Alex Warren Was ‘Terrified to Show People’ the ‘Real’ Him After Rise to Fame — Now, He’s Ready (Exclusive)

“When I was doing social media, it was almost like I was playing a character,” Warren tells PEOPLE exclusively of evolving his on-screen successes to the stage

Alex Warren continues to strike a chord.

If you thought you knew the viral content creator-turned-chart-topping musician who first came onto the scene five years ago on social media, think again because the person you hear on stage is “not” who you saw on screen.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Warren — who recently wrapped his global headline You’ll Be Alright, Kid Tour in support of his recently released debut album — opened up about why he’s pursuing a career in music while reflecting on his viral career trajectory that led him here.

“It’s definitely really trippy,” Warren, 24, tells PEOPLE when thinking back about all that he’s accomplished in his life to date, going from being homeless at age 17 and sleeping in friends’ cars to his current rise to stardom as a multi-talented musical artist. “I don’t really look back much,” he admits.