Alex Warren is poking fun at the technical issues he experienced during his first-ever Grammys performance.
Warren, 25, took to TikTok on Monday, February 2, to share a video of himself covering his face with his hands in embarrassment as audio of an echoey and chaotic version of his song “Ordinary” played over the clip.
“When you’re performing at the Grammys and all you hear is this in your ear,” the singer wrote over the video. In the caption, he added, “This would only happen to me.”
The sound was similar to what fans heard at the 2026 Grammys on Sunday, February 1, when technical issues caused Warren to sing the song about a half beat behind the music. Early in the performance, the YouTuber could be seen fumbling with his microphone pack and in-ear device, which is designed to help singers hear themselves and stay on track in loud spaces.
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At one point, Warren either pulled out the in-ear device or allowed it to fall out on its own. He was able to get back on track to finish out the performance, which included a moment where he ascended high into the air on a mechanical lift.
Warren was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys alongside Sombr, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, The Marías, Katseye and Lola Young. The nominees each performed their breakout hits before Dean, 26, ultimately took home the award.
Warren first rose to fame as a viral member of the TikTok collective Hype House in 2019. He ventured into music in 2021, going on to sign with Atlantic Records the following year. His 2024 single “Burning Down” from his debut EP, You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1), made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, but it wasn’t until 2025 that Warren skyrocketed in popularity with “Ordinary.” The song went viral on TikTok and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, remaining in the No. 1 spot for 10 weeks.
In September 2025, Warren exclusively admitted to Us Weekly that he wasn’t initially a huge fan of “Ordinary.”
“Funny enough, I wasn’t obsessed with the song while we were writing it or even when I first heard it finished,” he said. “Thankfully, the wonderful people that helped me write it pushed really hard for it. The next day or two, I played it so many times, and it was just one of those songs I never got tired of no matter what. It grew on me quickly, and I knew it was something I had to show the world.”
Ahead of the Grammys, which were held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Warren opened up about his stardom on CBS Mornings.
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“My entire life, I wasn’t the best singer in my class. I wasn’t amazing,” he said during the January interview. “My choir teacher did not believe in me, to say the least. I don’t have that stereotypical voice, I feel like. I put a lot of emotion into things, I have a raspy voice.”
Warren added that recognition from fans has felt “very validating” as he navigates his music career.
“I think I’ve worked really hard to become who I am today and that was one of those moments I kind of got to look up in the sky and be pretty stoked,” he concluded.
