From TikTok star to being one of the greatest winners at the Sep. 7 Video Music Awards, Alex Warren is receiving hype for winning “Best New Artist.” This is a huge step for his career, showing people he is more than the social media star that many knew him as.
After his name was called to the MTV VMA stage, Warren made a speech that drew in people‘s attention because it showed how meaningful and special this moment was to him. Warren grasped for words in the surreal moment, saying, “I’m about to cry, this is amazing, thank you so much.”
Warren was visibly shocked at his win, not expecting to walk away with any award at the VMAs. His disbelief only made his reaction more genuine and has solidified this win as a memorable moment in his career. He also made a speech that really connected to his fanbase, because they really respected his honesty and relatability.
Many of his supporters were quick to celebrate him for his professional journey all over social media. However, there were many music fans who were quick to criticize his win.
Many believe that the award should have gone to another artist with more hits this year, and others also argue that Warren hasn’t been in the music industry long enough to be winning best new artist. Some even said that his fame is only for social media, rather than for his music. Other nominees, like the Marìas and Lola Young, had numerous hits this year and to music fans, are both more “successful” than Warren.
Another point of criticism Warren has been facing is that the public thinks that he’s an industry plant. This means that his success was not fully earned by himself, but instead he was pushed out by record labels and managers to make it seem like he became a star out of nowhere. People believe this is because his rise to fame was “too quick to be natural.” Due to this, critics and fans are debating whether or not his win for best artist was deserving or fair.
Neela, a Cardozo junior, shared that she wasn’t very convinced about his win. “I was kind of shocked that he won,” she said. “I mostly heard his music while scrolling on TikTok and it came up as a TikTok shop ad.”
She also said, “There were other artists with more popular songs this year that should’ve won instead of Alex because to me, his music is not that appealing and kind of boring.”
Fellow junior Simran agreed with this sentiment. “I don’t really get why he won,” she explained, “his songs are okay but not enough to be winning a VMAs award.”
“I feel like the votes were kinda rigged and they picked whoever was trending at the time instead of a popular artist with a lot of hit songs this year,” she added.
Even though some critics feel that other artists were more deserving of the award, Warren’s win at the VMA’s shows that he’s making an impact in the music industry. His success shows how powerful social media can be when reaching audiences and connecting with listeners. Even if people don’t agree with the choice, this award will only further his career because it makes me relevant in the entertainment industry.
