Alanté Serene | December 15, 2025
The first thing you might notice about Odeal’s Tiny Desk: He’s holding a phone in his hands. “Someone really special couldn’t make it today and it’s my mom,” he explains. “I’ve got her on the phone right now.” The British Nigerian singer and songwriter then props the FaceTime call right in front of him to give his mother a front row seat. Right from the first note, we are instantly transported to the warm, soulful pocket that we never leave.
Ever since his debut EP in 2017, Odeal has built a deep catalog of smooth grooves. The Summer That Saved Me, which came out in July, is a culmination of the work that he has put into shaping his sound. He weaves the project’s highlights with several other songs from his repertoire, including “Wicked,” a standout from his latest drop, The Fall That Saved Us. The result is a carefully curated show that is intimate, intentional and right on time.
SET LIST
“Free Me”
“Soh-Soh”
“Blame U”
“Wicked”
“Miami”
“24/48”
“London Summers”
“My Heart”
“Coffee (Don’t Read Signs)”
MUSICIANS
Odeal: vocals
Omar Grand: piano, keys, music director
Isaac Adoasi: keys
Ernest “Bonxu” Bonsu Jr.: guitar
Jared G Wilson: bass
DeVaughn Durham: alto sax, flute
Ahmad DuBose-Dawson: percussion
Timothy “CarlosOnTheBeat” Pabifio: drums
Leven: background vocals
Shanera Denaé: background vocals
Morgan “Mogi” Williams: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Alanté Serene
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Sofia Seidel
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
#tinydesk #nprmusic #odeal
Support for NPR Music comes from Moises. A platform created by musicians, for musicians and used by 70 million artists worldwide – to learn, create, and collaborate. Available for download.
