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This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.
Bobby Carter | June 23, 2025
Five years ago, Alex Isley gave us a Tiny Desk (home) concert to remember … and ever since, I’ve wanted to bring her into the office for a proper shoot. To preserve everything in her vocal cords, the LA native remained silent until it was time to perform, even pensive as she approached the Desk. Still, her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm for the moment that she and her fans had anticipated for years.
DeShaun Allen, her longtime friend, crafts new arrangements for this performance, honoring the original recordings while adding new flavors to favorites like "About Him" and "Love Again." Supporting vocalists Nelson Beato, Muhsinah and Astyn Turr are in lockstep, complementing Isley’s soft, airy tone to a T, evoking a feeling I haven’t felt since witnessing Daniel Caesar’s performance back in 2018. One of our favorite Tiny Desk alums, Masego, pops up for his verse on "Good & Plenty" to a roaring crowd. She opens with an outside-the-box upbeat banger, "Mic On," with a wink to her father Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers, and closes with the powerful "Thank You for a Lovely Time," from her latest EP, "WHEN."
SET LIST
"Mic On"
"Good & Plenty"
"La Brea"
"Into Orbit"
"Love Again"
"Mine"
"About Him"
"Hands"
"Thank You for a Lovely Time"
MUSICIANS
Alex Isley: vocals
DeShaun Allen: drums, music director
Jay Rojas: guitar
Dré Pinckney: bass
Darek Cobbs: keys
Nelson Beato: background vocals
Astyn Turr: background vocals
Muhsinah: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Bobby Carter, Ashley Pointer
Director: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
Video Editor: Joshua Bryant
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Josh Newell
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#nprmusic #tinydesk #alexisley
Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What’s in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.
