Alex Warren has opened up about the technical nightmare behind his 2026 Grammy Awards performance, describing the moment his in-ear monitors failed during the live broadcast as “horrifying”.
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast in an upcoming interview with host Alex Cooper, the singer reflected on the mishap for the first time in depth. An exclusive preview of the conversation was first shared by Billboard.
Warren, who was nominated for Best New Artist at the ceremony, took part in a live medley featuring several rising stars performing their biggest songs during the show at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1. However, his performance of his Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Ordinary” was thrown off by sudden technical issues just seconds before he went on stage.
“I’ve never talked about this,” he said in the clip shared with Billboard, before explaining how the situation unfolded backstage.
“It was horrifying,” Warren continued. “We had rehearsed it all week … it was perfect. To this day I don’t know exactly what happened.”
@alexwarrentour
I couldn’t be more proud of him 🥹
According to the singer, the issue began moments before he was due to perform between fellow nominees Leon Thomas and Lola Young.
“Everything cut out” from his in-ear monitors, leaving him unable to hear the backing track or his own voice as the countdown to the live broadcast continued.
“They’re like, ‘30 seconds.’ I said, ‘I can’t hear anything, I can’t hear myself,’” Warren recalled. “The guy’s like, ‘It’s live TV. Twenty-five seconds.’ I go, ‘Guys, something’s wrong.’”
With the ceremony already underway and millions watching, there was no time for the production team to fix the problem before Warren had to step out in front of the audience.
“In my head, I look up at the sky, and I go, ‘This is meant to happen,’” he said. “And I just go, ‘Let’s do it.’”
During the broadcast, cameras followed Warren as he began his segment at a popcorn stand inside the arena’s concession area before walking out into the crowd and eventually onto the stage. However, as the music started, he appeared visibly disoriented while trying to match his vocals to the track.
Viewers could hear him struggling to find his place in the song before he eventually recovered by removing his earpiece and continuing the performance without it.
The medley featured several artists nominated for Best New Artist, including KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, sombr, and The Marías, highlighting a new generation of pop and alternative performers making waves in the music industry.
Later in the night, Olivia Dean went on to win the Best New Artist award.
After the ceremony, Warren addressed the incident on social media, sharing a video that demonstrated the distorted audio feed he had been hearing through his in-ear monitors during the live performance.
“When you’re performing at the Grammys and all you hear is this in your ears,” he wrote at the time while playing the delayed and warped audio track. “This would only happen to me.”
Despite the awkward moment on stage, Warren’s career has continued to surge in recent months. His single “Ordinary” has become a major global hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and significantly expanding the audience for the former TikTok creator turned pop artist.
The singer first gained attention online through social media content and music releases before breaking through with emotionally driven pop songs that resonated strongly with younger listeners. His growing popularity led to his Best New Artist nomination at the 2026 Grammy Awards, placing him among the most talked-about emerging performers of the year.
@atlanticrecords what an extraORDINARY performance from @Alex Warren at the #BRITs 🤍 #AlexWarren #Ordinary #LiveMusic ♬ Ordinary - Alex Warren
While the onstage glitch may have been nerve-wracking in the moment, Warren now appears able to reflect on the experience with perspective — even if he admits the memory of it is still far from pleasant.
For viewers watching at home, the mishap lasted only a few moments during the live broadcast. But for the singer standing on stage without being able to hear the music, it was a far more stressful experience.
