Tag: NPR

Ashley Pointer | August 4, 2026 Charlie Puth walked into the Tiny Desk and turned it into a jazz club. Known for crafting some of the biggest pop records of the last decade, Puth approaches the Desk less like a hitmaker and more like a bandleader, reimagining familiar songs with fresh arrangements that spotlight the musicianship at his core. With effortless precision — and plenty of spontaneity — he guideshis band through each song, shaping dynamics in real time like a professor leading a masterclass. “We Don’t Talk Anymore” opens with a colorful vamp before unfolding into what Puth jokingly [See More…]

Tom Huizenga | July 30, 2026 My favorite artists are the restless ones — those who enjoy, even thrive on, working outside their comfort zones, refusing to be confined to any convenient pigeonhole. Banjo magus Béla Fleck might be the poster boy for such musical curiosity. The 18-time Grammy-winner is fluent in bluegrass, newgrass (which he helped define), jazz, rock, Indian classical and various other traditions from around the globe. Opera superstar Renée Fleming also enjoys a boundary-defying inquisitive streak. While she’s one of the finest, most celebrated, sopranos of her generation, Fleming has stepped into surprising places, including a [See More…]

Lars Gotrich | July 28, 2026 ELUCID and billy woods have pounded the pavement for over two decades, which can feel like several lifetimes in underground rap years. Together as Armand Hammer, and separately on their own, the catalog runs deep. But even as more co-signs, features and bigger-name producers take note, a deep undercurrent remains: They reflect and refract the horrors and joys of the world, creating a kind of kaleidoscopic healing. As my colleague Rodney Carmichael puts it: The more complicated the times get, the easier it is to understand them. But this ain’t just for the heads; [See More…]

Bobby Carter | July 21, 2026 Following the second song of his set, Vince Staples does a call out. “I just wanna see something. If you know who George Jackson is, in the crowd, raise your hand!” The Long Beach emcee goes on: “What about Bobby Hutton?” No one raises their hand. He continues saying the names of slain members of the Black Panther Party, also mentioning Larry Kimmons, who was shot and killed by a Pepperdine University security guard in 1969. The song “Go! Go! Gorilla,” details the Black community’s fear of law enforcement. It was a tense moment [See More…]

Lars Gotrich | July 15, 2026 Just feet away from where NPR Music staffers write and edit stories, a swirl of black t-shirts and battle jackets opened up a small circle pit. The absurdity of the moment was not lost on us, but the smirks on the masses gathered to see an English metal band tear up NPR’s office carpet kept the momentum appropriately (but respectfully) chaotic. Napalm Death’s ongoing campaign for musical destruction had come to the Tiny Desk. For more than 40 years, noise has not only been a central tenet of Napalm Death’s caustic sound, but has [See More…]

Kara Frame | July 13, 2026 The night before he stopped by the Desk, Flea took a moment between songs at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C., to call his experience of performing with a jazz band “an adventure.” After four decades as a founding member and bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea was touring on his debut solo album, Honora, in small venues, including the NPR Music office space. Yes, that’s Flea on trumpet, doubling up on bass and spitting poetry, but as he admits, “I’m just one part of this ensemble.” That ensemble features Tiny Desk alumni [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music. Alanté Serene | June 29, 2026 Bow Wow built his own lane. His debut single spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, he released three successful albums and landed a string of big screen appearances, all before turning 18. His transformation from child star to well-rounded entertainer serves as a blueprint for longevity, and honoring the impact and legacy of BET without him would have been incomplete. [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music. Ashley Pointer | June 25, 2026 What Virginia-bred country singer and rapper Shaboozey represents is much bigger than himself: It’s the reclamation of country music’s roots as unapologetically Black. Returning home to the DMV to perform at the Tiny Desk for this year’s Black Music Month takeover, Shaboozey plays fan favorites and debuts new songs from his upcoming album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales. Opening the set with the [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music. Mitra I. Arthur | June 23, 2026 Fred Hammond has been a leading architect of modern gospel music, particularly praise and worship, for over 40 years. From his time in groups like Commissioned and United Tenors to leading the choir Radical for Christ and maintaining a long solo career, it’s easy to see why Hammond’s visit to the Tiny Desk is frequently requested and long overdue. Fans for every Hammond era will [See More…]