GRAMMYs Exclusive: Leon Thomas Talks Secret Ingredient on ‘Mutt’ Album

Leon Thomas is still riding high following his big win for Best R&B Album at the GRAMMY Awards 2026, and he’s pulling back the curtain on how ‘Mutt’ came together.

Speaking with That Grape Juice following his award triumph and Best New Artist performance, the singer, songwriter, and producer opened up about the meticulous and often unconventional creative choices that shaped the project, which has quickly become a standout and earned him the coveted recognition.

Rather than chasing trends, the multi-hyphenate leaned into technical experimentation.

Unpacking (or should we say, uncracking) what he calls a “sonic Easter egg,” he unpacked how he altered the speed of vocals and instrumentation to give the album a constantly evolving feel. Thomas fessed:

“I feel like a mad scientist in the studio sometimes.”

Watch the EXCLUSIVE interview with TGJ’s Chet Kincaid above.