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Becky G: Tiny Desk Concert

This Latinx Heritage Month Tiny Desk is celebrating with an 'El Tiny' takeover, featuring a wide array of artists from all corners of Latinidad.

The Tiny Desk had a considerable pop sheen when vocalist Becky G took her place alongside a backing band featuring a string quartet. The stripped down sound of some of her biggest hits offered a rare view of her artistry.

"BAILÉ CON MI EX" is the perfect example of an unforgettable hook. It had the NPR staff audience bopping in place for what she described as a "warm up" for the rest of her set. "MAMIII" was originally recorded with Karol G, but performed alone here, and the Tiny Desk version was no less a scorcher. Here, interplay with guitarist Justice West at the beginning set the temperature for a slow burn.

The showstopper is her duet with vocalist DannyLux, "CRIES IN SPANISH," a song they did together on her latest album, Esquinas. I have to admit that when he started his part of the song, it was apparent that their voices were kind of made for eachother. And by the time she obliged us with her Tiny Desk concert take on "Shower," she had cast her spell: I ended up singing that chorus for the rest of the day.

SET LIST

  • "BAILÉ CON MI EX"
  • "MAMIII"
  • "CRIES IN SPANISH" (feat. DannyLux)
  • "Shower"

MUSICIANS

  • Becky G: lead vocals
  • Marcus Thomas: drums
  • Justus West: guitar
  • James Morales: keys
  • Eric Whatley: bass
  • Olivia Tapia: vocals
  • Crystal Osorio: vocals
  • Njioma Grevious: violin
  • Ryo Usami: violin
  • Bethlehem Hadgu: viola
  • Maxfield Fisher: cello

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Anamaria Sayre
  • Director/Editor: Kara Frame
  • Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
  • Creative Director: Bob Boilen
  • Series Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Elizabeth Gillis, Zayrha Rodriguez
  • Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
  • Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
  • Photographer: Keren Carrión
  • Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Joshua Bryant, Hazel Cills 
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
  • Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.