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The singer recalls moments with Luke Combs and chart highlights
2/6/2026
Alex Warren at the Pre-Grammy Gala on January 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Gilbert Flores/Billboard
It’s safe to say that Alex Warren’s life has been anything but “Ordinary,” since his breakthrough smash of the same name came out a year ago on Feb. 7, 2025. It’s been a whirlwind for the 25-year old singer/songwriter, as the unabashedly romantic song — praising an extraordinary, enduring love so great it makes the angels jealous — took over the airwaves and streaming outlets, topping chart after chart.
Among the highlights for the song are 10 weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and being named Billboard’s Song of the Summer. It has been streamed more than 2.4 billion times around the world, and spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Global 200 chart.
Propelled by the song’s success, Warren was nominated for a best new artist Grammy and won best new artist at the MTV Video Music Awards and the iHeart Awards.
He also made some famous friends along the way, duetting with Jelly Roll on their collaboration, “Bloodline,” which they performed together at Stagecoach. He also shared stages with Luke Combs and Ed Sheeran, and showed up to do the “Lush Life” dance with Zara Larsson at Jingle Bal.
While there were too many highlight to go through every one, below, Warren goes through some of his top moments of the past year — and how he still remains incredulous that his song, written for his wife Kouvr Annon, has become a universal hit around the world.
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Performing “Ordinary” with Ed Sheeran at Sheeran’s Old Phone Pub Coachella pop up in April
That was the first “pinch me” moment I ever had. It was so cool, because he did a different rendition of the song — but on top of it, I was so nervous, and I didn’t care, because it was Ed Sheeran. Ed was one of the biggest reasons in why I got into music, and to be able to be able to have a moment with him… My wife was crying when we were doing it, just realizing all these things in our lives are happening at once.
We haven’t written together. I’d be terrified to. I would be so scared to write with him.
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Reaching No. 1 for the first time on the Hot 100 chart dated June 7
It’s funny, because looking back at it hitting No. 1 — in the moment I was kind of in disbelief, and so I didn’t think much of it. And now, as this whole year has gone by, it’s been pretty crazy and surreal. No one teaches you what it’s supposed to be like. So, I wish I could bring it back and kind of be like, “Oh my God. Now that’s what it is!” I was in the heat of it. I was right in the middle of it.
I think even now, I’m more shocked. I remember I was on tour when it happened, and I went on stage that night and said something about it, and I was just like, “Holy cow!” And people were cheering, and it was cool, because I got to celebrate with people where it’s kind of like at a birthday party — you’re celebrating, and you feel like those people are there for you. It was really cool to feel like you’re not alone in that situation.
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“Ordinary” breaks Slim Whitman’s 70-year-old record on the U.K. Official Charts in June
The song blew [up] first in the U.K. and Nordics. So, when that happened, I was really excited because for someone like me who has really never been abroad–I’ve been now several times– it was weird because for me, I was like, “Oh, my God, this is so cool. I have to go there and see everyone and play the song!” And I was there when it broke, and when it got there — and that was to me the coolest thing, like, “Okay, I’m here and it’s happening.” I played a pop-up show and I got to meet so many amazing people. I think I’m deep-down British at heart. I’m like 60% Scottish and it really showed then and there.
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Singing “Ordinary” with Luke Combs at Lollapalooza in July
Luke has just been a friend, ever since we did that. It’s really cool. Luke was one of those people who, when I had found out I was going to work with them and do that, I kind of started freaking out and telling all my friends. It’s so funny looking back, now that we’re friends. So, it was definitely something surreal. I called all my siblings and told them, and it was just a really cool moment.
He’s such a family man, and he loves his personal life, and it’s so cool to be able to see how much love he has for his family. Obviously writing the song about my wife, [it’s] been really cool to see that with him.
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Billboard names “Ordinary” its Song of the Summer in September after the song tops the Songs of the Summer chart for all 14 weeks
So cool. I was shocked when I heard that one. Because already, when I was planning on coming out with song, everyone’s like, “Oh, it’s a ballad. It’s not a hit.” And when I found out with Song of the Summer, it threw me for a loop — because to me, I was like, “Wow, that’s such a huge accomplishment, but also such a testimony to where everyone is in their lives.”
I think [it makes sense] in summer, especially with so many weddings and so many huge moments for people to have — but also, I saw people using the song In Memoriam and everything. So, it was really beautiful to see the life that that record had, but also what it meant to so many different people.
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Jennifer Aniston appears as a judge in U.S. tour announcement with Warren in November
Jen’s been a friend of mine for a little while now, so it’s just been such a cool thing that she said yes to that. I was so nervous for her to read my first script I’ve ever written. So, when she read it and she loved it, it was really reassuring. I was like, “No, no, tell me the truth. Tell me you hate it.” And she loved it, and she didn’t change anything. I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I was just so thankful that she loved it and she wanted to be in it, and very thankful for her friendship. So, it’s been cool. It’s a weird, pinch me moment whenever I get a text from her, and it’ll say, like, “A text from Jennifer Aniston,” and I’m like, “Holy f–k!”
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Putting tickets for the 2026 Little Orphan Alex Live tour on sale in November
It was terrifying. Still, to this day when I play a show, I’ll look outside and be like, “Are there people lined up? Are there still people here?” I always just get scared of that “Gotcha!” moment and that this dream somehow I’ll wake up from, and it’s not real. Every time I get blown away that people are there. And I think that’s going to be something I need to get used to.
English (US)