Teedra Moses stopped by NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., to perform a special Tiny Desk concert.
The R&B vocalist, dressed in a red form-fitting outfit with gold accessories, took the audience on a trip down memory lane to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her beloved debut album, Complex Simplicity.
Moses was joined by musical director LeShawn Thomas on bass, Sharod Virtuoso on guitar, Branden Akinyele on drums and Brandon Butler on Keys.
Her background vocalists included former Tiny Desk performer and Grammy-nominated singer Durand Bernarr, who also served as co-musical director, J. Black and Amanda Mikkel.
After opening her set with “Caught Up,” Moses checked to see how the audience was feeling before expressing her gratitude.
“Thank y’all so much for having me to celebrate 20 years of my debut album, Complex Simplicity,” Moses said with a smile. “It’s been a blessing to me. Thank you for being on the journey. I appreciate it. Life is still complex simplicity, so thug it out,” she added.
Moses’ 22-minute set included more selections from Complex Complicity, including the title track, “You’ll Never Find (a Better Woman),” and “You Better Tell Her.” She concluded her eight-song performance with her signature song “Be Your Girl.”
Complex Simplicity was released Aug. 10, 2004, via TVT Records. The timeless body of work included the singles “You’ll Never Find (a Better Woman)” featuring Jadakiss, “Be Your Girl,” and “You Better Tell Her.”
In October, Moses celebrated her Complex Simplicity‘s anniversary by releasing a reimagined version of the title track featuring Bernarr.
Speaking on her collaboration, Moses said, “Durand Bernarr is an amazing artist in personality, performance, on stage and on record, an amazing vocalist, arranger, and songwriter.”
She continued, “On this particular record, it really helps that he’s my friend because the song ‘Complex Simplicity’ is truly one of the most personal, yet extremely celebratory, songs I’ve ever written. He came in and did what he does best, which added more color, texture, and good feelings to a record that already felt really good. It was a seamless fit.”
Bernarr added, “The fact that I had an opportunity to reimagine music that was the soundtrack to moments in my life is beyond imaginable, and I’m extremely grateful to have this moment. Plus, Teedra is my girl!”
Since Complex Simplicity, Moses released a slew of mixtapes and her second album, Cognac & Conversation, in 2015.
In July, she released her new single “With All My Heart,” her first offering since 2021’s “Make Me.”
Watch Teedra Moses’ Tiny Desk concert below.
Teedra Moses’ Tiny Desk Concert Setlist
“Caught Up”
“Complex Simplicity”
“You’ll Never Find (a Better Woman)”
“You Better Tell Her”
“No More Tears”
“Take Me”
“Backstroke”
“Be Your Girl”
