Burning Down (with Joe Jonas)

A content creator who spans every imaginable outlet, Alex Warren stepped out from behind the phone and into the recording studio to introduce his passionate singer/songwriter pop. Warren first gained attention for his skateboarding videos on YouTube, and soon specialized in comedy and vlogging. By 2021, he'd branched out into music, crafting quivering, sensitive, confessional pop tunes. Sounding vaguely reminiscent of such electronic-inflected singer/songwriters like Jack Garratt, Alex Warren slathers his open-hearted melodies with layers of gossamer electronics, the glossy bed providing Warren with an avenue to process the trauma of losing both of his parents at an early age. The California native charted abroad in early 2024 with the emotional "Before You Leave Me," followed a few months later by "Save You a Seat," the foot-stomping "Carry You Home," and his Billboard Hot 100 debut, "Burning Down." All four songs appeared on his full-length debut, You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1), which charted internationally while reaching the top half of the Billboard 200 before the end of the year.

Born on September 18, 2000, and raised in Carlsbad, California, Alex Warren was the son of a doting father who introduced the child to his own favorite music: Linkin Park, Train, and Coldplay among them. His father was diagnosed with terminal cancer when Alex was young. He died when Warren was nine, leaving him to be raised by his alcoholic mother. She kicked him out of the house when he was 17, leading him to a brief period of homelessness; she died within three years.

At the age of 15, Warren started posting skateboarding videos to YouTube. His fame gained momentum in 2019, amassing millions of followers on TikTok, an expansion helped by his participation in the Hype House, which featured other content creators, including his girlfriend Kouvr Annon. Hype House was eventually spun into a Netflix reality series.

Taking inspiration from Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes, Alex Warren released his first single, "One More I Love You," in 2021; it was dedicated to his late father. Warren continued to explore a similar open-hearted vein on "Screaming Under Water" and "Remember Me Happy," two digital singles that helped him build an audience. He signed to Atlantic Records in August 2022. "Headlights" was the first single he released under Atlantic, followed by "Chasing Shadows" at the end of 2022. Throughout 2023, Warren continued to turn out emotional singles like "Change Your Mind" and "Yard Sale" to increased streaming success. He landed his first charting hits in the front half of 2024 with "Before You Leave Me" and "Save You a Seat," two songs which cracked the U.K. Top 100 along with several other European charts. He soon debuted on the Billboard Global 200 with "Carry You Home," which entered the U.K. Top 40, then made his U.S. Hot 100 debut with mid-September’s "Burning Down." A week later, his first album, You'll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1), arrived on Atlantic. Behind its string of modest hits, it rose to number 62 on the Billboard 200 while reaching the U.K. Top 50 and charting as high as the Top Ten in Norway and the Netherlands. In the meantime, Warren and Annon wed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Marcy Donelson

Whether as the frontman of the Jonas Brothers or with his dance-rock outfit DNCE, Joe Jonas is one of the most recognizable pop artists of his generation. Jonas initially rose to fame in the 2000s alongside his siblings Nick and Kevin, crafting hook-filled power pop anthems like "S.O.S.," "Play My Music," and "Paranoid," hits that consistently landed their albums in the Top Five of the Billboard 200. A string of popular Disney Channel productions followed, including appearances on Hannah Montana and in the film Camp Rock, all of which helped to solidify the group's pop icon status. Jonas built upon that success, releasing his debut solo album, Fastlife, in 2011. Transcending but never eschewing his teen pop roots, he also formed the '80s dance-rock and new wave-inspired group DNCE, scoring hits like "Cake by the Ocean" and "Toothbrush," which helped take the group's 2017 debut album, DNCE, to number 17 on the Billboard 200. Along with Jonas Brothers reunions, Joe Jonas has continued to straddle the acting and music worlds, appearing on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones and judging competition shows like The Voice. More DNCE singles arrived in 2022 with "Move" and "Got Me Good." Also that year, he starred in the Korean War drama Devotion, contributing the single "Not Alone" (featuring Khalid) to the soundtrack. In 2024, he heralded his sophomore solo album, Music for People Who Believe in Love, with the song "Work It Out."

Born in 1989 in Casa Grande, Arizona, Jonas grew up in a musical family with a songwriter and ordained minister father and singer/sign language teacher mother. Initially, the Jonas Brothers started off as a solo project for Joe's younger brother, Nick, who acted in several Broadway shows before signing a record contract with INO Records in 2004. Joe, who'd already done some Broadway acting of his own, helped write several songs on Nick's debut album. Those tracks eventually wound their way onto the desk of Columbia Records president Steve Greenberg, who decided to promote the three Jonas siblings as a pop band instead.

The Jonas Brothers broke through in 2007, when their self-titled second album debuted at number five during its first week. The boys also proved to be popular on television, landing their own Disney Channel movie franchise (Camp Rock) and launching two TV shows (Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream and JONAS). Branching off, Joe scored a Top Ten hit in 2008 with "This Is Me," a duet he'd recorded with Demi Lovato for the Camp Rock soundtrack. Two years later, he announced plans for a solo album, which arrived in 2011 with the release of Fastlife. Well received, the record peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

With the breakup of the Jonas Brothers in 2013, Joe began toying with the idea of forming another act. However, rather than choosing to hire studio musicians, he eventually wrangled the talents of two former Jonas Brothers touring musicians, Korean-born guitarist JinJoo Lee (Jordin Sparks, Charli xcx, Cee Lo Green) and drummer Jack Lawless (Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus), along with former Semi Precious Weapons bassist/keyboardist Cole Whittle. In 2015, the newly minted DNCE released an EP that included the hit single "Cake by the Ocean." A year later, they delivered the full-length album DNCE, featuring production from Sir Nolan, Ilya, Mattman & Robin, and others. Buoyed by the single "Body Moves," it reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.

With DNCE on hiatus, Jonas delivered the 2018 solo single "It's Party Time." He also reunited with the Jonas Brothers for the group's fifth long-player, 2019's Happiness Begins. Featured on the album were several Ryan Tedder productions, including the lead-off single "Sucker" and "Cool." It became the group's third straight album to top the Billboard 200. Following a 2021 tour with his brothers, Jonas released another solo track, "Go It Alone." The following year, he paired with Khalid for "Not Alone," contributing the song to the soundtrack of the Korean War-era drama Devotion, in which he also starred. Also in 2022, he brought DNCE out of hiatus with the single "Move" before reuniting with the Jonas Brothers for 2023's The Album. The dancey "Work It Out" arrived in July 2024 as the lead single off the singer's own sophomore solo album, Music for People Who Believe in Love. ~ Matt Collar & Andrew Leahey