Sabrina Carpenter: Tiny Desk Concert

NPR Music

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Sabrina Carpenter's Tiny Desk Debut at NPR HQ

When I met Sabrina Carpenter at NPR HQ for her Tiny Desk debut, her charm was immediately disarming. Full of excitement, she extended her hand, introduced herself, and complimented my outfit with genuine warmth. You would think this was one of her first major performances, not for a pop veteran who has sold out arenas across the country touring her now six-time Grammy-nominated sixth album, Short n’ Sweet. Her humility made me love her even more.

In this performance, Carpenter delivered more than just charm. Backed by her band, accompanied by pedal steel and a string quartet, she reimagined her biggest hits from Short n’ Sweet, sharing stories in between songs about how these tracks came to life. Starting with “Taste,” the strings added playful pizzicato, leading into a lush, soulful rendition of “Bed Chem.” They then switched to acoustic instruments for “Please Please Please” and “Slim Pickins.” Carpenter closed the performance with the viral favorite “Juno,” playfully asking the audience, “Have you ever tried this one?” as she swept her rear end across the windchimes, eliciting laughter from the room.

Reflecting at the beginning of her performance, Carpenter shared, “When I first started [writing songs] it was kinda in a room like this — a room with very dry walls and there’s no reverb. But there’s something so real and special.” This authenticity set the stage for a memorable session with one of 2024’s biggest breakout superstars.

SET 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
Audio 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

#tinydesk #sabrinacarpenter #espresso #nprmusic

Support for NPR Music comes from Better Help, committed to helping clients with issues ranging from relationship challenges and goal-setting to grief and depression. Learn more at BetterHelp.com/TinyDesk

Support for NPR Music comes from Google and Year in Search 2024. Celebrating the breakout searches like Sabrina Carpenter, that defined the year and inspired the world to search on

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