Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf 2024: Episode 4 with Julien Baker

NPR Music received more than 6,600 submissions to this year's Tiny Desk Contest, our annual search for the next great undiscovered artist to play a Tiny Desk concert. Before we reveal this year's winner, our Contest judges are sharing their favorite entries as part of our annual Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf livestream series.
Featured entries:
Cleo reed, “Swim!” • "SWIM!" by Cleo Reed f...
Agalisiga Mackey, “Tsitsutsa Tsigesv ᏥᏧᏣ ᏥᎨᏒ” • Tsitsutsa Tsigesv ᏥᏧᏣ ... U
Stefan Weiner, “Do Nothing” • Stefan Weiner - Do Not...
Kate Heron, “Are you opening yourself to love?” • Are you opening yourse...
Jojo Di Salvo, “Ode to Steel and Stone” • “Ode to Steel and Ston...
Promise, “Me, Myself, and I” • Me, Myself & I- Tiny D...
Janet Noguera, “Amateur Spirit” • Amateur Spirit by Jane...
Learn more about the Contest: npr.org/tinyde...

[@emirane5598]

The image of Julien singing under her breath to her partner is so beautiful 🥹 The genuine kindness that radiates from her is so pure and the way she articulates what she wants to say so precisely... I love her so much ❤

[@ldrgenius]

imagine julien baker loving your music and analysing what she loves about it, i would die

[@jojofandango7344]

The tiny desk contest IS incredibly uplifting: the humanity, the creativity, the talent, the effort, the diversity, the cooperation, the coordination, the individuality...it's all sooooo amazing!!!

[@jixxxxer17]

well stated and 100% agree !

[@lizwas867]

this fed my soul!!!! such amazing artistry. and I could listen to julien baker talk about music all day!

[@J123noguera]

Can’t believe my non-vocal performance 🎸made it to the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Top Shelf!🙈Wow -thank you again @nprmusic for the feature!! 🥺

[@MusicFan-dn9ue]

Your performance was soooo good!! Amazing.

[@paulaphillips1674]

Janet, it is mesmerizing. It was wonderful of you to share that talent.

[@ResponsibleParties]

Loved your performance .. reminds me of my favorite pieces from Windham Hill music. Will be looking for more from you!

[@KateHeronnn]

thank you so much again npr for featuring us!

[@Mickiethenothingness]

Your song belongs in the most impactful scene of my favorite film of the year ❤️

[@RobertoAlvarezGalloso]

I loved your music. My best wishes from Florida

[@KateHeronnn]

@@Mickiethenothingness :') this is so kind

[@ravioIi]

i could listen to her talk for hours

[@ldrgenius]

A NEW JULIEN INTERVIEW WHO CHEERED

[@lcf3179]

i get what ur saying lol but it's not a julien interview

[@alycesutherland3786]

ME

[@samjohnson6823]

ME

[@hokiegirl80]

Loved Julien's statement about honesty transcending genre

[@bifjohnson1986]

FANTASTIC: "Honesty Transcends Genre". (also her dog is such a cutie)

[@DrChompChomp]

Proud of you, JB! 🙌

[@MayatheGolden]

Watching Promise made me all too emotional. Def not creating for novelty 💐

[@mimieno]

GO Promiiiiisssseeee! 💖

[@kristiebouchermoore5020]

Love love love Agalisiga Mackey and his song!!

[@paulaphillips1674]

The dog - ha 🥰🐾🧡

[@CharEl2023]

Judge Julien!

[@isabeau8907]

wow agalisiga mackey was incredible!!!

[@aymeebrock9018]

absolutely loved kate heron. the song has such a complete, enthralling sound; it was so declarative and felt so encompassing. i

[@KateHeronnn]

thank you sm :' )

[@paulaphillips1674]

I think of opera when they’re talking about music that moves you in an intentional way even when you don’t understand the language.

[@Ooooool66-m6n]

loved jojo and promise!

[@valsoterr78]

her sza shirt

[@hiplessboy]

well all of that was the loveliest

[@chloehoganmusic]

PROMISE AND STEFAN!!!!!

[@kathyhollenbach7413]

The 1st person I saw play like Janet Noguero was Ben Howard. Have loved that style of playing ever since.

[@andrewgewirtz8476]

Kate Heron!

[@KateHeronnn]

thank you sm! :’)

[@LAVISHING]

Just started watching this video and awesome Buccee’s mug Julien! Thanks Tiny Desk for having my friend Julien to help judge stuff.

[@jixxxxer17]

Agalisiga Mackey's entry is so interesting, I watched almost every entry since the start on Jan 23, and all these top shelf picks I have never seen before, and this is including all 4 episodes, kinda of odd, lol

[@uchuba2]

I would love to see a collaboration with Janet Noguera and Yasmin Williams whose Tiny Desk concert was one of my favorites.

[@bryanvandussen917]

Was hoping to play through the playlist so find myself fast forwarding and then annoyed by the overuse of the word like. Is there someplace where I can play the top 45? Without the commentary

[@Sorrowrunaway]

😂

[@naberz08]

Lol we're still doing Andy McKee Drifting bs in 2024?

[@J123noguera]

Yes! Forever doing that bs! 😊

[@سماحعلي-ذ5ش]

من المؤالم جدا أنك تبحث عن الإنسانية في زمن ضاعت فيه الإنسانية والحميه والضمير ضاعت فيه الرحمه اخي باقي رحمه وشفقه اختك في حال ميعلم به الا الله وًّالَلَهَ الَعَظَيَمَ مَا كتَبَتَ هَذا الَمَنَاشَدَهَ غَيَرَ مَنَ الَضَيَقَ وّالَفَقَر يَاعَالَمَ حَسَوّا فَيَنَا ارَجَوّكمَ وّالَلَهَ الَعَظَيَمَ رَبَ الَعَرَشَ الَعَظَيَمَ انَه الَاكلَ مَا فَيَ عَنَدَيَ بَالَبَيَتَ وًّالَلَهَ يَا اخَوّانَيَ انَهَ اخَوًّاتيَ بَقَعَدَوًّ بَالَيَوًّمَيَنَ مَافَى اكلَ وًّالَلَهَ وًّضَعَنَا كثَيَرَ صَعَبَ نَحَنَ 4 نَفَرَ دَاخَلَ الَبَيَتَ وًّابَيَ مَتَوًّفَيَ وًّلَا يَوًّجَدَ مَنَ يَعَوًّلَ عَلَيَنَا وًّسَاكنَيَنَ فَيَ بَيَتَ اجَارَ لَانَسَتَطَيَعَ دَفَعَ الَاجَارَ الَلَيَ بَاقَيَ عَلَيَنَا انَيَ دخلة على الله ثمَّ عليكِ اني في وجه الله ثم في وجهك اني اترجاك اتوسل اليك تساعدني لوجه الله. الله يَأْخي منَ الصَبَاحُ حُتا الان يَحُرّم علينا الاكل غير الماء اني اقسم بالله العلي العظيم على كتاب الله اني بنت يتيمه من ومعي اخواتي صغار اقسم بالله على كتاب الله ان اخواتي ماعاد يقدرو ينطقو بكلمة من شدت الجوع وبيتنا ايجار وصاحب البيت مقدر ضروفنا يريد الإجار او بيخرجنا إلى الشارع و اني اسالك بالله وانشدك بمحمد رسول الله يا اخي لوانت مسلم وتحب الخير انك تساعدني بقدر استطاعتك وايعوضك الله بكل خير فيااخي انت رجال إذا شفت اسرتك جاوعين تعمل المستحيل من اجل تامن لهم الاكل ولكن انابنت عيني بصيره ويدي قصيره ليس لي اب مثلك يسمح دمعتى ويحمينى من الذل والاهانة .🥺واخواتي سغار ساعدنا انقذنا قبل أن يطردونا في الشارع نتبهدل او نموت من الجوع انا اقسم بالله الذي رفع سبع سموات بلا عمد وبسط الارض ومهداني لااكذب عليك بحرف من هذا الرساله واني ماطلبتك إلى من ضيق وقسوت الضروف والحال الذي احنافيه واني وأسرتي نسالك بالله لولك مقدره ﺃﻥ ﺃﺧﻮﺍتي ﻳﺒﻜﻮﻥ ﻭﻳﻤﻮﺗﻮﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﻉ ﻭﺃﻧﺘﻢ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩﻭﻥ ﻳﻌﻠﻢﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺃﻧﻨﺎ ﻻ ﻧﻤﻠﻚ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻗﻴﻤﺔ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ ﺩﻗﻴﻖ ﺃﺑﻲ ﻣﺘﻮﻓﻲ ﻭﺃﺧﻮﺍتي ﺻﻐﺎﺭ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻨﺎ ﺃﺣﺪ ﺃﻗﺴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﻧﺎﻣﻮﺍ ﺃﻣﺲ ﺟﻮﻋﺎﻧﻴﻦ ﻭﻫﻢ ﻳﺒﻜﻮﻥ ﻭﺍﻟﺪﻣﻮﻉ ﺟﻔﺖ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺒﻜﺎﺀ ﻳﺎﺃﻫﻞ الإسلام ﻳﺎﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺮ ﻫﻞ ﻳﺮﺿﻴﻜﻢ ﺃﻧﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺃﻣﺲ ﻟﺤﺪ ﺍﻵﻥ ﺑﺪﻭﻥ ﺃﻛﻞ ﻳﺎﺃﺧﻮﺓ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ ﻧﺤﻦ ﺃﺳﺮﻩ ﺃﻳﺘﺎﻡ ﻭﻧﺎﺯﺣﻴﻦ ﻭﻣﺸﺮﺩﻳﻦ مستعجرين بيت الشهر ب 20 الف ريال يمني واليوم صارت علينا متاخرات 60 الف يمني حق 3 شهور ﺃﺭﺟﻮﻭﻛﻢ ﺳﺎﻋﺪﻭﻧﺎ ﻭﻓﺮﺣﻮﻧﺎ ﺃﺭﺟﻮﻛﻢ ﺃﻭﻗﻔﻮﺍ ﻣﻌﻨﺎ ﻭﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺃﻧﻨﺎ ﺑﺄﻣﺲ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺟﻪ ﺃﺳﺄﻟﻜﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﺎﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻲ ﻋﻨﺪﻩ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﺭﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪﺗﻨﺎ لايتاخر علينا لحظه ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' هاذا رقمي00967779509554 واتساب📞 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' الذي يقدر يساعدنا يراسلني على الواتساب ارسل له ألاسم الكامل في بطاقة الهويه والعنوان يحولنا بقدر ما يستطيع جزاكم الله خيرا الجزاء والاحسان والعطاء ياارب العالمين انا بنت مسلمة من اليمن اإأإ\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] √√√√√√√√√√√√√√√√}}}}}}{{{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}} ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶✓✓✓✓✓✓━,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;:,.;😢😢.v.v.h..f.fkff.g.v.g.v..v.v.v.v.b.b.v.v

[@kathyhollenbach7413]

Really not feeling Cleo Reed, no matter what good things the 2 of you say.

[@copsarebastards]

Why not?

[@DeviGenuone]

Thank you @nprmusic

[@junefuckinglovesmusic]

starts at 1:45

[@kizFr]

Not all hero’s wear capes

[@ironiceilidh]

want more jb 🥲