Leon Thomas’s breakout single “Mutt” has officially cracked Billboard’s Hot 100 top 10, marking a significant milestone for the Grammy-winning artist more than a year after the song’s initial release. The track, which debuted as the lead single from Thomas’s album “Mutt” on August 8, 2024, took a remarkably patient path to mainstream success, finally peaking at No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart.
The song’s chart journey began modestly in February 2025, when it first entered the Billboard Hot 100, representing Thomas’s first appearance on the prestigious chart. By its fifth week on the R&B Streaming Songs chart, the original version claimed the No. 1 position, demonstrating strong grassroots support among R&B listeners before crossing over to broader audiences. The track also reached a new peak position at No. 3 on Hot R&B Songs chart, further cementing its popularity.
Strategic remix releases played an essential role in the track’s sustained momentum and eventual breakthrough. The first official remix featuring Freddie Gibbs dropped on August 30, 2024, but it was the Chris Brown collaboration released on March 21, 2025, that dramatically accelerated the song’s chart ascension. Within weeks of the Brown remix, “Mutt” leapt from No. 77 to No. 28 on the Hot 100. The team behind “Mutt” executed a masterful social media advertising campaign that targeted specific audience demographics across platforms, significantly amplifying the song’s reach.
Strategic remixes fueled “Mutt’s” breakthrough, with the Chris Brown collaboration catapulting the track from No. 77 to No. 28 on the Hot 100.
Data reveals the remix’s significant impact, with the “Mutt (CB Remix)” version accounting for 41% of the single’s biggest sales week in the U.S., contributing approximately 36,900 units of the total 90,000. The remix also claimed the top spot on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart in just its second week, marking Brown’s seventh No. 1 on that chart. Thomas’s approach to music licensing helped secure placements that introduced the song to new audiences beyond traditional streaming platforms.
The song’s lyrical content, which metaphorically explores imperfection and intentionality in relationships through the lens of pet ownership, resonated with listeners on multiple levels. Thomas’s powerful television debut of the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in February 2025 significantly boosted its visibility and streaming numbers. Thomas’s media strategy of sharing the personal backstory behind the track added emotional depth to its reception.
This rare slow-burn success story demonstrates how strategic collaborations, consistent promotion, and authentic storytelling can extend a song’s chart life well beyond traditional timelines, establishing Thomas as a formidable presence on the R&B landscape.
