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WBUR's 2026 local Tiny Desk Contest superlatives
Like everyone else, we were blown away by the winner of this year’s Tiny Desk Contest, Cure for Paranoia. But the Dallas hip-hop collective wasn’t the only Tiny Desk entry to wow us. For the past few months, we’ve been combing through the Massachusetts entries to the contest — there were 184 in all — in search of an artist to crown the Local Tiny Desk Favorite. Along the way, our panel of judges found many extraordinary entries. Here are a few of the entries that stood out to us. Stay tuned for our Local Tiny Desk Favorite later this week!
Best Falsetto
Aric B., 'Always U'
For his submission to the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, Aric B. took the spirit of the competition to heart. The Tiny Desk Concert series is all about stripping a performance down to its essence, and Aric B. wisely understands that his strength lies in his voice. He performs his R&B song “Always U” with minimal electric guitar and a basic drum machine track. Even though the audio quality is a little rough, his voice is clearly the star of the show. Our panelists agreed that Aric B. was second to none in delivering pathos — especially when he hits those high notes.
Most Enchanting
Cloudbelly, 'Phantom Lung'
“Most Enchanting” might be too glib a description of this performance. Corey Laitman, the singer-songwriter behind Cloudbelly, has never been one to hammer you with a hook. Instead, they write beautiful, quiet melodies that slowly seep into your subconscious. Laitman is a deft lyricist, painting a picture of a relationship in two swift lines — “You animated me/ Like the breeze in the field” — only to unravel it with devastating directness: “Why can no one love me/ Without running aground?” “Phantom Lung” is the sort of song that deepens in both meaning and ambiguity the more you study it. It casts a spell. Evidently, the editors at NPR Music felt the same way: Cloudbelly will open for Cure For Paranoia on July 7 at the Sinclair for Tiny Desk Contest On The Road.
Most Impressive
Hwajong Kim, 'Night'
There is no requirement that entries to the Tiny Desk Contest include singing — only that the composition is original. Still, it’s rare to see entrants put forth purely instrumental performances. Hwajong Kim’s “Night” stood out for that reason. But it was his technical ability that earned him the adulation of the panelists. Kim employs an intricate, showy style of fingerpicking on his acoustic guitar. The camera focuses on his hands and the dazzling gymnastics of his fingers. As a piece of music, though, “Night” is easy to grab onto. It is groovy and melodic, with a chorus you could sing.
Best Musical Theater Number
Bog Berries, 'Choose For Me'
“Choose For Me” is not actually a musical theater number — at least as far as I know. But it really sounds like it belongs on a Broadway cast recording, complete with a wind section and a heart-on-your-sleeve expressiveness that seems designed to advance the plot. I was initially confused by this entry, because it seemed to be missing some key context, namely, what show it belongs to. Once I let go of that expectation, though, I fell for Bog Berries and their keyed-up, happy-go-lucky performance. “Choose For Me” is funny and witty and earnest, and an absolute earworm. Months later, it’s still stuck in my head.
