30 of the most memorable NPR 'Tiny Desk' Concerts

Fans who haven’t had a chance to catch Usher at his Las Vegas residency can get a peak into his world with his "Tiny Desk." One of the things that sets his "Tiny Desk" performance off in an engaging way is how his songs' musical arrangements are completely different from how he performs them in Vegas or any other show. As a veteran in the R&B game, he brought along rising stars Eric Bellinger and Vedo as his background vocalists. He performed a few of his hit songs, including “You Make Me Wanna…,” “Superstar,” and “My Way.” His performance also birthed a viral meme of “Watch this!” — something Usher says at the beginning of his track “Confessions Pt. II.”

A few days after Mac Miller released his fifth album, Swimming, he graced the world with his "Tiny Desk" performance. He brought along frequent collaborator and friend Thundercat and several other bandmates as they performed “Small Worlds,” “What’s the Use?” and “2009.” One of the cool things about Tiny Desk is seeing rappers such as Mac being able to take their musical creativity to another level, seeing him in a small setting before he was set to tour the following month. However, he sadly passed away at 26 just a few weeks after this performance. Mac’s "Tiny Desk" has racked up over 105 million views on YouTube since then. 

The power of fandom made Juvenile’s "Tiny Desk " performance come to fruition. A fan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to ask NPR if Juvenile could make an appearance on the series. The rapper caught wind of the tweet and was apparently unfamiliar with the concert series, declining the request. However, Juve fans rallied and encouraged the rapper to reconsider. Two months later, Juve and his longtime collaborator Mannie Fresh performed on "Tiny Desk" to close out 2023 Black Music Month the right way. Juve also brought along Jon Batiste, The Amours, and a few string players as they performed his songs like “Rodeo,” “Slow Motion,” and “Back That Thang Up.”

T-Pain popularized auto-tune, especially in R&B and hip-hop. So when he performed at NPR, he told the audience, “I know everybody is wondering where the auto-tune is going to come from. It’s okay, I got it in my pocket,” which was met with laughs from the crowd. However, his performance, which included a pianist backing him, showcased that T-Pain could sing without auto-tune, which shocked many fans. His stripped-down performance had hits like “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” and “Drankin’ Patna.” 

Fans who have seen Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals in concert are well aware that the "Tiny Desk" is a perfect setting for them. They came to the NPR office several months after .Paak released his breakout album Malibu. While The Free Nationals take on most of the musicianship, .Paak is handling the drums while his vocals showcase a level of cool, grooviness, and ease on songs like “Come Down,” “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance," and “Suede.”

There’s something about Tom Misch’s music that brings peace and serenity to a listener. Perhaps it’s how he sings and plays instruments while blending jazz, R&B, pop, and electronica elements. Whatever the case is, his sound makes for a perfect "Tiny Desk" performance. He brought a small band, including a violinist and pianist, as he performed songs like “It Runs Through Me” and “I Wish.” The performance was available nearly two months after Misch released his breakout album Geography.

Tyler, The Creator changed the look of the office during his "Tiny Desk" performance. He recorded his performance at night — a first in NPR history — because Tyler and his band wanted to create a certain ambiance in the room. The camera is first on his band starting the performance while Tyler watches them from the audience. He then joins his bandmates to sing “Boredom” as the room is lit in blue and magenta. The colors change to red as he sings “See You Again” and “Glitter.” The lighting element seemed perfect, as it went well with Tyler’s album titled Flower Boy. At the end of his performance, he mentioned that he’s usually against rappers using a band while performing, but he was very thankful to the bandmates for his performance. 

There are some times when unlikely musical pairings sound magical together, which was the case for rock icon Sting and reggae legend Shaggy. In 2018, fans were surprised when they released their joint album 44/876. Sting and Shaggy came to the NPR office the following year to perform a few of their songs. Their set included Sting’s “Englishman in New York” and “Shape of My Heart,” as well as their joint song “Don’t Make Me Wait.” They also covered an interpolation of Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams,” a song that Sting owns the majority of the royalties of. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, NPR had to switch gears a bit in continuing to create its "Tiny Desk" series. That’s when they rebranded the series as "Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts," where artists would perform their set at home or any other intimate setting. BTS performed their set at a record store located in Seoul as they took on songs like “Spring Day” and “Dynamite.” The record store was the perfect space for the seven-member boy band, and they gave fans pure vocals since there wasn’t enough room for any of their usual choreographed moves. 

One of the interesting things about Erykah Badu’s artistry is how she blends neo-soul, jazz, and hip-hop like no other artist. Her voice, presence, and showmanship always give an aura of ethereal and magical prowess; it’s no wonder that fans are captivated by her live performances. During her "Tiny Desk," she performed tracks such as “Rimshot” and “Green Eyes,” and each song sounds like it could be heard in the dreamiest jazz lounges.

Coldplay may be known as a rock band, but they added some gospel elements to their "Tiny Desk" performance. Frontman Chris Martin was on keys and vocals, alongside guitarist Jonny Buckland, who were joined by a nine-piece choir. Their five-song set included hits like “Cry Cry Cry,” elements of praise and worship on “Viva La Vida,” and a groovy cover of Prince’s song “1999.” Martin praised the choir in the middle of the set, saying, “In a very real way, they’ve kind of Photoshopped our songs to be much better than they actually are.” 

In the summer of 2017, Daniel Caesar emerged as a rising star in the R&B world thanks to his debut album, Freudian. A year later, NPR invited him to perform at the Tiny Desk. It’s a perfect setting for Caesar because he’s a performer who shines with his vocal abilities. Caesar congregates around the piano as he goes through his songs “Japanese Denim” and “Get You.” To close out his performance, he invited collaborator H.E.R. to sing their hit song “Best Part,” a duet that complements their vocals in the most symmetric way. 

Another fan-favorite of the "Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts" came from Dua Lipa. At the time of her performance, Dua mentioned that she and her band hadn’t been around each other in so long due to the pandemic lockdowns and the cancellation of her tour. Backed by a bassist, guitarist, and background vocalists, Dua went through a four-song set that included “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating.” Dua made sure to bring in some elements of NPR’s office, as her set did indeed include a desk and a bookshelf.

If a person just looks at Babyface’s solo discography, as well as his production and songwriting discography for other artists, he could easily have an hours-long "Tiny Desk" performance. But for the sake of time, Babyface and his band took about 30 minutes to go through an 11-song set. In addition to his fellow musicians, he was joined by vocalists Chante Moore, Avery Wilson, and Tank in the background. He went through his songs like “Two Occasions” and “Whip Appeal.” He allowed Moore to sing lead on Karen White’s “Superwoman” and Madonna’s “Take a Bow,” Wilson took lead on Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk,” and Tank took Boyz II Men's “I’ll Make Love To You.” 

At the beginning of Adele’s performance, an NPR employee is heard saying that his team has been trying to get the singer to Tiny Desk for a few years, and they’re so glad they finally made it happen. There’s no doubt that fans love Adele for her powerhouse vocals and songwriting that so many people can relate to. She sings with such pristine ability as she goes through songs like “Someone Like You,” “Chasing Pavements,” and “Rolling In The Deep.” 

At the beginning of Alicia Keys’ "Tiny Desk" set, she says, “It feels so good to just be in an intimate space and connect with you. There’s nothing that I love better than the intimacy in a personal space.” Joined by her band, Keys went through a four-track set that included songs like “Show Me Love,” a funky groove on “Underdog,” and her debut single “Fallin.’” Keys has one of the most-watched performances in "Tiny Desk" history. 

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jon Batiste is joined by an all-female band during his "Tiny Desk" performance. He handles the piano during his blues-infused track “Cry,” a Wurlitzer electric piano on “Coltrane,” and the electric guitar on “Tell The Truth.” In the middle of his set, he told the crowd, “The times we are in is an interesting place, but music is always that universal language that can bring people in a room together,” quite an interesting statement since the pandemic started just a couple months after his performance was recorded. 

Taylor Swift is a one-woman show in her "Tiny Desk" performance, as she handles guitar, piano, and of course, the vocals. At the beginning of her performance, fans see Swift walk through the crowd of NPR employees as she makes her way over to the desk. When she steps to the microphone and introduces herself, she says, “I just decided to take this as an opportunity to show you guys how the songs sounded when I first wrote them." She then goes into a four-song set that includes “Lover” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.” 

H.E.R. already appeared early on "Tiny Desk" when Daniel Caesar invited her as a special guest. So, NPR invited her back for her own performance, showcasing her vocal ability and her artistry as a multi-instrumentalist. She introduced herself to the audience and said, “I feel like 'Tiny Desk' is the best way to experience your favorite artist.” And she couldn’t have described it any better as she went through her set of songs, including “Feel A Way” and “Hard Place,” while showcasing her skills on electric and acoustic guitars. 

In 2019, Snoh Aalegra released her sophomore studio album, Ugh, Those Feels Again. A few months later, Aalegra gave fans an enchanting "Tiny Desk" performance to promote the album. Her velvety vocals on songs that highlight love and relationships make for a perfect setting for this stripped-back performance. Her backing band, including a few violinists and cellists, make for dreamy sounds on her songs “I Want You Around,” “Whoa,” and “Find Someone Like You.” 

In January 2021, soulful singer Jazmine Sullivan released her long-awaited EP Heaux Tales. To assist with the release, she performed a "Tiny Desk Home Concert," including songs like “Bodies (Intro)” and “The Other Side.” While the performance was mostly dedicated to the EP, Sullivan made sure to gift fans with the astronomical tone of her 2015 hit “Let It Burn.” To close out the performance, she invites H.E.R. to join her in their collaboration “Girl Like Me,” and their voices and harmonies mirror each other perfectly. 

One of the cool things about "Tiny Desk" is how NPR incorporates artists from different genres. Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade is a prime example of how universal music makes people feel. Lafourcade sings in Spanish, and for people who may not be familiar with the language, that doesn’t stop them from hearing how pristine and smooth the singer’s vocals are. Her three-song set includes tracks like “Soledad y el Mar” and “Tú Sí Sabes Quererme.”

Some people have become familiar with Durand Bernarr from his albums, social media videos, or singing backup for Erykah Badu, but one thing is for sure: He always knows how to entertain an audience. Bernarr and his band pulled up to the NPR office dressed as characters from the Disney animated series The Proud Family. Bernarr’s artistry can’t be confined to one genre, he blends elements of R&B, soul, gospel, funk, old school, and everything in between. It shines brightly in his nine-song set that included “Leveled,” “Mango Butter,” “Freefall," and a rock-infused “Stuck.” Between Bernarr’s vocals, musicianship, and charisma, he gives showmanship every time.

In 2019, NPR invited Burna Boy to perform a "Tiny Desk" set, and since then, he’s shown how much he’s grown as a star and one of the biggest artists in bringing Afrobeats to mainstream audiences. While Burna usually takes over massive arena and stadium stages, this performance gave fans a chance to see how he performs in a smaller setting. Joined by a small band, Burna’s four-song set included “Gbona” and “Ye.” 

There’s no doubt that Kirk Franklin revolutionized gospel music, and how the genre continues to grow shows how much of an imprint he’s had on it. For fans who need a little anointing and uplifting, Franklin will give a praise and worship session with his band and choir, regardless of size. For his "Tiny Desk Home Concert," he has a six-member choir backing up him and his band, and their harmonies sound more like a massive choir that would be on a stage. Franklin’s four-song set includes his hit songs like “Love Theory” and “Melodies from Heaven.”

Wale has always rapped in a very poetic way, so a "Tiny Desk" setting is perfect for his discography. In September 2019, Wale took to Twitter in frustration about not being on "Tiny Desk" before, even though he’s a Washington, D.C. native (the same city where NPR is located). However, just a couple of months later, Wale got his long-overdue performance. His six-song set included “Lotus Flower Bomb,” “Sue Me,” and “On Chill.” He also paid homage to his hometown’s go-go sound with a rendition of UCB’s “Sexy Lady.”

Toward the end of 2019, Harry Styles released his sophomore album, Fine Line. A couple of months later, Styles and his band went to NPR for a "Tiny Desk" performance. His four-song set included songs from the album, such as "Cherry," "Watermelon Sugar," and "Adore You." In between each song, Styles gave little tidbits about the creation process of the songs and their lyrical meaning.  

Fans who’ve attended a Masego concert know that he likes to add comedic relief during his performances. Naturally, he did just that for "Tiny Desk" when he had comedian Renny perform a playful saxophone introduction. Masego went into his TrapHouse Jazz sound with his vocals and saxophone heard on songs like “Queen Tings,” “Black Love,” and “I Do Everything.”

Typically, when R&B singers perform on "Tiny Desk," they bring background vocalists. However, that wasn’t the case for Jorja Smith. She was the solo vocalist along with her band to back her up. Her smooth vocals floated effortlessly on tracks like “Teenage Fantasy” and her breakout hit “Blue Lights.”

When Tash Sultana performs, people can tell how much joy and passion she has for music. That feeling was fully displayed during her 2017 "Tiny Desk" performance. While Sultana can play multiple instruments, she kept it minimal during this set by sticking with a guitar. Sultana’s three-song set included songs like “Jungle” and “Blackbird.”