Farruko closed out NPR’s El Tiny spin-off of the Tiny Desk series on Friday (Oct. 14). The Puerto Rican artist noticeably performed a new version of his mega-hit “Pepas” that reflected his recent religious awakening.
For Our Heritage Month, NPR’s Tiny Desk revived El Tiny to give Latine artists the chance to shine. Artists that performed this year included Omar Apollo, Tokischa, and Carla Morrison. Farruko marked the final performance of the series.
“Pepas” became one of the biggest global hits of last year. Following the success of his song about partying and taking drugs, Farruko announced at one of his concerts in Feb. that he had a spiritual awakening and would retire “Pepas” from his setlist. Since then, Farruko has stayed true to his faith by releasing religious bangers like “My Lova” and “Nazareno,” but has continued to perform “Pepas” at his shows.
The spiritual sound of Farruko’s music ran deep in his El Tiny performance. He opened with a soulful performance of “En La Mía.” And, of course, he didn’t leave out “Pepas” from the setlist. However, a few of the lyrics were changed, with the massive chorus completely removed from the song. He still sang about living your best life but changed the lyrics about partying and taking pills. More of the Holy Spirit ran through Farruko’s performances of “Gracias,” “My Lova,” and his new single “Viaje.”
Fans were divided online about Farruko’s El Tiny performance and his spiritual spin on it. One fan wrote in Spanish, “I recommend Farruko’s Tiny Desk performance.” Another person on Twitter wrote in Spanish, “Farruko’s Tiny Desk concert was a big and complete WTF.”
Farruko also released the music video for “Viaje” on his YouTube channel. He’s found his niche blending reggaeton beats with his uplifting messages.
Watch Farruko’s El Tiny performance below.