Best NPR Tiny Desk Concerts you should watch!

Still don’t know about Tiny Desk Concerts? In today’s article, we will explain what it consists of so that you can discover how, thanks to these musical sessions, a new way of enjoying music and meeting great artists has been created, without having to go to a concert.

Tiny Desk Concerts from NPR has become one of the best digital platforms that feature your favorite musicians and it is for this reason that we will briefly comment on its origins and then, we will discuss the 10 best sessions that you cannot miss.

What are the Tiny Desk Concerts and how did the idea come about?

Bob Boilen, the current host, and Stephen Thompson, the editor of NPR Music -National Public Radio of New York-, are the creators of these sessions. The idea arose as a result of their own experiences in the bars of the city, they considered that these were very noisy and crowded places where you could have great moments but not enjoy a great concert.

For this reason, they created Tiny Desk Concerts, a new type of concert, small, intimate, and well cared for. Between 15 and 20 minutes, the artists offer great sessions to their audience with purer interpretations of their greatest hits, promotional songs, or even covers. Since the idea emerged in 2008, more than 800 sessions have been performed at Bob Boilen’s desk in the NPR.

Top 10 of the best Tiny Desk Concerts

Marc Miller

The first session that we want to comment on is the one that Mac Miller did with his frequent collaborator Thundercat, on the bass. In this small 17-minute session, Mac Miller sang songs from his album Swimming, live for the first time. He was accompanied by a guitar, two basses, keys, drums, and a string quartet.

Enjoy again the great session of Mac Miller!

Lizzo

The next superb session of Tiny Desk Concerts that we want to highlight is the one of Lizzo, and through this, she interpreted the great songs of “Cuz I Love You” and “Truth Hurts”. With this little session, Lizzo once again demonstrated what an excellent singer she is, and thanks to her magnificent performance she managed to be one of the sessions with the largest number of attendees in this format.

Discover the exquisite Lizzo in her Tiny Desk Concerts!

Adele

Adele is another of the great artists who have participated in these sessions and through this little concert, she has once more demonstrated the outstanding voice and talent she has. In this session, viewers will be able to see the singer in a much simpler way and will enjoy the great power of her lyrics through songs like “Someone Like You”, “Chasing Pavements” and “Rolling in the Deep”.

Do not miss the fantastic Adele in Tiny Desk Concerts!

Florence and The Machine

Through this mini-concert, Florence + the Machine has shown that this band is still one of the most complete artists in the world, with only a harp, a keyboard, and a guitar it is capable of creating a very emotional presentation and that of course, must be seen once in a lifetime.

Discover the songs June, Patricia, and Ship to Wreck in this Tiny Desk Concert!

Natalia Lafourcade

The next artist we want to highlight is Natalia Lafourcade and it is because, during the promotional tour of the first volume of Musas, she decided to perform a show in which she wanted to make an ode to one of the best times of Mexican popular music. In her new musical proposal, Lafourcade decided to use the most traditional sounds of Latin American music. It is for this reason that, through this session, you can relive those sounds with each note that the artist and her band interpreted.

Enjoy Natalia Lafourcade and her reinterpretation of Mexican music!

Coldplay

Coldplay is another of the great music groups that decided to participate in Tiny Desk Concerts. In this mini-concert, the band was accompanied by a nine-piece choir that helped them interpret songs like “Viva la Viva”, “Broken” or “Cry Cry Cry”. In addition to standing out for being accompanied by the great choir, the band surprised all the spectators by performing a version of Prince.

Do not miss the great session of Coldplay!

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is another of the great artists that you can enjoy in these small sessions, where she performs songs like “The Man”, “Lover” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts”, among others. Through this small concert, the singer decided to take advantage of this cozy performance as an opportunity to show how the songs sounded when she wrote them for the first time.

Discover the most intimate version of Taylor Swift.

Anderson .Paak

Brandon Paak Anderson, best-known by his artistic name Anderson .Paak, performed this perfect session just at the time when he was promoting his album Malibu. Sometimes it is difficult to appreciate this artist in concerts since he is the drummer and main vocalist, but in this small concert, and in just 15 minutes, he is able to surprise all the spectators with the interpretation of three songs.

Discover Anderson .Paak and his band The Free Nationals!

John Legend

In this 16-minute session, the singer John Legend offers an interpretation of his great songs through much more intimate versions. The fusion between his voice and the piano is perfect and the singer has proven that you only need that to conquer millions of people.

Relax and enjoy the great interpretations of John Legend!

The Roots

To finish this top 10 we want to include The Roots, and it is Black Thought the only one capable of making an impeccable session of R&B and neo-soul. In this Tiny Desk presentation, The Roots demonstrated the power of wind instruments and how well they pair with a good voice.

Discover one of the best R&B sessions at Tiny Desk Concerts!

Finally, we recommend checking out the last quarantine concerts made from the musician’s homes, they are special Tiny Desk Home Concerts.