NIKI — NPR Music Tiny Desk, Washington D.C., 2023

Filmed live session of NIKI for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk, recorded at the famous desk of the American radio outlet in Washington D.C., in 2023. Born in Jakarta as Nicole Zefanya and based in the United States, NIKI has established herself as a figure of indie pop and R&B, with introspective writing and delicate arrangements. In the tight setting of the Tiny Desk, she performs four songs acoustically — “Backburner,” “The Apartment We Won’t Share,” “Before” and “Every Summertime” — foregrounding her voice and the care she brings to her melodies, between hushed pop and 1970s soul accents. This capture documents a complete live performance, in the intimate, artifice-free format that built the reputation of the NPR series. The video conveys the closeness of the session: stripped-back arrangements, contained emotion and a direct dialogue with a small audience. For fans of pop, R&B and songwriting, this live session is a landmark: a leading artist of the new scene, the iconic Tiny Desk setting and a complete capture of a set full of nuance.