REPUBLIC RECORDS: KIDS & FAMILY PARTNERS WITH GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER, SONGWRITER & ARTIST THERON THOMAS
TO LAUNCH BRAND NEW KIDS’ MUSIC PROJECT SUMO’S WORLD
SUMO’S WORLD WRITTEN & RECORDED BY THE WORLD RENOWNED HITMAKER ALONGSIDE HIS 12-YEAR-OLD SON SUMO
DEBUT SINGLE “COUNT IT UP” OUT TODAY
LISTEN TO “COUNT IT UP” HERE
NEW YORK, NY (MARCH 21st, 2025) – Today, Republic Records: Kids & Family proudly announce their partnership with GRAMMY® award-winning and world-class producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper Theron Thomas, and together present Sumo’s World. Crafted with his 12-year-old song Sumo, Sumo’s World welcomes families to experience an entirely new vision of what kids’ music can be. The project infuses essential lessons about counting, handwashing, ABC’s, and more into musical bangers, powered up by elite production from a power-house hitmaker, known for his multi-platinum hits with the likes of musical superstars Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Doja Cat, Lizzo, and many more. Sumo’s World is introduced with the first single, “Count It Up,” out today—listen HERE.
Co-written and co-produced by Theron Thomas alongside songwriters and producers Sam Sumser and Sean Small [Lizzo, Ciara, Kygo & Kim Petras], “Count It Up” layers a hypnotic keyboard loop over skittering and slick beat-craft. As the bass bumps, Sumo rattles off his numbers. Once he gets to 10, he urges, “Let’s do that again!,” and his older brother Nico chimes in with, “Count it up!” The catchy song introduces you to Sumo’s World and kicks off a series of new music set to be released throughout the spring and summer.
Theron Thomas states, “Sumo is a beautiful and great human being. He brings so much joy and love into our house that we created Sumo’s World to do the same for everyone else. We want this music to bring families and siblings together. We intended to create songs everyone can enjoy. This is the most important thing I’ve ever done, and I can’t wait to show it to the world.”
Bree Bowles, Senior Vice President of Republic Records: Kids & Family, shares, “Every time I am asked ‘What’s next for kids?,’ without hesitation I’ll talk about Sumo’s World. The sheer musical brilliance of Theron, entrepreneurial spirit of Ray Daniels [CEO & Founder, R.A.Y.D.A.R. Management], and the creative talent across the wider team is unmatched. Sumo’s World will completely disrupt the landscape of kids’ music. My only question about this project is who is going to love it more, parents or kids?”
At just 6-years-old, Sumo had already aspired to become an artist and a songwriter. Father-son basement jam sessions morphed into proper recording sessions, as the music progressed throughout the next six years. Sumo developed his voice, and Theron cultivated a different groove, setting a new tempo for what kids’ music could be and quickly catching the attention of Republic Kids & Family. Get ready for more music from Sumo’s World very soon.
Theron Thomas has impacted popular music and culture as a GRAMMY® Award-winning powerhouse producer and songwriter. Hailing from the U.S. Virgin Islands, he co-founded the duo R.City alongside his brother Timothy. Together, they crafted definitive anthems such as Miley Cyrus’s 8x-Platinum “We Can’t Stop,” Rihanna’s 3x-Platinum “Pour It Up,” Nicki Minaj’s 3x-Platinum “Only,” Sean Kingston’s Platinum “Take You There,” and many more. Plus, they made waves for their original music as R.City, delivering the Platinum-certified Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 smash “Locked Away” feat. Adam Levine. 2024 saw Theron level up again when he garnered “Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical” at the GRAMMY® Awards following a prolific run of music penned for Lil Durk, Tyla, Cordae, Jungkook, Chloe Bailey, and more and amassed over 44 billion streams across his hits just last year. Now, he introduces his most important musical project of his career with his son Sumo—Sumo’s World.
BIO
A true family affair, the story of Sumo’s World begins with a request from a son to his father…
Without question, Sumo knew he wanted to be a songwriter and an artist when he grew up. By the time he turned four-years-old, he had regularly disclosed this ambition to his dad—GRAMMY® award-winning songwriter, singer, rapper, and producer Theron Thomas. As dads do, Theron let the idea simmer, but Sumo never stopped asking for nearly two years to follow.
Finally, he had no choice but to challenge pops.
“He was like, ‘Daddy, I keep telling you I want to be an artist, but I feel like you don’t want to help me because you’re afraid I’m going to steal all your fans,’” laughs Theron. “I said, ‘You know what? We’re starting tomorrow!’ I quickly realized how talented he was. I’m not going to lie. I couldn’t do this at his age, but he naturally does it. I would’ve been happy just getting to spend time with my son in the basement, but this turned into so much more.”
Over the next six years, Sumo and Theron put in the work to make Sumo’s World a reality. They wrote and recorded countless songs, enabling Sumo to hone his voice. Pushing himself, Theron simultaneously cultivated a different groove altogether and set a new tempo for what kids’ music could be. The music delivered the kinds of lessons parents want children to learn over beats that the whole family could bounce to. Everything also unfolded naturally.
“I didn’t want to make it like a job for him,” Theron states. “I’d let him hang out with me, record a song or two, and go play. He could leave anytime to chill with his siblings or cousins. It never felt like work for either of us.”
That’s why the songs pop off so effortlessly. Lessons about ABC’s, counting, handwashing, and more seamlessly interlock with Theron’s elevated production. “I started to think, ‘What if kids’ music had the kind of beats you’d hear on Rihanna’s ‘Pour It Up’ or something?’,” Theron recalls. “There was an opportunity to do something different.”
Speaking of, they expanded the vision with another dimension, adding animated visuals to the tracks inspired by the throwback nineties style of Bebe’s Kids (at Sumo’s urging). In 2025, the songs made their way to Republic Kids & Family, leading to a deal.
Now, this dynamic duo introduces Sumo’s World with the debut single “Count It Up.” Learning counting has never sounded so dope. A trunk-rattling bass line, bright keyboard loop, and head-nodding beat usher the track along towards a chantable chorus, “Count it up.”
“Sumo was like, ‘I learned ABC’s with a song, how come they don’t have a song for counting?’,” Theron goes on. “We decided to make one. We wrote raps for the numbers, and Sumo recorded it super-fast. His big brother Nico came through and did the whispering. It was amazing.”
It’s just the beginning though. With more music, videos, and surprises on the horizon, Sumo’s World also tells a new story for children’s entertainment.
“I want audiences to see a positive brown boy in this space,” Theron leaves off. “You never see that. I want people to view little black boys as fun, happy, and playful. I also want them to see how beautiful my son’s mind is. We really brought his ideas to life. It’s the most important project of my life.”
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