With his first Grammy nomination, Destin Conrad embraces personal evolution
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.
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.
Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes
A broad and erratic patchwork of severe weather rumbled across much of the U.S. on Sunday, dumping heavy snow in the Upper Midwest while damaging high winds swept across the Plains.
Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed
The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.
Israeli soldiers fire on family car in occupied West Bank, killing 4
Israeli soldiers fired on a car carrying a family in the northern West Bank, killing four people including two children, the Palestinian Authority's Health Ministry said.
U.S. military names six killed in plane crash as Iran war enters third week
The conflict in the Middle East has entered a third week, with Israel announcing a barrage of new strikes on western Iran on Sunday, while the U.S. defense department released the names of six service members who died when their military refueling aircraft crashed.
Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?
The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.
Sunday Puzzle: BAD!
Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with KCUR listener Justin Marciniak and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
