In 2025, we crammed rap and rock legends, instrumental virtuosos, Broadway musicals and, well, puppets and robots behind a desk in the NPR Music office. Never forget: Tiny Desk has the range.
We published 115 (!) concerts this year. There's no way to encompass the scope of such a stellar and diverse roster — Bad Bunny! Living Colour! Wiz Khalifa! PinkPantheress! — so we asked the team that produces, films, engineers and edits these videos to share their favorite Tiny Desks of 2025, yearbook superlative style.
Most likely to surprise you: Rico Nasty
I've seen quite a few Tiny Desk Concerts live, but not many incite an audible gasp from the audience like Rico Nasty's. The DMV native rapper knew that she wanted her performance to be different than any other she had seen before — and I'd say that was a success. She starts her performance like any other ordinary show, but then suddenly the lights go out and the office space is completely dark. The audience gasps, thinking there may be a technical issue, only to then be delighted to see a beautiful green hue fade onto the shelves and a spotlight beam onto Rico, shining almost as bright as she does. It's a moment that's hard to forget and stands out as one of my favorites of the year. —Alanté Serene, video producer
Most items left behind: 31 Minutos
31 Minutos might hold the record for most superlatives that can describe its Tiny Desk concert: Most chaos behind the Desk, most people running around, most people behind the shelves, most views in the first 24 hours, to name a few. But my favorite of them all is this: 31 Minutos left behind the most (and most random!) items on the shelves that we continue to find to this day! —Kara Frame, video producer
Most likely to make your engineer question themself: clipping.
"Is this the right microphone for that coffee mug?" Recording in an office space often takes some creative microphone choices, and clipping. took the challenge to a new level with its Tiny Desk performance. The setup required coming in the night before to work out the logistics of capturing beats made using common office items. For you audio enthusiasts, we suggest large-diaphragm dynamic mics for cardboard box kick drums and a shelving EQ to bring out the ball chain on tinfoil sound of your pizza box snare. —Josh Newell, audio technical director and engineer
Best Tiny Desk for a slow, sensual night in: Alex Isley
Alex Isley's voice is effortlessly intimate and her Tiny Desk performance unfolds like a candlelit evening meant to be savored. Each song drapes the room in softness, which pairs perfectly with a good bottle of wine, carefully chosen hors d'oeuvres and a warmth that encourages you to stay a while. —Ashley Pointer, producer
Best use of folklore: Ruby Ibarra
Ruby Ibarra's 2025 Tiny Desk Contest winning song, "Bakunawa," is rooted in a Filipino myth about a dragon who swallows the moon. Textured with commentary on immigration, assimilation and cultural reckoning, Ibarra's entire Tiny Desk is a braided narrative that expertly weaves folklore with the honest history of struggle. Ibarra was already a star to the diaspora — especially to her fellow Bay Area Filipinas — but this Tiny Desk brought her up to the moon. —Dhanika Pineda, producer
Most inside the pocket: Parcels
I'd been a fan of this band for years, running its jams during some of my DJ sets, but I was clearly unfamiliar with how Parcels truly got down. Not only am I kicking myself for not producing this show, I wasn't even in the building the day they shot it. Thankfully, my colleague Isabella Gomez Sarmiento stepped up. I'm obsessed with how these five Australians evenly distribute all duties in the music. Everything is tucked into the perfect pocket, keeping at least one thing on your body moving for nearly 19 minutes. We don't even have time to talk about these flawless harmonies. It's like butter, baby!! —Bobby Carter, series producer
Most likely to make you touch grass: Oklou
With a crackling fire made of snapped twigs, bubble wrap, tinfoil and a soft whistle, Oklou sings of a love so fragile she can't help but grasp it too tightly in her hands. As the eight-piece choir swells behind her, so does the sounds of crickets. It's almost like the French countryside appears behind the Tiny Desk and we're all laying in the grass looking up at the stars. —Dora Levite, producer
Most likely to make you wanna cry (in a good way): Faye Webster
It's not surprising that the swelling string arrangements in Faye Webster's Tiny Desk would invoke wet eyes. Webster's locked-in eight-piece band starts with "In a Good Way," as Webster hints at a kind of love that surprises you with its profundity. But if you stick around until the end of the performance, you'll see the part that makes me teary: "Jonny" and its spoken word reprise, which Webster performs as if in a trance. —Elle Mannion, producer
Most likely to hear drums in every mic input: Ghost-Note
It's rare that we have the drums front and center for a Tiny Desk, but it seems like whenever we do, it totally pays off. Right off the bat, the keys made me think of a lot of the music from Hey Arnold! (This is a great thing!) The musicians play so tightly, yet the music compels your body to loosen up. An electrifying energy and the kind of groove you can't sit still to. —Josephine Nyounai, audio engineer
Most intense, but also most teary-eyed: Clipse
There are moments during Clipse's Tiny Desk when things feel a bit tense. Pusha T and Malice stare into the lens and it feels like they stare directly into the souls of the audience, putting everyone on notice and proving why the duo's comeback was so important for hip-hop. Then after blistering bravado, the Thornton brothers show their vulnerable side as they perform "Birds Don't Sing," a song dedicated to their recently deceased parents that left very few dry eyes in the room. —Joshua Bryant, video producer
Most mellow groove: Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
"A hug for the mind." "An antidote." "Almost forgot feeling this calm is the point." These YouTube comments mirror my own sentiments for this meditative and completely improvised set. Jeff Parker's touch is so light, yet so deep, with a band that sits in and stirs up the stillness. —Lars Gotrich, producer and series editor
Most likely to jump on and then off the Tiny Desk without us knowing in advance: Turnstile
Everything about this performance was just so fun, especially for me to film! We allowed for slightly more jumpy camera movements in addition to our usual slow zooms and pans. We invited a little bit of chaos for the last song, but then Brendan Yates jumped onto the Desk and then jumped right onto the audience — something we didn't plan! We didn't know! We probably should have known, though. Next time we'll remove the light diffuser, that's on us. —Maia Stern, lead video producer
Most vocal acrobatics: Michael Mayo
Ever heard a singer whose voice is the embodiment of Simone Biles? Michael Mayo's Tiny Desk is a winning gymnastics exhibition for the ears. Mayo's vocal chords launch notes into somersaults, double twists and leaps, solidly sticking each landing. Mayo's vocal teammates Alita Moses, India Carney and Tomás Cruz each contribute their own twist outs and backflips that make this a Team Gold Medal performance. —Mitra I. Arthur, video producer
Most likely to turn the Tiny Desk into a tiny chapel
By sharing personal testimonies, offering prayers and focusing her message on faith and the goodness of God, CeCe Winans creates a house of worship wherever she performs. This fosters fellowship and spiritual upliftment worldwide, but we felt especially blessed by her presence. —Neil Tevault, audio engineer
Most likely to break your waist: Machel Montano
When Machel Montano announced power soca was up next in his set, there were only two appropriate responses: to put your flag in the air and, more importantly, to "buss" a quick stretch — unprepared lower backs and knees are both humbled by his music! "Look trouble now," are the first words of "Like Ah Boss," and it behooved everyone in the office to take heed of the King of Soca's proclamation. —Nikki Birch, video producer
Most likely to upset a fandom: SEVENTEEN
Despite months of planning and preparation, the SEVENTEEN concert didn't turn out as expected. Days before the recording, DK — one of the leaders of the vocal unit — lost his voice. Knowing it would likely be years before we could reschedule, our teams decided to proceed without him. Little did we know how truly upset the fans (aka Carats) would be! After thousands of angry comments on Instagram and YouTube, we messaged the audience to explain the situation. What felt like a disaster, thankfully settled down. —Suraya Mohamed, executive producer
Friendliest band: Sandbox Percussion
Despite scrambling to get the vast array of Sandbox Percussion's instruments (everything from a vibraphone to plumbing pipes and water-filled wine glasses) set up perfectly in time for our pre-taping rehearsal, the four lads in the band could not have been more chill. And, once they started banging on stuff, they played with wide smiles, having the time of their lives. —Tom Huizenga, producer
The Unheralded Hero: "El Papa," bassist for Carlos Vives
Don't tell the other band members, but the biggest secret of Tiny Desk is that the bass player often wears the Super Hero cape. Combining melody, groove and subtle, tasty licks is no mean feat and my 2025 standout is Luis Ángel "El Papa" Pastor. He literally propels Carlos Vives' performance of Colombian folk music by shadowing both the percussion and the melodic instruments. Bass players, man. Dig into our archive and see if I ain't lyin'. —Felix Contreras, El Tiny producer
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