Alex Warren had a “horrifying” performance at the 2026 Grammys after a technical malfunction sabotaged his performance of his breakthrough hit “Ordinary.” The rising California star got his revenge on the Grammys, though, by bringing down the house at the BRITs with “Ordinary.” Alex’s BRITs performance went viral, showcasing that he had the right stuff to deliver on the big stage. What many viewers weren’t expecting to see, however, was UK hitmaker James Blunt opening the song with a stately piano part.
It’s kinda easy to forget what a great pianist James is, as the focus is generally on his vocals, but he definitely showed off his talents here in a big way. Alex, meanwhile, impressed with a honeyed and emotive vocal. The Hallé Orchestra and choir provided an epic backing for Alex. The Music Man has to say that hearing that big production behind Alex made this a very special performance. In the closing sections, Alex really rose to the moment and soared over the orchestra to bring the song to the next level.
Alex Warren uploaded his BRITs performance to YouTube on March 1, 2026, where it hit 1.4 million views. It hit the spot for viewers, who added comments such as “The BRITs did him so much better than the Grammys” and “This is the best version that I have heard of ‘Ordinary’. The orchestra and James Blunt behind the piano make it magical!”
Although Alex’s Grammys performance became infamous for the technical issues, it also proved to be quite popular, drawing 1.3 million views. Alex later spoke to Rolling Stone about his Grammys appearance, describing it as “horrifying.” He said that 30 seconds before he hit the stage, he realized his in-ear monitors were not working. The result was that he was not able to hear himself properly in the context of the mix for the majority of the performance, and had to wing it as best he could.
Alex released “Ordinary” on February 7, 2025, dropping it as the lead single from his debut studio album You’ll Be Alright, Kid. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that the single did not initially gain a great deal of traction. However, Alex believed the song was destined to be his breakthrough. He conducted a determined, personal marketing campaign on social media platforms such as TikTok, which eventually sent “Ordinary” viral.
“Ordinary” subsequently became a major hit, topping the charts in 30 countries. It also enjoyed a massive 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.