Singer and digital creator Alex Warren has spoken publicly about the technical issue that disrupted his performance at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. In a preview of an upcoming interview on the podcast Call Her Daddy, Warren described the moment as deeply stressful and admitted that he had not previously discussed the incident in detail. The performance, which was part of the Best New Artist medley during the ceremony, was meant to be one of the biggest moments of his career so far, but an unexpected audio malfunction created complications just seconds before he stepped on stage.
During the interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Warren explained that preparations for the performance had gone smoothly in the days leading up to the event. According to him, the rehearsal process during the week before the ceremony had been nearly flawless. He said the team had practiced the performance multiple times and that everything—from the timing to the sound levels—appeared to be working perfectly. However, the situation changed suddenly shortly before the live broadcast segment began.
Warren said the issue started when the sound inside his in-ear monitors unexpectedly stopped working. In-ear monitors are commonly used by performers during live events to hear the music and maintain proper timing while singing. Without that audio feedback, performers can struggle to stay in sync with the track or band. Warren recalled realising something was wrong only moments before his turn to perform in the segment.
At the time, he was scheduled to appear between fellow Best New Artist nominees Leon Thomas and Lola Young during the medley performance. As crew members counted down the seconds before the live segment, Warren reportedly informed them that he could not hear the audio through his earpiece. However, with the broadcast about to begin, there was little time to diagnose or repair the problem.
According to Warren, the production team quickly realised that resolving the issue would not be possible before the live camera cue. Because the segment was part of a live television broadcast, the performance had to proceed as scheduled. He recalled hearing the countdown continue despite the problem, leaving him with only seconds to decide how to handle the situation.
Faced with the possibility of cancelling or attempting the performance without proper audio monitoring, Warren said he ultimately chose to continue. He described the moment as overwhelming but also inevitable, recalling that he briefly looked upward and told himself that the situation might simply be something he had to face. Accepting that the issue could not be fixed in time, he stepped onto the stage and began the performance despite the audio difficulties.
The performance took place on February 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Warren’s segment began at a popcorn stand located within the arena before he walked toward the main stage area. As the music started, viewers noticed that he appeared to struggle momentarily while trying to match the timing of the track. Without being able to clearly hear the audio cues in his earpiece, he had difficulty determining the exact moment to begin singing.
Eventually, Warren adapted to the situation by removing the malfunctioning earpiece and continuing the performance without it. Although this made it harder to monitor the music, it allowed him to focus on the sound coming from the venue itself. By relying on the external speakers and the natural acoustics of the arena, he managed to finish the segment.
Following the ceremony, Warren addressed the incident publicly through social media. He shared a video clip demonstrating the distorted and delayed audio signal that had been playing in his in-ear monitors during the performance. The recording revealed how difficult it would have been to maintain rhythm and pitch under those conditions.
In the caption of the post, Warren joked about the situation, writing that the chaotic audio feed was the only thing he could hear during the performance. While the moment was initially frustrating, he later reflected on it with humour, suggesting that unexpected mishaps are sometimes part of live entertainment.