 100 and leave them on consignment, just like I did with Graciela’s,” he says. The music executive shares these and other memories just days after the release of “Rigo Campos,” a collaboration between the late Chalino Sánchez and Los Tucanes de Tijuana, made possible through technology more than 30 years after Chalino’s murder. This song is the first in a series of posthumous collaborations from the so-called “King of Corridos” that Cintas Acuario expects to release in the coming months. Rivera also shared plans to do the same with other legends, including Jenni Rivera and Valentín Elizalde. He talks more with Billboard about Cintas Acuario and its future plans below. Why does Cintas Acuario own some of Chalino Sánchez’s songs? Chalino was a free spirit. He wrote corridos on request and recorded others that he liked, but he wanted to become more well-known and promote his work. He was used to recording batches of 15 songs. I wanted to pair him with a band to accompany him, but since they had a saxophone, he didn’t like it. He said they sounded like Los Tigres del Norte, and he wanted something more authentic, so he did it his own way. I reimbursed him for the group he had hired and the studio costs, and he gave me the master of a set of songs. It’s mine because I purchased it. That’s how we made the deal. We really appreciated and respected each other. He was one of the most loyal men I’ve ever met — a man of his word. How did Chalino Sánchez find success at Cintas Acuario? At the beginning of his career, no one accepted him. The only place that let him sing was a restaurant called Los Guamuchileños, where a band played, and they gave him a chance. The first time I tried to promote him was with “Flor Margarita,” which I had written. I took it to Radio Express, and the programmer, Pablo Carrillo, told me he’d be fired if he played that because Chalino sang weird. His style was different, and that’s exactly what we should look for to make an artist stand out. In your opinion, what made Chalino Sánchez such a legendary artist over time? Chalino Sánchez is the only idol who will remain forever. He was a natural-born star. He never wanted to be a singer; he wrote corridos and sold them — but people started asking him to record them, and that’s how it happened. That’s why everything he did was in his own unique style. He started by selling boxes of 100 cassettes, and then it became thousands. We would create a cover for the cassettes, leave them in stores, and they would sell out because more and more people were listening. People played his music in their cars. That’s how the legend was born. There was a dispute with Chalino’s widow over the rights to his music. Has that been resolved? His wife tried to take the music that belongs to me. We have documents to prove ownership, and thanks to that, we went to a notary where Chalino’s signature was verified, and she had to accept that the material is mine. That’s why the release was delayed — the song “Rigo Campos” was supposed to come out a year ago. There was also the situation where Los Tucanes de Tijuana had the corrido tied to another company, but that was resolved, and everything came together for the release to happen now. You could say that you’ve played a role in regional Mexican music history… I’m the forefather of regional Mexican music in the 1990s, especially the “corridos de valientes” (brave or heroic corridos). I should mention that I was the only one to record a duet with Chalino while he was alive. It was called “Que Me Entierren Cantando.” I left my career as a singer, but God gave me the opportunity to discover other great stars like Lupillo Rivera, Valentín Elizalde and Jenni Rivera. Do you have any anecdotes about those other stars? With Valentín Elizalde, I had the same experience as with Chalino — many people didn’t like his style. [La Qué Buena] radio host Pepe Garza told me that Valentín couldn’t sing, so he didn’t accept him. I left very sad. Four or five months later, Pepe released a promo that said, “La Qué Buena, the home of

Mariah Carey is Christmas royalty, per her performance on Billboard’s holiday charts with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But the bounds of her reach know no seasons. She’s also among the top-charting acts in the history of Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart. As previously reported, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” reigns as the No. 1 hit on the season-ending 2025 Songs of the Summer survey. The running tally tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 chart each year from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Below “Ordinary,” Morgan Wallen boasts the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 songs for summer 2025: “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae, “Just in Case” and “I’m the Problem,” respectively. He is the first artist with three top five entries on a season-closing Songs of the Summer chart. In Billboard’s analysis of this year’s tally, staff asked: “Is Wallen now the 2020s’ unquestioned summertime king?” According to the numbers, and only halfway through the decade, he is clearly in the running to don the crown. But which artists have had the most success on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart, dating to the Hot 100’s launch in the summer of 1958? Below is a look at the acts with the most season-ending Songs of the Summer No. 1s and top 10s, as well as the one name with two summer coronations in the ‘20s and the artists with the most top 10 finishes so far this decade. Most Songs of the Summer No. 1s Six elite artists, including Carey and Wallen, have each achieved No. 1 songs of the summer as many as two times. Here’s a rundown: Andy Gibb: “I Just Want To Be Your Everything,” 1977; “Shadow Dancing,” 1978 Mariah Carey: “Vision of Love,” 1990; “We Belong Together,” 2005 Usher: “U Remind Me,” 2001; “Confessions Part II,” 2004 Katy Perry: “I Kissed a Girl,” 2008; “California Gurls,” feat. Snoop Dogg, 2010 Drake: “One Dance,” feat. WizKid & Kyla, 2016; “In My Feelings,” 2018    Morgan Wallen: “Last Night,” 2023; Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” feat. Wallen, 2024 Most Songs of the Summer Top 10s Rihanna rules with 10 songs that have made the top 10 on season-ending Songs of the Summer charts. Her hottest summer hits: “Pon De Replay” (No. 4, 2005); “Unfaithful” (No. 8, 2006); “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z (No. 1, 2007); “Take a Bow” (No. 2, 2008); “Disturbia” (No. 8, 2008); Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie,” featuring Rihanna (No. 2, 2010); “Where Have You Been” (No. 6, 2012); Calvin Harris’ “This Is What You Came For,” featuring Rihanna (No. 5, 2016); “Needed Me” (No. 7, 2016); and DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (No. 4, 2017). Here’s a look at the acts with the most songs that finished in the top 10 on Songs of the Summer charts: 10, Rihanna 8, Drake 6, Justin Bieber 6, Elton John 6, Katy Perry 6, Post Malone 5, Mariah Carey 5, Bruno Mars 5, The Rolling Stones 5, Usher 5, Morgan Wallen 5, Wings Most Songs of the Summer Top 10s in the ‘20s As noted above, Wallen is the only artist with multiple season-ending Songs of the Summer No. 1s this decade, dominating with “Last Night” in 2023 and as featured on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” in 2024. Wallen has also earned the most top 10s — five — on the Songs of the Summer chart this decade, thanks to his two No. 1s in 2023 and 2024 and his three top five hits this year. Harry Styles and SZA have each reached Labor Day with four entries in the Songs of the Summer top 10 in the ‘20s. Styles scored with “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 6) and “Adore You” (No. 10) in 2020 and “As It Was” (No. 1) and “Late Night Talking” (No. 9) in 2022. SZA placed in the top 10 as featured on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (No. 4, 2021), with her own “Snooze” (No. 8) and “Kill Bill” (No. 9) in 2023 and with Kendrick Lamar on “Luther” (No. 5, 2025). Plus, Sabrina Carpenter has collected three Songs of the Summer top 10s this decade, all since last year: “Espresso” was No. 4 and “Please Please Please,” No. 6, in 2024 and “Manchild” rode to No. 9 this summer. It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here. Source link

Bruce Springsteen is opening the vaults up again to shed some light on one of his most beloved albums. On Thursday morning (Sept. 4) The Boss announced the upcoming release of Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition, a five-disc set that will feature many never-before-heard and previously undiscovered recordings from the rocker’s sixth album, a lo-fi gem he recorded on a four-track recorder in a bedroom of his New Jersey home. Due out on Oct. 17 from Sony Music, the expanded edition will feature the legendary “Electric Nebraska” session — featuring E Street Band members features bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg, keyboardist Danny Federici, pianist Roy Bittan and guitarist Stevie Van Zandt — which features solo rarities, tracks from a one-off 1982 solo session and a previously unreleased, stripped-down version of the rock anthem “Born in the U.S.A.” “We threw out the keyboards and played basically as a three-piece,” Springsteen said in a statement about the gritty late April 1982 trio recording of “Born in the U.S.A.,” the booming rock track originally written alongside Nebraska and then held back for inclusion on the multi-platinum 1984 album of the same name. “It was kinda like punk rockabilly. We were trying to bring Nebraska into the electric world.” In addition to the electric outtakes disc with unheard Springsteen solo rarities from the original Nebraska home recordings (“Losin’ Kind,” “Child Bride,” “Downbound Train”), the 1982 solo one-off session tracks (“Gun In Every Home,” “On the Prowl”) and the “Electric” session, the collection will feature a present-day performance film of the Nebraska album, played in sequence for the first time ever at New Jersey’s Count Basie Theatre. Because Springsteen didn’t tour behind Nebraska, and he said that revisiting it 40 years later was a special moment for him. “I think in playing these songs again to be filmed, their weight impressed upon me,” said Springsteen. “I’ve written a lot of other narrative records, but there’s just something about that batch of songs on Nebraska that holds some sort of magic.” The set will also tack on a 2025 remaster of the original album and a Blu-Ray disc of the Count Basie Nebraska live performance. The reissue hits shelves one week before the upcoming biopic about that album’s recording, the Jeremy Allen White-starring Deliver Me From Nowhere, hits screens on Oct. 24. The Nebraska set is slated to drop just five months after Springsteen emptied out his vaults for the sprawling Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set featuring seven previously unheard full-length records. Listen to the “Electric Nebraska” version of “Born in the U.S.A.” and see the Expanded Edition’s full track list below. Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition Tracklist Disc 1: Nebraska Outtakes 1. “Born in the U.S.A.” 2. “Losin’ Kind” 3. “Downbound Train” 4. “Child Bride” 5. “Pink Cadillac” 6. “The Big Payback” 7. “Working on the Highway” 8. “On the Prowl” 9. “Gun in Every Home” Disc 2: Electric Nebraska 1. “Nebraska” 2. “Atlantic City” 3. “Mansion on the Hill” 4. “Johnny 99” 5. “Downbound Train” 6. “Open All Night” 7. “Born in the U.S.A.” 8. “Reason to Believe” Disc 3: Nebraska (Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ) 1. “Nebraska” 2. “Atlantic City” 3. “Mansion on the Hill” 4. “Johnny 99” 5. “Highway Patrolman” 6. “State Trooper” 7. “Used Cars” 8. “Open All Night” 9. “My Father’s House” 10. “Reason To Believe” Disc 4: 2025 Remaster 1. “Nebraska” 2. “Atlantic City” 3. “Mansion on the Hill” 4. “Johnny 99” 5. “Highway Patrolman” 6. “State Trooper” 7. “Used Cars” 8. “Open All Night” 9. “My Father’s House” 10. “Reason To Believe” Disc 5 (Blu-Ray): Nebraska (Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ) 1. “Nebraska” 2. “Atlantic City” 3. “Mansion on the Hill” 4. “Johnny 99” 5. “Highway Patrolman” 6. “State Trooper” 7. “Used Cars” 8. “Open All Night” 9. “My Father’s House” 10. “Reason To Believe”    Source link

“I f–king hate talking, bro,” Leon Thomas tells his audio engineer. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&B singer is rehearsing for his July set at the Hollywood Bowl, where he’s opening for SiR; just days earlier, he was on the other side of the Atlantic performing at London’s Wireless Festival, where his longtime collaborator and friend Ty Dolla $ign crowned him “the king of this s–t.” Thomas’ résumé includes Broadway stints and a childhood Nickelodeon breakthrough, and he moves through rehearsals with the methodical meticulousness of someone who has been performing his entire life. With his black and red ombré dreads pulled back in a black wrap to complement his plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants, he floats through the Burbank, Calif., rehearsal space with prodigious finesse and childlike wonder. In quick succession, he translates his drum solo to a new kit, perfects how the slack delays land during “Blue Hundreds” and adjusts reverb levels to differentiate between his R&B and rock tracks. Thomas hates talking because he would rather his multifaceted stage show, as well as his strikingly singular approach to contemporary R&B, speak for itself. After several years when hip-hop threatened to cannibalize R&B’s presence in the marketplace, Thomas, 32, has emerged as a leader of its next class of superstars — and recently landed his highest-peaking Billboard Hot 100 hit as a lead performer with the slick-talking smash “Mutt,” which reached No. 12 on the chart in June. Read the full Leon Thomas Billboard cover story here. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Redacción Panamericana Magaly Medina puso en duda la viabilidad del pedido de Pamela López y recordó que Cueva no percibe ingresos de una estrella mundial. Pamela López confirma que pide más de S/ 60 mil mensuales La separación entre Christian Cueva y Pamela López sigue dando que hablar. En medio del proceso legal, la expareja del futbolista confirmó que está solicitando una pensión alimenticia superior a los S/ 60 mil mensuales para cubrir las necesidades de sus tres hijos. La revelación no pasó desapercibida y ha desatado una ola de comentarios en el mundo del espectáculo. Según explicó en Magaly TV, la Firme, actualmente perciben S/ 12 mil mensuales, de los cuales S/ 8 mil se destinan al pago de colegios. El resto debe cubrir gastos básicos como vivienda, servicios, alimentación, salud y vestimenta. “Es verdad lo que comenta la doctora, pero nunca te dan lo que solicitas, así que no hay por qué alarmarse”, señaló López, dejando en claro que es posible que no se cumpla con el monto exigido. Te puede interesar Pamela López no quiere que Cueva comparta tiempo con sus hijos junto a Pamela Franco: “No es posible” Magaly Medina cuestiona la cifra Quien no tardó en pronunciarse fue Magaly Medina, que en su programa expresó dudas sobre la viabilidad del pedido. “¡Wow! ¡60 mil soles mensuales! Pero qué, ¿ni que Cueva ganara un súper dinero en Ecuador? Tendría que prestarse plata”, ironizó la conductora, subrayando que el volante de Emelec no atraviesa su mejor momento deportivo. De acuerdo con Medina, los jugadores mejor pagados del club ecuatoriano reciben entre 10 y 15 mil dólares al mes, es decir, alrededor de 55 mil soles. Con esa cifra, consideró inviable que Cueva pueda responder a lo solicitado. “No estamos hablando de Lionel Messi ni Cristiano Ronaldo. Estamos hablando de Christian Cueva. Hello, Christian Cueva”, agregó con sarcasmo. Aunque las opiniones están divididas, la exesposa de Cueva sostiene que el monto pedido se ajusta al estilo de vida que sus hijos han tenido y que corresponde al futbolista garantizar. La batalla legal recién comienza y promete traer más revelaciones en los próximos días. @chismesitos.con.m #pamelalopez pide 64 mil soles de pensión a #christiancueva para sus tres hijos 🤑😱🔥 #magalytvlafirme #farandula #fyp ♬ sonido original – Chismesitos con Mary 💋 Source link

Pamela López confirma que pide más de S/ 60 mil mensuales La separación entre Christian Cueva y Pamela López sigue dando que hablar. En medio del proceso legal, la expareja del futbolista confirmó que está solicitando una pensión alimenticia superior a los S/ 60 mil mensuales para cubrir las necesidades de sus tres hijos. La revelación no pasó desapercibida y ha desatado una ola de comentarios en el mundo del espectáculo. Según explicó en Magaly TV, la Firme, actualmente perciben S/ 12 mil mensuales, de los cuales S/ 8 mil se destinan al pago de colegios. El resto debe cubrir gastos básicos como vivienda, servicios, alimentación, salud y vestimenta. “Es verdad lo que comenta la doctora, pero nunca te dan lo que solicitas, así que no hay por qué alarmarse”, señaló López, dejando en claro que es posible que no se cumpla con el monto exigido. Te puede interesar Pamela López no quiere que Cueva comparta tiempo con sus hijos junto a Pamela Franco: “No es posible” Magaly Medina cuestiona la cifra Quien no tardó en pronunciarse fue Magaly Medina, que en su programa expresó dudas sobre la viabilidad del pedido. “¡Wow! ¡60 mil soles mensuales! Pero qué, ¿ni que Cueva ganara un súper dinero en Ecuador? Tendría que prestarse plata”, ironizó la conductora, subrayando que el volante de Emelec no atraviesa su mejor momento deportivo. De acuerdo con Medina, los jugadores mejor pagados del club ecuatoriano reciben entre 10 y 15 mil dólares al mes, es decir, alrededor de 55 mil soles. Con esa cifra, consideró inviable que Cueva pueda responder a lo solicitado. “No estamos hablando de Lionel Messi ni Cristiano Ronaldo. Estamos hablando de Christian Cueva. Hello, Christian Cueva”, agregó con sarcasmo. Aunque las opiniones están divididas, la exesposa de Cueva sostiene que el monto pedido se ajusta al estilo de vida que sus hijos han tenido y que corresponde al futbolista garantizar. La batalla legal recién comienza y promete traer más revelaciones en los próximos días. @chismesitos.con.m #pamelalopez pide 64 mil soles de pensión a #christiancueva para sus tres hijos #magalytvlafirme #farandula #fyp ♬ sonido original – Chismesitos con Mary La entrada Pamela López pide más de S/ 60 mil de pensión a Cueva: “Nunca te dan lo que solicitas” se publicó primero en Radio Onda Cero. Source link

It looks like Justin Bieber isn’t turning his swag off just yet. On Thursday (Sept. 4), the pop star announced that a sequel to his July Swag album is arriving at midnight Friday (Sept. 5), posting multiple photos to Instagram of new electronic billboards that have gone up in different cities. With pink backgrounds, the advertisements simply read, “Swag II.” In his captions, Bieber wrote, “SWAG II midnight tonight” and “Midnight tonight.” The news comes after Billboard previously reported that Bieber had more music in store for fans after Swag, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after the Grammy winner dropped it earlier this summer. While Swag was distinctly R&B-focused — peaking at No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart — Swag II will be more pop-inspired, sources indicated at the time. And with the first Swag arriving a little over a month ahead of the 2026 Grammy eligibility window closing on Aug. 30, the runway is also clear for Swag II to score nods at the 2027 awards — meaning Bieber would avoid competing against himself in any categories next year. Bieber’s sudden announcement marks the second time this year he’s announced an album with hardly any warning. Fans also only knew that the first Swag was coming just a few hours ahead of time, with the star planting black-and-white billboards displaying album visuals and the tracklist in New York City just before the LP’s release. In the months since, Bieber has stayed busy by releasing music videos for tracks on Swag, including Billboard Hot 100 hits “Daisies” and “First Place.” The latter showed the hitmaker working on music at Floki Studios in Iceland, where he recorded Swag (and possibly Swag 2). He’s also been sharing photos of himself in the studio in recent weeks, possibly hinting to fans that Swag wasn’t the last they’d be hearing from him any time soon. Beliebers are sure to welcome the high volume of new music he’s been creating, as they’d previously had to wait four years for a new album after 2021’s Justice. See Bieber’s announcement below. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

“I f–king hate talking, bro,” Leon Thomas tells his audio engineer. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&B singer is rehearsing for his July set at the Hollywood Bowl, where he’s opening for SiR; just days earlier, he was on the other side of the Atlantic performing at London’s Wireless Festival, where his longtime collaborator and friend Ty Dolla $ign crowned him “the king of this s–t.” Thomas’ résumé includes Broadway stints and a childhood Nickelodeon breakthrough, and he moves through rehearsals with the methodical meticulousness of someone who has been performing his entire life. With his black and red ombré dreads pulled back in a black wrap to complement his plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants, he floats through the Burbank, Calif., rehearsal space with prodigious finesse and childlike wonder. In quick succession, he translates his drum solo to a new kit, perfects how the slack delays land during “Blue Hundreds” and adjusts reverb levels to differentiate between his R&B and rock tracks. Thomas hates talking because he would rather his multifaceted stage show, as well as his strikingly singular approach to contemporary R&B, speak for itself. After several years when hip-hop threatened to cannibalize R&B’s presence in the marketplace, Thomas, 32, has emerged as a leader of its next class of superstars — and recently landed his highest-peaking Billboard Hot 100 hit as a lead performer with the slick-talking smash “Mutt,” which reached No. 12 on the chart in June. He’s recentering the genre’s focus, at least for male performers, on live instrumentation and dizzying riffs, and away from falsetto and emulating MCs — so it’s something of a surprise that he attacks the verses of “Mutt” with the nimble cadence of a melodic rapper. “We’re veering away from the bad-boy types,” he says over a latte in West Hollywood, fresh off a flight from the United Kingdom. “But there’s still that toxic energy, slowly but surely becoming a little bit more buttoned up.” Just as it took R&B some time to find its footing in the streaming era, it took nearly two decades for Thomas to break through as an artist in his own right. Having spent years working within the system of kids’ entertainment monoliths, studying under several Grammy winners, crafting multiplatinum radio hits for R&B’s and pop’s brightest stars and learning the ins and outs of the indie scene, the present version of Thomas is the culmination of almost 20 years of relentless devotion to his biggest goals and dreams. And it’s clear, as he leaves the rehearsal space to study a recording of the hourlong run-through, that discipline underscores his devotion. “Even though I really consider myself to be a talented all-around artist, I want to be seen at the level that I know I can be seen in music,” he says. “It’s been cool to knock down certain pillars when a lot of people thought I was done for.” Tom Ford jacket, Uniqlo T-shirt. Austin Hargrave For Leon Thomas, musicianship is intensely personal. He inherited a genre-agnostic approach to music and fashion from his parents: a singer mother and a stepfather who played guitar for B.B. King, who were both part of New York’s Black Rock Coalition and frequented the East Village’s storied CBGB club. Thomas’ grandfather — the late opera singer and jazz devotee John Anthony, who starred in the original Broadway production of Porgy & Bess — laid the family’s entire foundation. Born and raised in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, Thomas first fell in love with the drums. At just 3 years old, he developed such an affinity for the kit that his parents continued putting instruments in front of him. By age 9, a family friend noted Thomas had the same hairstyle as the actor playing young Simba in The Lion King and eventually convinced his parents to have him audition for the Broadway show. Thomas snagged the role (which he shared with two other young actors), leading to appearances in Broadway productions of The Color Purple and Caroline, or Change. Backstage during those shows, Thomas wrote his first songs on the guitar, which he frequently played for cast mates. The Color Purple’s success, and that of 2007’s August Rush, brought him to the West Coast, where at 13 he signed a development deal with Nickelodeon that came with a Columbia Records recording contract. While at the network, he provided the singing voice for Tyrone on The Backyardigans for a season-and-a-half before bringing the character André Harris, a high school music producer, to life on Victorious, even penning original songs for the show. Alongside star-in-the-making Keke Palmer, Thomas became the primary source of representation for young Black Nick viewers in the 2010s. Victorious, which aired in over 80 countries, also helped launch the career of Ariana Grande, who later brought Thomas on as producer/co-writer for her Yours Truly and Positions albums. But while plenty of other Disney and Nickelodeon alumni of the late ’00s and early ’10s had notably rocky transitions to adulthood in the limelight, Thomas consciously steered clear of any actions that might have alienated the Victorious audience who looked up to him. “I probably would have benefited from [a rebellious break], but I knew I had kids following me,” he explains. “I decided to stay behind the scenes. I wasn’t trying to edit myself online, but I made sure I was paying homage to the role model I used to be. Nickelodeon can still collaborate with me and it’s not awkward. I never took steps to separate myself in ways that were toxic.” Saint Laurent top, Komeh Club pants, Jimmy Choo shoes. Austin Hargrave After Victorious ended production in 2012, Thomas turned down the chance to attend Morehouse College, opting instead to hone his songwriting under Babyface’s mentorship. That same year, he joined forces with Khris Riddick-Tynes to form The Rascals, a production duo that crafted cuts for the likes of Grande, Toni Braxton and Zendaya, as well as Thomas’ own debut mixtape, Metro Hearts, released in August 2012. The Rascals’ work eventually