Tiny Desk Concert: NPR

On By Littum

When I greeted Sabrina Carpenter at NPR HQ for her Tiny Desk debut, her charm was immediately disarming. Bubbling with excitement, she held out her hand, introduced herself, and complimented my outfit with genuine warmth. You’d think this was one of her first “big time” gigs, not a regular appearance for a pop veteran, having sold out arenas across the country touring her now six-time Grammy-nominated sixth album, Short n’ Sweet. That humility made me love her even more.

But Carpenter delivers far more than just charm in this performance. Backed by her band, complimented by pedal steel and a string quartet, she recreates her biggest hits from Short n’ Sweet, as they share the stories between songs about how these tracks came to life. Opening with “Taste,” strings serve up some playful pizzicato before Carpenter and her band move into a lush, soulful version of “Bed Chem.” Then all switch out their electric instruments for acoustic ones to perform “Please Please Please” and “Slim Pickins.” Finally, Carpenter closes with the viral favorite “Juno,” cheekily asking the crowd, “Have you ever tried this one?” before sweeping her rear over the wind chimes and getting a laugh from the room.

“When I first started (writing songs), it was kind of in a room like this—a room with very dry walls and there’s no reverb,” ​​Carpenter reflects at the top of his performance. “But there is something so real and special.” That authenticity set the tone for a memorable session with one of 2024’s biggest breakout superstars.

SEAT LIST

  • “Taste”
  • “Bed Chem”
  • “Please Please Please”
  • “Slim Pickins”
  • “Espresso”
  • “Juno”

MUSICIANS

  • Sabrina Carpenter: vocals
  • Haeun “hani” You: piano, keyboards
  • Caleb Nelson: guitar
  • Matt Park: pedal steel guitar
  • Chris Johnson: drums
  • Alexandra Simpson: viola
  • Sarena Hsu: violin
  • Yasmeen “YAS” Al-Mazeedi: violin
  • Bobby Wooten III: bass
  • Marza Merophi Wilks: cello
  • Christine Noel Smit: background vocals
  • MIA MOR: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producers: Ashley Pointer, Bobby Carter
  • Director/Editor: Kara Frame
  • Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
  • Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel, Wendy Li
  • Sound engineer: David Greenburg
  • Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
  • Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
  • Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
  • Executive producer: Suraya Mohamed
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins