Have you ever wondered who almost won the Tiny Desk Contest? Which entries were just shy of taking the cake? And who could be a future star or even a Contest winner one day? Well today, before the judges share the overall winner, we reveal the top five contenders.
In no particular order, here are the finalists:
Top row: Noa Bar, the King will come; bottom row: Les Greene & the Swayzees, Lauren Frihauf, Cure for Paranoia
For her second Contest entry, Lauren Frihauf from Denver, Colo., instantly grabbed the judges with “One Thing Always Leads to Another,” a charming and hooky song about how it feels to grow up and learn new things about yourself — performed solo with just a guitar and her cat lounging in the background.
“What I love is the songwriting,” said Bobby, on the first episode of Top Shelf. “She writes beyond her years.” “I can’t believe she’s unsigned,” Robin agreed. “I’d listen to a whole album of her music.”
As four-time Contest entrants and four-time Top Shelf features, Cure for Paranoia from Dallas, Texas, has been stunning the judges with its dynamic hip-hop for a while. “No Brainer” is no different.
“[This song] hooked me instantly,” said Madison McFerrin on Top Shelf last month. “Black music that’s left of center is really powerful at this moment in time — that’s what really caught me.”
We don’t see many producers and electronic musicians in the Contest. However, when they do break through, our judges are always astounded by what one person can build using only the tools in front of them. With some objects from her own desk and just her voice, Noa Bar’s “Diagnosis” became a fast favorite among judges.
“Her voice, the beat selection, I wish my voice could sound like that,” Tierra Whack said on the final episode of Top Shelf. “She’s incredible. She’s my favorite.”
Les Greene begins the entry seated in an office chair and by the end he’s moving about the living room with one of the most powerful belts the judges have heard during the Contest. In “Long Story Short,” he lays all of his emotions bare and lets his band, the Swayzees, swell behind him.
“That got the hair standing up on my arms,” said Bobby on Top Shelf. “It’s pure power and emotion.”
This stands out as the truest and most authentic form of gospel that the Contest has to offer. On "welcome" by the King will come, from Lehi, Utah, lead singer Tamy Stevens slips seamlessly in and out of rap and vocalization.
“That was tribal, that was Kirk Franklin, that was all the great things — when you do gospel, you have to do it that way,” said Bobby on Top Shelf. “That was really special.”
The Tiny Desk Contest is sponsored by Capitol One and supported by Rivian.
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You can hear more from the judges on how these entries rose to the top every day this week on All Things Considered, starting with yesterday’s piece on Lauren Frihauf.
Stay tuned to find out who will be the winner, come to our headquarters for a Tiny Desk concert and then hit the road on tour (tickets are selling out quickly!). Let the countdown begin!
From the Desk,
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