Watch Bilal’s Soulful ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ Solo Debut

Renowned singer-songwriter Bilal recently visited NPR HQ for his solo Tiny Desk Concert debut. Bilal delivered a mix of seasoned and fresh material including an unreleased song.

While Bilal has featured in Tiny Desk Concerts by The Roots and Common, the latter captured at The White House at the end of Barack Obama’s presidency, the poetic singer who blends jazz, soul, R&B and hip-hop clocked his Tiny Desk Concert debut with the new NPR offering.

For his first solo Tiny Desk, Bilal enlisted a band consisting of Tone Whitfield (bass), Randy Runyon (guitar), Joe Blaxx (drums), Corey Bernhard (keys), Simon Martinez (guitar), Micah Robinson (background vocals), Tashera Robinson (background vocals) and Muhsinah (background vocals). The ensemble kicked off the session with the yet-to-be-released “Something To Hold.”

NPR’s Nikki Birch ran down Bilal’s Tiny Desk set:

Bilal’s mastery doesn’t end with his voice. For “Tell Me,” his performance accentuates the poetry of his lyricism. That’s what makes him exceptional: You’ll never see him perform any song the same way twice. Bilal’s set list is a calculated balance of the old and the new, and fans who have been riding with him since the beginning will be thrilled to hear what he does with “Soul Sista,” which closes out his set. Add to that the support of an insanely talented band and background vocalists and you have the blueprint for a live experience that’s perfectly suited for the Tiny Desk.

Watch Bilal’s Tiny Desk Concert below:

Catch Bilal live. Scroll down for the singer’s itinerary and ticket info.