Alex Warren’s ballad “Ordinary” has defined 2025, earning him a Grammy nomination in November and propelling the 25-year-old to mainstream fame.
From TikTok Prankster to Grammy-Nominated Artist
Warren first made waves as a prankster in TikTok’s “Hype House.” His life before the platform was marked by loss-his father died of cancer when he was nine, his mother died of complications from alcoholism, and he spent time homeless in his teens. These experiences, he says, “allowed me to do this,” and helped him become “unequivocally myself” online.
During a recent visit to the Associated Press headquarters, he lightened the mood with a joke: “I need to smell as good as Shawn Mendes looks.” He also shared how the platform’s reach primed him for a music career, noting that social-media success “doesn’t always yield a creative career,” but in his case it did.
The Song That Built a Season
Warren wrote “Ordinary” a year ago at a writing camp. He and his collaborators felt it was special, even though “a lot of people were like, ‘Oh it’s a ballad, it’s a love song ballad. That’s not a single, that’s a song on the album. That’s a feature, you should give it to someone else,'” he recalls. He pushed the track to TikTok, where it amassed 4 million streams in a single day-“which was crazy,” he said. The song later appeared on Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” and was performed alongside Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs and the Jonas Brothers, cementing its ubiquity.
Warren says the song’s appeal lies in its “hopefulness but also urgency,” a quality he notes listeners compare to Christian music. “We drew a lot of inspiration from that,” he says of its composition, though it is not worship music.
The Album and Personal Growth
The spirit of “Ordinary” carries through his debut album, You’ll Be Alright, Kid. He reflects on the record as a mirror of himself: “To me, these songs are just real, and I hope that people listen to this record and learn something about themselves.” He adds, “That’s the biggest thing. That was for me. It was me finding out who I was, and who I wanted to be as a husband, as a friend, as a father, and that’s kind of what I got out of it. And I hope someone gets something else out of that, you know?” The album has become a vehicle for his personal narrative and a source of comfort for listeners.
Looking Ahead to the Grammys
Warren’s momentum continues as he heads to the 68th Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. “How often is someone gonna be in this position?” he asks. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to take advantage of a cool moment that I’ve had, and I’m hoping that it can continue. And I hope that my songs continue to do well, and I continue to be able to write about the things that go on in my life. And if not, at least I can say I took full advantage of everything.” He looks forward to the awards night and the chance to celebrate his breakthrough.
Key Takeaways
- Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” propelled him to a Grammy nomination and mainstream recognition.
- His TikTok background and personal hardships shaped his music and public persona.
- The song’s gospel-inspired hope and pop hooks have driven its massive streaming success.
Alex Warren’s journey from TikTok prankster to Grammy-nominated artist underscores how personal resilience and digital platforms can converge to create a defining hit of the year.
