Leon Thomas’ career is evidence that true artistry transcends fame. Thomas first caught the greater public eye during his teen years in the role of Andre Harris on Nickelodeon’s hit comedy Victorious, running from 2010-2013. Several of his co-stars from those days have since gone on to greater notoriety – in particular actress and pop sensation Ariana Grande, who recently starred in the film adaptation of Wicked. Thomas, however, waited a bit to join his cast-mates in music industry stardom, releasing his first proper album Electric Dusk in 2023. With his sophomore album Mutt releasing the following year to considerable acclaim, Thomas proved that whatever expectations were set on his music by his earlier stardom would be eclipsed by his aptitude for songwriting, and made himself a name to watch in the world of R&B and Hip-Hop. For his latest single “RATHER BE ALONE,” Thomas has recruited a similar sort of star power in singer-songwriter/actress Halle Bailey, credited here less a last name under her mononymic moniker “Halle.” Already a force in the music world as part of Chloe X Halle with sister Chloe Bailey, Halle recently came to the fore as the lead in the 2023 live-action remake of Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid. All that said, these two celluloid darlings, whether current or former, have no need to rely purely on past glories to support a track like “RATHER BE ALONE,” which is in and of itself an evocative portrait of a desolate love affair.
“RATHER BE ALONE” begins sparsely, with hushed acoustic guitar and flute setting a scarce scene. Electric guitar, bass and strings soon join, as do Thomas & Bailey’s voices together in rich, yet terse harmony. The effect is cinematic; the atmosphere is both ethereal and quietly vast, recalling certain musical tropes often employed in westerns and adventure films to suggest arid environs. After the addition of a deftly subtle percussive bedrock, the two artist’s voices take turns weaving contrasting ruminations on a relationship in danger of going as dry as the sere picture that “RATHER BE ALONE” paints (cover art and all). Thomas’ turn begins with a heavily processed falsetto that eventually gives way to his rich, smooth tenor (clearly an apt stylistic choice rather than a necessity given his well-recognized vocal prowess). Bailey’s own beatific tones are summarily raised in opposition in the second verse, before the two join once more for a final, melancholic chorus.
Like the desert locales it conjures, which secretly teem with life beneath a vast canopy of sky, “RATHER BE ALONE” makes so much out of so little. Where one might expect needless flash for a quick cash-grab in the meeting of two already well-established stars, “RATHER BE ALONE” is instead a quietly artful piece of contemporary R&B, confirming the creative sensibilities of both Thomas and Bailey beyond superficial name recognition.