Far from the flashy sets and celebrity judges of TV singing competitions like “American Idol” and “The Voice,” a small corner desk in NPR’s Washington D.C. office has become one of this generation’s most competitive launching pads for early-career artists.
The Tiny Desk team started Top Shelf in 2020 as a way of expanding the spotlight to more artists in the competition. “When we go through all of the entries, there's just so many amazing artists with amazing performances and songs,” Hilton said. “And we thought, ‘There's got to be a way for us to share more of what we're seeing.’”
In their submission, Valerio said, “‘Home’ is both the literal place, and it's that intoxicating feeling of belonging that we all seek.” That sentiment is most clear in the chorus, as Valerio achingly repeats: “I want to go anywhere but here, anywhere but home.” That drive to escape — from home, from town, from the feeling of performing socially for others — expands from one verse to the next, shifting from angst to some form of catharsis as Valerio concludes the song belting: “Leave me alone, I wanna go home.”