I’m not the music fan who gets possessive over their favorite artists. Some artists transcend sonic satisfaction and make your life better. And, when that happens to me, I can’t wait to share it with others. My closest friend played “The Season / Carry Me” by Anderson .Paak in the last week of January, 2016. Five and a half minutes later I knew, unequivocally, I had found my new favorite musician. To my thorough satisfaction, .Paak’s music has only improved over the past four years. Below is an essay I wrote on his NPR Tiny Desk Concert—one of the most fun, generous live performances I’ve watched.

Washington, D.C. – Anderson .Paak demanded the attention of new listeners and entrenched himself deeper in the hearts of already steadfast fans

“If you know this shit, sing along,” .Paak suggests to a confined room of NPR employees before he commences his 16-minute spectacle of confident, sensual, and superbly smooth musicianship.

Devoted music fans across the globe tune in for each new installment of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. For many, it’s the optimal way to discover new artists or experience an unconventional execution of a familiar song. There have been several standout performances since the internet series’ conception—but few have matched the diversity and virtuosity of Anderon .Paak’s genre-bending set.

Seeing .Paak nestled behind a drum kit, a pair of tinted sunglasses, and his band, The Free Nationals (a team he affectionately refers to as his “only friends”), the viewer truly believes there’s no place the Oxnard, California native would rather be. He effortlessly navigates between his vocal and percussion duties, even sprinkling in digs with impeccable comedic timing—often at the expense of the group’s guitarist, Jose Rios. His confidence permeates the room even in the face of musical snafus. When the rest of the group neglects to join in on a refrain following a quick “Help me out, now” from .Paak, all four members smile and shoot each other mischievous glances before harmoniously chiming in when the opportunity quickly comes back around.

After energetic renditions of “Come Down,” “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance,” and “Put Me Thru,” off the cherished (albeit not widely known at the time) 2016 album Malibu, .Paak offers his NPR audience the opportunity to shout out a request. The offer is immediately met with a timid suggestion of “Suede?” from a female voice at the back of the room, eliciting laughter from Anderson and The Free Nationals. .Paak verifies the young professionals’ appetites for the track’s subject matter: “I talk a lot of shit on this record, is that okay?” After unified and eager nods of approval, the group quickly confers on the execution of the unrehearsed song and begins, the effortlessness and festivity more potent than ever.

In the following weeks, as the concert received widespread exposure across internet platforms, it ignited genuine pride for his longtime admirers and a curiosity and appetite within his burgeoning fans. Was the world ready for more Anderson .Paak? As .Paak himself would put it: a resounding “YES LAWD!”