Tems: Tiny Desk Concert

Tems: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths.

Bobby Carter | June 3, 2024

To hear Tems tell the audience that she was shy came as a surprise to me. As a performer, she captivates us with such ease and exudes confidence when she’s not, so to see her blushing as the crowd roared was sweet to witness. Unlike most artists who’ve performed at the Desk, the Nigerian singer-songwriter took a chance by playing a set filled with songs from her forthcoming debut album, Born in the Wild.

A lot has happened in Tems’ world since her Tiny Desk (home) concert a couple of years ago. She’s won dozens of awards including a Grammy, worked with Beyoncé and written for Rihanna, all of which helped to keep her name on our minds and music in the clubs. These new songs indicate time well spent between her breakout moment a few years ago and now. “Unfortunate” is less Afrobeats and more straightforward R&B, flexing her development as a writer. “Forever” is powerful in the way she reaches a vocal range I had no idea she could, while “Love Me JeJe” was the hands-down standout. At the time of the taping, the song had yet to be released, but the rhythm pierced the room and had us all in line for the call and response.

SET LIST

“Me & U”

“Ice T”

“Unfortunate”

“Forever”

“Love Me JeJe”

MUSICIANS

Tems: lead vocals

Daniel Crawford: keys, music direction

Brett Baker: percussion

Erick Walls: guitar

Eric Ingram: bass

Robert Johnson: drums

Olivia Williams: vocals

Ashly Williams: vocals

Kadeem Nichols: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene, Mitra I. Arthur

Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Estefania Mitre

Animation: Jackie Lay

Florist: Kelanda Edwards

Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Cills, Maia Stern

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #tems