Juliet Stouffer
National Public Radio’s (NPR) Tiny Desk Concerts have been around since 2008, providing a platform for artists to have a more unplugged sound in a smaller space and with a smaller crowd. I first found out what Tiny Desk Concerts were last year when I saw Chappell Roan’s. Her big hair and lipstick on her teeth made me immediately fall in love with her aesthetic. After this, I watched many more Tiny Desks from the iconic Taylor Swift one to the Sabrina Carpenter one and Olivia Rodrigo’s, but the Tiny Desk Concert that truly took my breath away — and also introduced me to one of my new favorite artists of this year — was Doechii’s.
Doechii brought the energy to the space, while also using all of her background dancers, singers, and band to the best extent possible. The energy of the performance was something that was so precise and together that I felt like I was in the first row of her concert. The intimate energy and the jazz in the back brought a great beat and made for a wonderful performance to watch. I loved the energy of the performance, especially the connection between the band; they felt like a family. By the time I was halfway through watching the concert, I didn’t even feel like fifteen minutes had passed. I was just so entranced by the horn player and the sound of Doechii’s voice. Her performance energy was also so funny and charismatic that I felt like I was her friend, and I loved it. She knew the intimacy of the Tiny Desk Concert, but still gave it her all. She didn’t act like it was some small event where she just sat with her guitar and sang; she made the crowd laugh, and her background singers and band brought their all into the performance.
The coordination of the band and the rhythms they created is what made this concert for me. I will always love this Tiny Desk Concert because it also introduced me to my favorite song, Doechii’s “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” After watching this Tiny Desk, I listened to that song constantly, loving the way Doechii spoke her mind in the song. One of my favorite parts of the Tiny Desk Concert was when the drummer of the band was watching the horn player play and got so excited for her. I think it just really embodies the energy of the band throughout the whole performance. They all love and appreciate each other. Not just for their talent, but also for how proud they are of each other. Then the concert, ending with “Black Girl Memoir,” was the perfect way to leave the audience. Especially with how crazy the world has been, I feel this concert is a great way to bring some joy to a day, while also making sure people don’t forget about the big problems of our lives and politics. Yes, art is meant to help us forget the bad things in life, but it can also be used to help highlight the atrocities of the world to inspire, and I think Doechii and her band do this very well in her albums, but especially with this Tiny Desk Concert.