NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Usher Makes A Musical Gumbo With An Instant Classic Tiny Desk Concert

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Usher had literally decades of hits to pull from for his NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, so it had to be stressful to whittle the options down to an under-30-minute set. Fortunately, that time in the limelight has taught Mr. Raymond a few things about being an entertainer — namely, to play the hits. That’s just what he did, opening the set with his 1997 breakout single, “You Make Me Wanna…,” the lead single from his second album My Way — the project that set him on the road to becoming the superstar that he is today.

Then, inspired by the viral challenge based on his 2004 Confessions smash, he launched into a stunning falsetto rendition of “Superstar.” Even better, he brought along the singer who helped kick off the challenge, Eric Bellinger, who sang backup alongside Vedo (both are stars in their own rights, highlighting just how big Usher really is). Then, bringing out yet another hit, Usher went even further back to 8701 single “U Don’t Have To Call.” With the horns backing the arrangement, the futuristic Neptunes production becomes a funky, jazzy slider.

And speaking of viral moments, there’s a new challenge in which Zoomers ask each other what Usher was doing at 7 o’clock — a clear reference to his My Way single “Nice And Slow” that embarrassingly few young people have gleaned. However, the audience at NPR’s office knew exactly what was going down, turning the song into a full-on singalong, from the first verse to the double-time rapped bridge. Of course, he performs the obligatory “Confessions, Part 2” and then closes out by celebrating the 25th anniversary of the title song from My Way, playing a full-force presentation of Usher’s second top-five hit.

You can watch Usher’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

Denzel Curry Delivers A Flawless Tiny Desk Concert After Just Two Rehearsals

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Denzel Curry‘s riding a career-high at the moment, enjoying the success of his fifth studio album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future. Debuting at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album is led by soulful singles such as “Walkin,” “Zatoichi,” and “Troubles,” and led to a well-received performance at this year’s Coachella, with an upcoming tour featuring dates alongside Kid Cudi. Curry kept the momentum going with a flawless performance on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series, backed by a 10-piece band.

Performing songs from his new album as well as some of his beloved hits, Curry seems astonished that the set goes so well. “We only did this rehearsal twice!” he exclaims between two songs. In addition to performing “Melt Session #1,” “Walkin,” and “Troubles” from Melt My Eyez, Denzel dug into his back catalog for fan favorites like “DIET_” from his 2020 Kenny Beats collaboration Unlocked, “Clout Cobain” from 2018’s Ta13oo, and “Ricky” from his 2019 album Zuu.

Besides having a productive year for himself, Curry has become a go-to featured freelancer for his peers, popping up on songs from IDK (“Dog Food“), Sampa The Great (“Lane“), and Dot Da Genius (“Talk About Me” with Kid Cudi and JID), as well as on the soundtrack for Elvis.

Watch Denzel Curry’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

Ravyn Lenae Delivers Hypnotizing Vocals In Her Emotive NPR Tiny Desk Concert

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It has been a strong first half of 2022 for the R&B genre, and one name that has come up a lot in the conversation of best projects is Ravyn Lenae. It’s one thing to listen to her debut album Hypnos and witness the talent audibly, but she took things to another level visually with today’s (June 22) Tiny Desk Concert as part of NPR’s Black Music Month celebrations.

The Chicago talent was glowing as she took attendees and listeners through a multitude of emotions, opening with her track “Venom” before descending further into the feels with “Skin Tight” and the self-love ballad “Inside Out,” then kicking things up a notch with the closer “Sticky.” In a day and age where R&B is labeled too slow, moody, and not fit for upbeat settings, the 23-year-old firmly displayed she can provide all of those sounds and do so in a live setting.

Three of the four songs performed come from Ravyn Lenae’s aforementioned debut album Hypnos, which was released toward the end of May and features Steve Lacy, Mereba, Smino, and Fousheé. Prior to Hypnos, she released EPs Crush, Midnight Moonlight, and Crush in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively.

Watch Lenae’s dazzling Tiny Desk performance above.

FKA Twigs Debuts Her New Song ‘Killer’ In A Charismatic Tiny Desk Concert

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NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series is celebrating Black Music Month with showcases of Black artists both “at home” and at the titular Tiny Desk. The latest episode features genre-bending English singer-songwriter FKA Twig, performing in a mysterious-looking candlelit church, backed by strings and piano. In addition to singing two of her most beloved ballads, “Home With You” and “Cellophane,” as well as debuting a brand-new song, “Killer.”

FKA Twigs upped her game early this year with the release of her mixtape, Caprisongs. The tape, which featured the singles “Meta Angel,” “Jealousy,” “Bliss,” “Papi Bones,” “Honda,” and “Which Way,” highlighted her eclecticism and improved vocals, as well as featuring a spontaneity that hadn’t yet been heard from the convention-challenging Twigs. In her review, Uproxx’s Caitlin White writes, “… a more relaxed, linear style in the songwriting gives a deeper look into Twigs’ psyche than her past work.”

In addition to promoting her new tape, Twigs is expanding her resume, adding a brand-new acting role to her impressive list of achievements. In May, it was reported that Twigs had been cast in an upcoming remake of the 1994 gothic action movie The Crow — which is a perfect opportunity to showcase her martial arts and dance training.

Watch FKA Twigs’ Tiny Desk Concert above.

FKA Twigs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

IDK Keeps Things ‘Simple’ In His At-Home Tiny Desk Concert Featuring Mike Dean

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One of the most fun elements of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts has always been the crowd interactions — something that has been missing ever since the series went to an at-home format as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, as restrictions have eased up and vaccination levels increase, it looks like we’ll start to receive something of a hybrid approach whenever it’s possible. IDK’s new Tiny Desk Concert brings back the live audience feel as he invites neighbors and friends to his Los Angeles home to perform new songs from his recently released album Simple.

Opening with the soulful “Puerto Rico,” IDK opts to set the mood with the smooth, melodic gem from USEE4YOURSELF rather than one of his harder-hitting rap tracks, which allows him to present himself as a “sweet guy” and adds to the overall inviting mood. Meanwhile, Kaytranada’s jazzy, house-influenced production from Simple proves to translate beautifully to the stripped-down set, where some synthesized baby grand sets the groove as IDK’s friend thumps out the beat on a coffee table. Mike Dean also makes an appearance to contribute a ripping guitar solo to IDK’s latest single, “Breathe.”

Watch IDK’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

IDK is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Curren$y Drifts Through His Massive Catalog In His 4/20-Themed Tiny Desk Concert

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I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but it’s April 20, and I’m sure you know what that means (although what with the traditional festivities endorsed for this unofficial holiday, you’d be forgiven for not knowing what day it is anymore). So it’s only right that for this week’s Tiny Desk Concert debut, NPR has tapped one of hip-hop’s patron saints of the devil’s lettuce, Curren$y, who stops by for an at-home set from a garage alongside one of his many, many cars (this one’s a lifted 1965 Chevy Impala).

Of course, with so much music in his rearview — over seventy projects and counting — the New Orleans native has plenty of product to pull from, opening the set with “Sixty-Seven Turbo Jet” from 2012’s Cigarette Boats with Harry Fraud. Then, it’s “Address” and “Breakfast” from 2010’s Pilot Talk, “Airborne Aquarium” from Pilot Talk II, and finally, “Mary” from 2013’s New Jet City. It’s kind of mind-boggling to think he could have done a ninety-minute set without crossing 2015.

Early in the set, he teases his band for not having their own 4/20-inspired products on them, although he allows that all three members of the trio need both hands to keep the music going.

Too Short’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert Is Here And It’s Glorious

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Go ahead and file Too Short’s Tiny Desk Concert as one of the most unexpected entries in NPR’s series, but the Oakland rapper totally owns it. Literally sitting on a makeshift desk made to look like an 808 drum machine and backed by a full band, he delivered a slew of classics new and old in a unique fashion.

The set opened with “The Ghetto” featuring backing R&B singer Maurice Smith humming the chorus. “Yo waddup? It’s ya boy Too Short in the house,” he said introducing the details of the set. “Yeah, we doin’ it like this: We’re gonna run through some Too Short classics. Basically, I’mma play you a Too Short song from the past five decades. The ’80s, the ’90s, the 2000s, the 2010s, and the 2020s. How many artist you know that got relevant records in five decades? That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Classic man, legendary, Too Short. Representin’ East Oakland, California. Biiiiitch, yea!”

That’s exactly what he and the band did, playing a jazzy R&B version of “Gettin It,” with a saxophone bellowing and silky keys guiding the track. Then a string-section sample paints the canvas for an expansive rock and roll version of “Blow The Whistle” that culminates with a guitar solo. The instrumental hook of “Big Subwoofer,” by the Mount Westmore rap supergroup of Too Short, E-40, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube, brought things to a close as Short said, “The new thang is Mount Westmore….We been doing this sh*t since the ’80s and we ain’t gonna stop any time soon! Short dawg in the house! Biiiiitch!”

Too Short has indeed been a prolific force in West Coast rap since the 80s and this performance flashes unprecedented range. Give the man his flowers. He’s earned them.

Watch Too Short’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert above.

Cordae Celebrates His New Album’s Release With A Lighthearted Tiny Desk Concert

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Cordae’s new album, From A Bird’s Eye View, is out after an impressive rollout that included the singles “Gifted,” “Super,” and “Sinister,” a lively Tonight Show performance, and an eye-popping LA Leakers freestyle. Now, he puts the cherry on top with a mellow NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert covering both songs from the new album and some of the fan favorites that got him here in the first place.

Opening with “Coach Carter,” Cordae and his band smoothly transition from song to song, including a melodic performance of “Want From Me,” then his Lost Boy hit “RNP” and a loving medley of “Thousand Words/Thanksgiving.” He returns to the new project to close out the set with a three-piece sequence including the single “Sinister,” the nostalgic “Momma’s Hood,” and the vulnerable “Chronicles.” Throughout, he raps, sings, and speaks with an easygoing charisma that shows exactly why he was able to secure two Grammy nominations for his first album and such an enthusiastic fanbase that eagerly awaited his second.

Their patience was rewarded with a number of fun collaborations, which include “Today” with Gunna and “Parables” with Eminem. Stevie Wonder also appeared on the tracklist, with Cordae spilling a funny story about the musical icon to The Breakfast Club.

Watch Cordae’s Tiny Desk Concert above.

Issa Rae Includes Thundercat, Raphael Saadiq, SiR, And Others In Her Favorite NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

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Issa Rae
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Surely, we’ve all gone down the NPR Tiny Desk Concert rabbit hole. There’s something about seeing favorite artists (and new discoveries) in a highly intimate setting that feels special, even if we’re not there and just watching from our screens at home. The series has become a ubiquitous part of pop culture and lately, NPR has been asking celebrities to list out their favorite performances. Today, Insecure star, writer, and creator Issa Rae checked in to share her picks.

She led off her list with Raphael Saadiq, who is not only the composer for the musical score of Insecure, he’s also certifiably one of the best live acts in hip-hop and R&B. “When he linked up with Lucky Daye for “You Should Be Here” was just phenomenal,” Rae said as one of her highlight moments of the performance. She also counts Thundercat as one of her favorite Tiny Desks and in goofy Issa Dee fashion (her character in Insecure) she explains that “The lyrics [to his song FriendZone’] are lowkey kind of dumb. But to hear it sound so melodic was just like a treat for me.”

She goes on to talk about Sampha and how his music was featured in Insecure season 2, and that she “was introduced to Sampha by Solange when she was doing the music for season one, so he has a special place in my heart.” She tips the cap to SiR (“because, you know, Inglewood”), and rounds out her six with Baby Rose and Nick Hakim, who’ve both had songs featured on Insecure.

Read Issa Rae’s full comments on her favorite Tiny Desk Concerts here.

Tems’ Gorgeous Tiny Desk Concert Takes Over A Glamorous Ballroom

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Tems is having a stellar year. The Nigerian R&B-afrobeats singer-songwriter broke out in early 2021 as a result of her feature on fellow Nigerian artist Wizkid’s fan-favorite single “Essence,” which catapulted her into the US spotlight and sent listeners scrambling back to her September 2020 EP For Broken Ears. Since then, she’s released another EP, If Orange Was a Place, featured on Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy, and embarked on her first-ever US tour, which is helping to show her breakout was no fluke.

Now, as if to put the exclamation point on the above-mentioned accomplishments, she offers her take on the star-making NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert. The Tiny Desk (Home) Concert format allows her to spread out, as she and her band perform in an elegantly-appointed ballroom. With a setlist consisting of “Found,” “Free Mind,” “Looku Looku,” “Replay,” and the standout “Damages,” Tems establishes herself as a performer of uncommon talent, managing to be as captivating sitting on a stool as any number of much more animated artists.

Tems’ rise to stardom now has her performing on late-night television shows and videos like “Crazy Tings” racking up millions of plays, making it clear that there are even greater heights in store.

Watch Tems’ Tiny Desk Concert above.