NPR Tiny Desk Concerts are beautiful, pure slices of musical magic. I’ve loved watching and listening to them for almost a decade. Great music when it is stripped back to its essentials is such a joy to observe, and like any great gig, the curators of the show make it such a comfortable, welcoming place for the artist to share and bring the intimacy we so often don’t get in a large venue. They are higely inspirational for me and always leave me feeling joyous and optimistic. Here are five of many that I adore, for different but equally magical reasons

1. Taylor Swift

This one from Taylor Swift totally sideswiped me. I wasn’t hugely aware of her wider output, but really dug a lot of her songs that I had heard, but I’m all in for Tay Tay after seeing this. Pure pop songwriting perfection. And if you disagree, I simply know that haters gonna hate

2. Wilco

Wilco are one of my favourite bands of all time. My life’s journey has been soundtracked by their albums, and while I have drifted a little further away from their output in recent years, this is such a great snapshot of them at their best — a tight band, inventive melodies and great poetic lyrics.

3. Hozier

Andrew Hozier Byrne aka Hozier is a staggeringly brilliant songwriter and performer. His songs like they come from some other worldly place, and straddle between gospel, blues and pop, and I feel lucky to have shared a stage with him at one point. As an Irishman I am incredibly proud to see him be an artistic ambassador for our little island out there in the world, and he feels very much like the natural successor to the likes of Van Morrison. I hope his career is long and storied for all of our sake’s.

4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The incredible hooks and crafted lyrics really shine in this performance, and you can just feel the energy, melancholy and joy throughout. And Same Love still floors me, especially here, it continues to shimmer as one of the all-time great songs. “No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it”

5. Lizzo

Lizzo is pure unbridled joy and energy here, and it is a whopper showcase of her immense singing voice more than anything else. Her way with words and the way she hangs on those hooks is such a buzz to witness. Fascinated to see what musical path she follows over the coming years, but on this evidence she is already an all time great, and making us all feel good as hell.