Nestled into the corner of the Starbucks Reserve in Chelsea, Manhattan, Alex Warren sat down with Billboard over the weekend to chat about touring, collaborations, his hit song “Ordinary,” and his songwriting process. He went characteristically off-script, showing his goofy and fun personality as he told us his origin story and reflected on his journey.
Growing up in San Diego, Warren’s father died from cancer when he was just 9 years old, and his mother later died due to issues related to alcoholism. These experiences fueled his drive to succeed and gave his social media content and songs a raw authenticity that has resonated with fans. He’s spoken about using humor and creativity as coping mechanisms, and his journey is often seen as one of resilience — turning personal tragedy into a source of motivation and connection with others facing similar struggles.
“I think everything that I’ve been through has been for a reason,” Warren tells Billboard. “If I didn’t lose my parents at a young age, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
His music has struck a powerful chord with fans around the world, touching on themes of grief and healing. “Having my fans relate to my experiences, especially after going through so much at a young age, means everything,” he says. “If I can help even one person process their grief or trauma, then I know I did something right.”
Warren’s momentum this year has been incredible, especially after a standout performance at the MTV VMAs earlier this month and his first time performing at an arena the night prior. When asked how he manages stage fright, his response was simple and raw, yet with his still sarcastic tone: “You don’t. You just keep singing… and get through it,” he says with a laugh.
Despite having performed at major music venues across the world, there’s still something special about more intimate shows. “I love playing smaller shows,” he shared in anticipation of his exclusive set at the Starbucks Reserve on Saturday night.
Playing smaller, more intimate shows allows for him to hear and see his audience, which has always been a priority for Warren. “Being able to see their faces and hear them singing my lyrics back, it’s my favorite part of touring.”
His excitement for the unique One Night Only fan experience with Marriott Bonvoy and Starbucks was clear: “[The fans] won tickets by using one of their Marriott Bonvoy points with the 1-Point Drop, which is a really cool idea,” he says. “I’ll also be making my own Starbucks drink in front of everyone, which makes me more nervous than singing,” he laughs. “I practiced with the glasses, but I’m still going to be nervous.”
Following his Starbucks drink demo while doing a Q&A with fans, Warren performed a 45-minute set, during which he sang his hit song “Ordinary” along with fan favorites “Burning Down,” “Eternity” and “Save You a Seat.” His seamless banter throughout the night provided laughs and comfort for fans. Giving his wife, Kouvr, her flowers, he let fans know excitedly that he was playing the guitar that she had handpainted for him with sunflowers on it. Fans reacted to the mention of his wife, shouting, “We love Kouvr!” He laughed and said “I do too, that’s why I married her!”
With a finished tour under his belt and an upcoming Europe tour that was recently announced, he’s not new to large arenas. Warren has played shows with mega pop stars, including at the VMAs, Coachella and Stagecoach. However, he’s not the traditional pop star with an upbeat song; Alex’s songs are emotionally gut-wrenching and incredibly personal to himself and to his journey.
His songs are mainly love songs and about personal loss. Warren never thought he would be a Billboard Hot 100-topping artist either. His single “Ordinary” has been a massive success, holding the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks and a record-breaking 15 weeks atop Pop Airplay. “It feels surreal,” he admits. “When people tell me the numbers, it doesn’t really click or seem real, especially while I’m touring. But when I slow down and think about it, I realize how much it resonated with people and that means everything.” He’s shocked his song was named Billboard‘s Song of the Summer too — mainly due to it being “not an upbeat or a fun summer song; it’s about me being in love with my wife.”
Warren said the songwriting process for “Ordinary” was lighthearted and spontaneous. “We were all hyped up on coffee and joking around,” Warren recalls. “There’s a lyric that says ‘the holy water’s watered down’ — and we were actually talking about coffee.” He also said the line about “a sunny cloudy day” came from writing the song during a snowy February in Nashville, which “never happens.” He laughed as he recounted the writing process: “We were trying to name things that were out of the ordinary.”
Warren’s debut album, You’ll Be Alright, Kid, dropped in July and is packed with 21 tracks, each one intentional. “My favorite song I’ve ever written is ‘Everything.’ It’s also one of my favorites to perform,” Warren says. Surprisingly, he said he wrote exactly 21 songs for the project: “All 21 songs made the final cut. We started a 22nd track, but decided not to finish it. We already knew the album was complete.”
Included in the 21 songs are many notable collaborations with other artists with whom he has struck up friendships. “On My Mind” with BLACKPINK member ROSÉ is one of the most recent releases. “I knew of her and of BLACKPINK. I wasn’t aware of her entire discography at that point, but she’s amazing. She’s one of my close friends that I text weekly. I saw the Puma shoe collection this week, and I snapped a photo with the shoes and sent it to her. We’re constantly communicating. She’s such an adorable person.”
Warren popped up at Stagecoach with Jelly Roll and at Coachella with Ed Sheeran earlier this year – surprising fans in the audience. His friendships in the industry continue to grow – sharing that he and Sheeran email “a lot. I feel like the kid pestering him over email, and he’s always like, ‘Cheers, mate!’”
Warren’s notable hits and collaborations don’t stop there: He was named Billboard’s January 2025 Chartbreaker with his track “Burning Down,” with Joe Jonas joining for a reimagined version. The single marked Warren’s first time breaking onto the Hot 100 and has now amassed more than 185 million streams and reached No. 1 in eight countries.
He followed up his record-breaking success with live shows, as he recently wrapped his sold-out Cheaper Than Therapy global tour, hitting 47 cities across Europe and North America. As he gears up for the upcoming European leg of his recently announced Little Orphan Alex Live tour, he’s ready to recharge. “Playing shows where I can see the audience’s faces means the most to me,” he explains. “Being back on the road with my friends — and having Kouvr there — really grounds me. I’m planning on taking a month off before the next tour, and I’m excited to return to Nashville.”
When asked what he wants to do during his month off, Warren smiled and said he just wants to be with friends and family — and that living in “the middle of nowhere” is a blessing for him. He and his wife made the move to Nashville early last year along with a group of close friends, all craving a change — and it’s clearly paid off. Without Nashville, he wouldn’t have met Jelly Roll, who happens to live nearby. That connection led to the creation of “Bloodline.”
When asked who he’d love to add to his Nashville cul-de-sac, he didn’t hesitate: “Probably someone who would always want to be doing something crazy. We have ATVs, and I think Benson Boone would be so fun. We’d cause a lot of havoc.” He places Jelly Roll at the beginning of the cul-de-sac, citing that he thinks Jelly would want to be a bit farther away from the daily chaos that would ensue if Boone was their neighbor.
When his month off comes to an end, he’ll focus on touring. Warren said touring has been one of the best parts of the job — and he can’t wait to see his fans on his upcoming run. As for future goals, Warren is still processing how far he’s already come. He never imagined making it to this point, and credits everything to his past, as he wouldn’t be here without going through what he’s been through.
One dream he’s still holding onto: A Kelly Clarkson cover of one of his songs. With a new season of The Kelly Clarkson Show kicking off this week and a new round of Kellyoke covers, we would be shocked if “Ordinary” doesn’t make the cut.
