Alessia Cara Creates Her Own Concert After NPR Tiny Desk Rejections

Canadian singer Alessia Cara responded to multiple rejections from NPR's Tiny Desk program by recording and sharing her own desk concert performance. The Grammy- and Juno-winning artist announced the project on Instagram, stating she had exercised creative control by building her own setup.

Cara disclosed that NPR's Tiny Desk had declined her participation on several occasions. Rather than accept the rejections, she decided to create an alternative performance experience. In her Instagram announcement, she positioned her effort as a direct response, saying her desk surpassed the size of the NPR version.

The Performance

The concert video opened with Cara explaining her motivation before launching into a relaxed, jazz-influenced rendition of "Middle Ground," a track from her 2021 album In the Meantime. She continued with stripped-down acoustic versions of songs spanning her recent catalog, including "I'm in Trouble" from her latest album Love or Lack Thereof and "Nighttime Thing" from the 2025 release Love & Hyperbole. Additional performances featured the song "Shapeshifter," reimagined in an intimate arrangement.

Recent Activity

Beyond the desk concert, Cara has maintained an active recording schedule. She recently appeared on Canada Soccer's Boi-1da produced album What If It All Goes Right?, released in June, contributing vocals to the track "In My Hands." Producer Boi-1da highlighted the project's roster in interviews, describing the assembled artists as among the world's most accomplished performers.