Who “ran” R&B in 2025 — Kehlani with Folded or Leon Thomas with Mutt?

As 2025 draws to a close, the debate rages across R&B radio — which of these two songs truly defined the year? Let’s break down how “Folded” and “Mutt” stacked up on the charts.

📈 Leon Thomas — “Mutt”

• “Mutt” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, marking a major milestone for Thomas and giving him a firm claim as an R&B front-runner in 2025. Billboard+2Wikipedia+2
• On the mainstream front, “Mutt” cracked the Billboard Hot 100 — ultimately peaking at No. 6. Wikipedia+1
• The song’s steady climb — and long chart life — made it one of the year’s biggest R&B crossover successes. Complex+2Collider+2

🎯 Kehlani — “Folded”

• “Folded” reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the R&B Songs chart. Billboard+2RTTNews+2
• On the Billboard Hot 100, “Folded” climbed into the top 10, peaking at No. 7. Rated R&B+1
• For Kehlani, “Folded” marked a new peak — one of her biggest hits ever, and arguably her most impactful in years. Rated R&B+2Wikipedia+2

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So — Who ran R&B in 2025?

If “running” R&B means dominating the core R&B charts and staking a claim to the classic R&B crown — then Leon Thomas with “Mutt” deserves strong consideration. A No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs plus a No. 6 Hot 100 peak shows the song resonated with both traditional R&B audiences and mainstream listeners.

If instead “running” R&B means carving out broad appeal across R&B and pop — Kehlani’s “Folded” earns big props. Its double No. 1 (R&B + R&B/Hip-Hop) and top-10 Hot 100 placement showed crossover strength and broad listening reach.

In many ways, 2025 may end up remembered not for one definitive “R&B Song of the Year,” but as a shared victory — where both “Mutt” and “Folded” blasted the genre forward in different but equally important ways.