Alex Warren was ‘terrified of showing people’ his ‘reality’; now it’s ready (exclusive)

Alex Warren continues to strike a chord.

If you thought you knew the viral content creator-turned-chart-topping musician who first burst onto the scene five years ago on social media, think again because the person you hear on stage “no” is the what he saw on the screen.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Warren, who recently wrapped her world headline You’ll be fine, kids tour in support of his recently released debut album, he opened up about why he’s pursuing a career in music while reflecting on the viral trajectory of his career that led him here.

“It’s definitely really mind-blowing,” Warren, 24, tells PEOPLE when she thinks about everything she’s accomplished in her life to date, from being homeless at age 17 and sleeping in friends’ cars to her current rise to stardom as a billionaire. talented musical artist. “I don’t really look back much,” he admits.

Because? Because the California native says he hasn’t “yet” achieved what he envisions for himself. “I think I’ll know where I want to be after a few albums,” he predicts, explaining how his music has always emerged from his personal experiences, including loss and love.

“I’m still discovering who I am. I’m 24 years old. I just got married,” she says of tying the knot with his longtime love, Kouvr, in July. “I want to have kids. I want to write songs about my kids. I want to do all these things,” she shares, noting that the goal “has nothing to do” with “how big a show” she wants to put on. .

That, in part, is because the artist considers music “an outlet” to express himself. “It’s always been for me… It’s therapy,” shares Warren, who often writes lyrics to cope with the loss of both of his parents. “Ever since I turned 12 or 13, I turned to music to help me grieve the loss of my father.”

That’s when he wrote “One More I Love You,” which became his debut single released in 2021. “For me it was just a way of feeling and it still is today,” he says of the songwriting. “I think I would be a different and completely messed up person if I didn’t have an outlet like music.”

The vulnerability and complete transparency displayed in Warren’s music (and in the famous unscripted banter he has with his fans on stage between songs) is his sincere way of effortlessly connecting with his audience in a style never before seen. made.

Warren compared her showmanship today to the performance she gave to her more than one million followers on social media, particularly seen in the videos she would create as a member of the viral group. hype house. The content creation mecca, which later spawned a show on Netflix, allowed creators to film together.

“When I was on social media, it was almost like I was playing a character. I feel like a lot of what I was doing wasn’t fake, but it definitely wasn’t me,” Warren admits. “And music was the first time I got upset.”

Warren reveals that he was “terrified to show people who I was” at the time by sharing everything he “went through” in life. “I’m fine with them hating a character,” he says of his past self, though he adds, “but when I give them my all and give them the real me, I’m terrified that people won’t like it.” “.

He continues: “And when I came out with the music, it was the first time I thought, ‘Hey, this is me.’ And people liked it. I didn’t see a single hate comment among millions of people, and that was the first time for me.

Warren left Hype House in 2022. “It wasn’t leaving the house that drove me to make music. I made music and making music is what pushed me to leave the house,” he clarifies, noting that music was always part of his life. , but creating comedy videos online “immediately” racked up views.

“I tried to be a musician for a long time, but I was never successful and the moment I tried comedy, it immediately worked for me,” he explains of why he gravitated toward it. “I worked really hard to get to where I was.” “I was afraid to commit to this because I never wanted to be homeless again.”

Warren says his departure from the content house was when he “started to really lean into” his music. “When I left, I realized there were a lot of things holding me back,” he says. “A lot of people told me I was crazy and fortunately I didn’t listen to them because I’m very happy.”

In August 2022, Warren signed to Atlantic Records, where she continues to win over fans with her vulnerable pop melodies and intimate song lyrics combined with her passionate vocals present on her singles and throughout her debut album. You’ll be fine, kid (Chapter 1).

Warren’s biggest global hit to date, with over 151 million global streams, “Carry You Home” hit the US Top 40 and Hot AC radio outlets nationwide and charted in over 15 countries on Spotify, appears on the album, along with its newly released track. “Burning.”

Warren “channeled” a mix of experiences from the content house and her real home to write the song, which exploded on TikTok with more than 157 million views and became her first Billboard Hot 100 hit since its release in September.

The fame and musical successes achieved are hard to ignore, but Warren, who says he first picked up a guitar around age five, “really wanted to be a Nickelodeon actor” and aspired to be like the Naked Brothers Band. He says he “never thought” he was onto anything.

“To tell you the truth, making music has never necessarily been like, ‘Oh, I’m going to get famous and rich from it,'” he says. “I was very lucky from the beginning. People liked it,” he says, explaining that now he’s just looking for ways to “make a song that helps” him and other people.

“I think that was the important thing I was looking for and what I’m still looking for today in a new song,” he says. And despite his decision to share his “real” self through his music, he’s still searching for a little bit of himself along the way.

“I couldn’t tell you who I am if you asked me,” Warren says, adding, “And I think I’ll be successful in life when I can tell you exactly who I am when you ask me.”