PinkPantheress Drops the Auto-Tune for Stripped Down ‘Tiny Desk’ Concert Debut: Watch

PinkPantheress made her Tiny Desk concert debut at the NPR offices on Friday (Sept. 5), and did so in a new way as she stripped the signature Auto-Tune from her vocals.

The 24-year-old admitted that she thought about backing out since she couldn’t have her vocals properly adjusted, but figured out a way to work around the tuning and fans are happy she did.

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“This is my first performance I’ve done with no tuning,” she told the crowd. “I’ve never sang with no tuning before so this is really scary. I nearly didn’t do this because the NPR people were like, ‘You can’t use anything.’ Then I was like, ‘Let me try to figure it out and see how it goes.’”

In her classic tartan outfit, Pink jumped around her compact discography throughout the eight-track set. She took it back to 2021 for stripped-down versions of “Atracted to You,” which saw her play the harmonica, and “Pain.”

The singer reimagined her viral TikTok hit “Illegal” into a jazzier version of the track, which hit No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The rest of PinkPantheress’ set included Heaven Knows‘ “The Aisle,” “Passion” and a ringtone transition to Fancy That standout “Tonight,” which mixes in burly guitar riffs and an interpolation of the chorus from her “Boys a Liar.”

During her interview with Billboard earlier this year, Pink explained how she feels her music is meant for more intimate settings rather than arenas.

“I still don’t think my music belongs in an arena,” she said. “I think my music belongs in a more intimate setting. As an artist, I think my fanbase appreciates more intimate settings.”

Watch her Tiny Desk concert below.

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