Leon Thomas, GELO, Ravyn Lenae & Odeal Are the Future of Black Music | Billboard News

Billboard awarded GELO, Ravyn Lenae and Odeal arsenic Rookies of the Year and named Leon Thomas the Breakthrough Artist of the Year for Billboard‘s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players. We’re breaking down however these artists correspond the aboriginal of Black music. Billboard staffers stock wherefore they judge each vocalist is transforming their respective genre, however their hits—“Mutt,” “Love Me Not” and “Tweaker”—resonated with fans, and more!

Carl Lamarre:

Billboard is ever astir illustration success, but not lone to person a taste interaction and spot the buzz and however they’re resonating, not conscionable online, but the streets arsenic well. The kids are talking astir you. Most apt we’re gonna screen y’all and spot what’s up.

Fan 1:

Tonight, I’m astir excited to spot Leon Thomas and Odeal. 

Fan 2:

Gag it, Odeal. What? Ravyn Lenae too. 

Fan 3:

I’m astir excited to spot GELO, for sure. 

Fan 4:

Leon arsenic well. It’s gonna beryllium my 3rd clip seeing him, and I’m gonna spot him again connected my birthday, so.

Interviewer:

Who are you astir excited to see? 

Fan 5:

Leon Thomas, plain and simple. You don’t person to decorativeness the question. You don’t person to decorativeness it. 

Heran Mamo:

Leon Thomas had specified a breakthrough moment. “Mutt” went No. 1 connected Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs and 3 antithetic vigor formats.

Leon Thomas:

I deliberation “Mutt” decidedly resonated with the civilization truthful overmuch due to the fact that it has a batch of essence of P-Funk, Bootsy Collins. I consciousness similar post-pandemic everybody got into their small toxic energy, truthful it’s like, perfectly toxic.

Fan 6:

I’m decidedly excited to spot Ravyn, I emotion her music. It’s a very, like, chill, soulful vibe, and she conscionable ever puts maine successful a bully mood. 

Fan 7:

I’m perfectly excited to spot Ravyn Lenae. I’ve loved her forever. I got onto her bid erstwhile she came retired with “Candy.”

Gail Mitchell:

She’s conscionable the full package. In presumption of her songwriting, the lyrics, precise relatable lyrics, similar her blistery song, “Love Me Not.” Kind of a play connected the full daisy happening — helium loves me, helium loves maine not.

Keep watching for more!