After a breakout headlining tour and a viral concert moment that took over TikTok, Alex Sampson opens up about his new EP Growing Pains, the story behind the single “How Lucky Am I?”, and why he’s determined to keep pushing himself as a performer.

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2026 has been a breakthrough year for Alex Sampson.You might recognize Alex from Season 19 of America's Got Talent, or, if you’ve scrolled through TikTok in the past few months, you’ve likely come across clips from his Thank You For Loving Me headlining tour.In a hilarious moment during his hit "Pretty Baby," Alex pauses mid-song to hear the crowd, and a fan shouts, “You look like my brother, and I’m into it!” His shocked reaction quickly went viral, reaching tens of millions of views on TikTok.

Beyond the viral moments, Alex has been embracing a more vocally demanding sound and adjusting to bigger rooms and bigger expectations. As he enters his new era, Growing Pains, he’s finding a more confident version of himself onstage.

I hopped on Zoom with Alex to hear more about his tour, the making of his EP (out now!), and what's up next for the talented singer/songwriter.Note: This interview has been modified for length and clarity.

BuzzFeed: Congratulations on wrapping up your first headlining tour. What was that experience like?Alex: It was incredible. It was everything that I wanted it to be. After going on tour with Jamie [Miller] and Alexander [Stewart], I fell in love with it. A lot of people tell me that if you don't like touring, then you can't really do what you want to do, because touring is such a massive part of being a musician. Going on my own tour felt like I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, thanks to that longer set list.It felt weird having everything be about me (laughs), but it was really fun to play around with the songs. Fans would ask for certain songs, and I would throw them in for fun, because I have a great band and we know everything by heart.

One thing fans really latched onto during the tour was the viral moment during "Pretty Baby." You looked genuinely shocked when it happened. What was going through your head?

Alex: I wanted something like that to happen. I had been thinking about artists that I look up to, who have a "moment" at their show. Artists like Alex Warren, Sombr, and Benson Boone all have these signature interactions they can keep posting about. [BuzzFeed: For example, Benson Boone singing to a fan during "Drunk in My Mind."] I was in rehearsal about a month prior, just talking to the band and coming up with ideas.I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be funny if we put a break in one of the songs, and nobody would expect it?" We chose "Pretty Baby" because that's the biggest song. During the first few shows, fans would sing during the break, and it would be a funny joke.Then Washington, D.C. happened, and that's where that video was taken. My photographer just happened to capture it — that video wasn't cropped at all. I'm so grateful he pressed record at that exact moment. It was great. It was hilarious. Afterward, I posted it, and it went ballistic.Near the end of the tour, you couldn't even understand what anybody was screaming. I want to keep it in the next tour because it’s a great moment, but I’m trying to figure out how to evolve it a bit.

I really love your new single "How Lucky Am I?", especially its rock vibe. What inspired that song sonically and lyrically?

Alex: Thank you. That song came about when I was in Canada. It was part of a writing camp, and I was in a cabin for a week. That week also led to the song "Misery.""How Lucky Am I?" was the first song we wrote, and I remember sitting outside with Sarah [Troy Clark]. She is an incredible songwriter. It was a beautiful night, the stars were out, we had a little fire going, and we were chatting about what we wanted to write. My girlfriend, Lily, came up, and I started talking about how we're long-distance and how much I miss her.I think I said the words verbatim, "How lucky am I that I have somebody I get to miss so much?" We were both like, "Write that down!" and the next day we went into the studio with that concept.Sonically, we wanted to capture the energy that's at the end of my song "Not Even Gone." At the very end, it shifts from a slow ballad into this massive rock moment. I was working with the same producer, and he had the idea of making a song that kept that energy throughout.The songwriting was coming together quickly, but the production still wasn’t clicking. My producer, David [Pramik], is incredible. He said, "Give me two hours, and then come back." We came back, he had the demo of what the song is now, and we were all like, "Whoa, this is so cool!"We went on to write five amazing songs that week, two of which made the EP.

One thing I’ve noticed about this EP is how vocally demanding the songs are. How has this era challenged you as a vocalist?

Alex: These songs are probably the hardest songs I've ever written to sing. I learned that very quickly, bringing them on tour with me. I think "How Lucky Am I?" is the hardest one. This project has some of the highest notes as well. I did a lot of vocal lessons before the tour and during the tour. When I go back on the road, I'll be doing it again.I want to perfect my craft and sing the songs I write in their original key. I know some artists change keys live, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but personally, I always want to sing the songs as I wrote them.There are eight songs on the EP, three of which haven't been heard yet. "Thank You For Loving Me," the song I based the tour after, is my favorite track on the project, and one of my favorite songs I've ever written. I'm super excited for everyone to hear it.

It’s been a few years since your season of America's Got Talent. Looking back now, what did that experience teach you as a performer?

Alex: (Laughs) One of the major things that it taught me was: don't stand still like an idiot. It was one of my very first times on stage, especially a stage that size — and it's not all my fault, because they did say they needed me to stand there for the camera angle. That being said, I was kind of standing there like a mannequin.Watching AGT back, I was so nervous, but it was a great experience, and I learned to interact with people more. Being backstage taught me how much work goes into filming a show like that. There are so many people running back and forth trying to get everything perfect because you only get one shot with live TV.

Here's a funny story I don't think I've told before. AGT is all live cameras, so there's supposed to be no swearing. I get off stage after one of my performances, and I'm looking at the camera to my left, and I just go, "Fuck yeah!" Then I was like, "Oops!"The crew started laughing, and I saw people in the audience laughing. We weren't actually live, which was great. But one of my friends texted me — they were all the way up in the nosebleeds, and they were like, "Did you just swear on live TV, you idiot?" It was so funny.Do you have any pre-show rituals before going onstage?

Alex: My drummer, my guitarist, and I will get into a little huddle, and we'll start hyping ourselves up. We do that every night, and it's hilarious. Anybody that walks by is probably thinking, "These people are insane!"Then I try and do a little five-minute vocal warm-up, say a prayer, and off I go.What are you most excited about for the rest of the year?

Alex: Definitely the EP. When I performed all the songs on tour, everyone was so happy and loved all of them, so I'm very excited about that. That was a way for me to test the waters and see which songs connected. I am performing at Summerfest in June, and I'm excited about that. I'm also going on tour again at the end of the year as an opener, but I can't say who yet. [We chatted before Alex announced he is opening for Freya Skye!]I'll be working on my next headlining tour shortly after that, so I’ve got a lot coming up. I’m working on more music and a bunch of other things, too. I just randomly flew to Barcelona this weekend for something. I'm sure if you ask me this question a month from now, my answer might be different — but definitely more music, more shows, and some surprises.

Finally, what do you think teenage Alex would find the coolest about your life now?

Alex: For years, I would be praying, "I want to perform." I was stuck in a situation where I couldn't, and I think teenage Alex would be so thrilled to know that I just did my first headlining tour and sold out most of the shows.

I think he would be so happy with everything. If you told even 19-year-old me, "When you're 22, you'll be going on your first headlining tour," I'd be like, "Yes! I can't wait."

I've always wanted to tour. I've always wanted to perform. Younger me would have so many questions for my future self.Growing Pains is out now.Keep up with Alex on Instagram and TikTok, @alexsampson.