WILLOW Mixes New Songs & Hits On Vibey ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ Debut

Genre-defying 23-year-old musician WILLOW recently swung by the NPR Music headquarters to film her first Tiny Desk Concert performance. The singer-songwriter threw down a five-song set that included three tunes from her forthcoming album, Empathogen, as well as a cut a piece off 2022’s Coping Mechanism and 2015’s Ardipithecus.

The artist born Willow Smith was accompanied by an ace band consisting of guitarist Liso Lee, keyboardist Zach Tenorio, bassist Mohini Dey and drummer Taylor “The Pocket Queen” Gordon. Willow showed off her powerhouse and dynamic vocals throughout the 20-minute performance.

Empathogen, Willow’s sixth album, arrives this Friday, May 3 via Three Six Zero Recordings. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith looked to the LP to start her Tiny Desk Concert debut with the jazzy “Symptom Of Life.” Willow then delivered an intimate version of Coping Mechanism standout “Split.”

The set rolled on with the beloved “Wait A Minute!” from Willow’s debut album, Ardipithecus. Mohini Dey’s bass was showcased on the fan-favorite as it was on the world premiere of the wily Empathogen funk workout “Run!” Willow said farewell by performing “Big Feelings” off her new LP.

“I wrote ‘b i g f e e l i n g s’ during a week where I was coming to terms with my own emotional patterns that I hadn’t known were there,” Willow explained in a press release when the song came out. “Musically, it has a darkness and complexity that reflects what we all experience in our own minds. The song is about accepting those intense feelings that you have no idea what to do with.”

Willow displayed her unbelievable vocal range over the bombastic track. It was a fittingly strong ending to her memorable Tiny Desk Concert set. Watch the complete performance below: