Related Articles
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Leon Thomas took home the BET Award for Best New Artist earlier this month and just released an expanded edition of his second studio album featuring buzzy collabs with Big Sean, Chris Brown and Kehlani, to name a few, but to hear the R&B star tell it, he’s not sitting comfortable any time soon.
“The music industry is like high school and right now I’m at the cool kid table and it’s nice,” he admits to Rolling Stone, “but I’ve been working behind the scenes with a lot of these folks for years prior to this, so now it’s just collaborating in a different way. It’s nice to see everything falling into place, but I’ve never felt comfortable being the cool kid,” he says: “I was more like the Black nerd.”
Thomas credits his “nerdiness” for helping him develop a slow and steady approach to the entertainment industry, where he built up an impressive resume of credits long before he released his first song. The New York native was a child actor on Broadway, before landing a role on the hit Nickelodeon series Victorious, where he was a regular alongside stars like Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande. The experience led to him producing on Grande’s debut album, Yours Truly, and he eventually began releasing music on his own, all while still writing and producing for other artists.
Thomas took home a Grammy Award in 2024 for co-writing SZA’s single, “Snooze” and broke through on the solo front with last year’s R&B hit, “Mutt,” which peaked just outside the top ten on the charts and spawned a remix with Brown. Now, he’s taking his career to the heights — quite literally — with a new partnership with Capital One, to promote the credit card brand’s new JFK Airport lounge.
Thomas will help to ring in the new 13,500-square-foot JFK Lounge with a private performance Tuesday, with the space officially opening to the public on June 19. Located on the lower level of Terminal 4’s retail hall, the JFK location will be Capital One’s largest lounge yet, with a full-service bar and exclusive food options inspired by favorite New York haunts (think Murray’s Cheese, Ess-A-Bagel, and Death & Co., where guests can order cocktails like the Coffey Park Swizzle, a refreshing mojito-like riff created by Death & Co. co-owner Alex Day, made with rum, sherry, ginger syrup and a touch of spicy falernum). There is also a “Rare Bottle Club,” where guests can purchase and enjoy hard-to-find liquors and wines, like prohibition-era gins, 1950s bourbons, and rare vintages.
As Thomas explains, the Capital One partnership is part of his career gameplan to always be “building up,” whether in business or personal branding. “I’m really excited that I am getting the opportunity to share my music with new fans, and there’s more that I can learn and more people that I’d love to connect with as I grow,” he offers, adding that “tapping in with a brand like Capital One was an amazing opportunity.”
As someone who’s “on a plane every two weeks,” Thomas says having a “safe space” where he can relax and unwind is also becoming increasingly essential for him. “Traveling is a really big part of my career path and I’m constantly on a plane, so lounges are important and being comfortable is a big thing when you’re waiting on your flight,” he says. “I love to rest, I love to get a little breather, and the open buffets aren’t bad either,” he chuckles.
The design and ambience of the Capital One Lounge at JFK takes its cues from New York, with spaces inspired by iconic Big Apple locations, like Central Park, and more than 40 pieces of artwork filling the room from local artists. Set in the city that never sleeps, the Capital One Lounge is also fittingly open 24 hours a day, with a full-service coffee bar, afternoon tea service and a special “midnight snack” each night. Access to the lounge is open to Venture X, Venture X Business, Venture, and Spark Miles customers.
Despite his increasingly busy schedule, Thomas is no night owl though, and the R&B singer says he actually takes advantage of his travel time to catch up on some R&R. “I’m a film addict, so sometimes I’ll play a movie and check out the new releases,” he says, “but I also sleep. I watched this interview of Prince and he said that he would sleep on the bus and on the plane, and every other moment he would rehearse.”
There’s no doubt that Thomas hopes to have the kind of career that Prince had, and the singer says he wants the same longevity too. Whether it’s a musical team-up or a brand collab, the Black nerd-turned-cool kid is staying open to the opportunities that are finally coming his way.
“I have a constant feeling of butterflies seeing everything that I’ve ever manifested come to fruition,” he says, “and as I continue to build, I’m allowing myself to continue to dream and to continue to make my goals even higher, so we can move the goalpost, you know? Like I was talking with my team yesterday and I know we’re in a good space, but everybody’s hyper-focused on taking us to the next level. And knowing that there’s more to come is really invigorating me to wake up inspired.”
