R&B singer-songwriter, PJ Morton joined NPR’s Tiny Desk family on Monday (July 2) with a soulful, live performance of his solo hits.
Morton – who is also recognized as a member of Maroon 5 – performed alongside a 10-piece string section and backup singer as he played the keys. “So many people didn’t want me to be myself, you know. But I I decided that I was going to be PJ no matter what, no matter what people told me or tried to get me to do,” he said, before for kicking things off with his 2017 single, “Claustrophobic.”
Morton ran through a soothing selection of tracks, including “Go Thru Your Phone” and “First Began,” both songs from his Grammy-nominated and first self-released studio album, Gumbo.
Before the premiere of his NPR session, PJ Morton shared a series of video clips, showcasing his instrumental, vocal abilities and excitement for his debut on the popular video series.
Watch PJ Morton’s full Tiny Desk performance in the video above as well as the live and unplugged version of his latest album below.