Daniel Caesar Returns to NPR Tiny Desk With Choir-Backed Performance

Daniel Caesar returned to NPR’s Tiny Desk with a sampling of material from his latest album, Son of Spergy. Backed by a 12-piece choir, the performance marked a grand return for the musician who last appeared on the concert series in 2018 for a set that has amassed more than 34 million views over the past six years.

For that standout set, Caesar selected songs from his debut album Freudian, including “Get You” and “Best Part,” as well as the early-career release “Japanese Denim.” The singer has expanded his discography since then to include a hit pop single with Justin Bieber (“Peaches”) and Never Enough, the 2023 album featuring collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, Mark Ronson, Omar Apollo, and more.

Catching Tiny Desk up to speed, Caesar opened his latest set with “Rain Down,” the Sampha-assisted opening track from Son of Spergy. Artists will sometimes share quick asides to contextualize their Tiny Desk selections, but Caesar opted to keep the songs coming without interruption. He moved from “Rain Down” into “Emily’s Song,” followed by “Moon, “Who Knows,” and “Sins of the Father.” As the set progressed, the singer moved between the piano and his acoustic and electric guitars.

Son of Spergy was released in October 2025. The record included collaborations with Bon Iver, Yebba, Blood Orange, and more. Production credits on the album reveal additional contributions from Clairo, Rex Orange County, Jordan Evans, and more. Also featured on the record is Caesar’s father, Norwill Simmonds, who appears on the deep cut “Baby Blue.”

“I have a lot of respect for my dad, and I hold him in high regard. The album is about me realizing that I am exactly like him,” Caesar said in a statement last year. “In that sense, it’s about having patience, respect, and admiration for myself.”