With his first Grammy nomination, Destin Conrad embraces personal evolution

Ailsa Chang | January 29, 2026

Just months after the April 2025 release of his debut album, Love on Digital, Destin Conrad dropped his second studio album, a jazz project titled wHIMSY. Both albums climbed the charts, and Conrad snagged a Grammy nomination for best progressive R&B album for Love on Digital — his first as a solo artist.

Destin Conrad never learned to read or write music. He says he's always wanted making music to remain free and flowing, rather than 'math.' — Destin Conrad never learned to read or write music. He says he’s always wanted making music to remain free and flowing, rather than “math.” (Ryder / @ryd.der)

In an interview with All Things Considered, Conrad said he sometimes wondered if people wouldn’t take him seriously as a musical artist because of his history on the former video-sharing app Vine, where Conrad shared quirky jokes and clips of himself singing samples with more than one million followers.

“I thought people were always going to view me as a kid on the internet, and they wouldn’t be able to detach that [from] what I did now,” Conrad said about his past viral fame.

Fast-forward to today and Conrad’s singing stands alone — as he explores his artistic evolution and growing music stardom. Speaking to NPR’s Ailsa Chang, Conrad talked about growing up internet famous and how he went from being a songwriter for other artists to writing for himself.

Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.

This interview is part of an All Things Considered series featuring first-time Grammy nominees, ahead of the Grammy Awards on February 1.