Charlie Puth, Charlie | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated pop singer/songwriter/producer Charlie Puth takes a step forward in his third studio album, Charlie.

The gifted, the talented, and the rich are different. 🎙 Charlie Puth is gifted, talented, rich, and handsome.  He’s also incredibly horny (just saying). After working through schmaltz over the course of two albums – 💿 Nine Track Mind (2016) specifically, was a hot mess – The 🏆 Grammy-nominated musician takes a step forward in his third album, 💿 Charlie.  Charlie is easily Puth’s best album to date.  He navigates the plight of love in a relatable fashion and exhibits some awesome musicianship in the process.  Charlie won’t change your life, but it’s worth listening to.

“That’s Hilarious” 

“You took away a year / Of my fuckin’ life / And I can’t get it back no more.” WOO! Charlie Puth doesn’t kick off Charlie hilariously in the least on 🤩 🎵 “That’s Hilarious”.  If you go into this slickly produced single expecting Puth to crack jokes you’ll be sorely disappointed.  He’s angry at HER. “You didn’t love when you had me / But now you need me so badly / You can’t be serious (Ha-ha-ha) / That’s hilarious (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha).” He’s not lying when he says, “Thinkin’ I would still want you / After the things you put me through / Yeah, you’re delirious.” “That’s Hilarious” sets the tone for Charlie, which finds Charlie much more emotional than he’s shown in the past.  

“Charlie, be quiet, don’t make a sound / You’ve got to lower the noise a little bit now / If she knows you’re in love, she’s gonna run away.” Puth refers to himself, in the third person, in the short but relatable 🤩 🎵 “Charlie Be Quiet”. Why does Charlie tell himself to be quiet? He doesn’t want to get hurt (as in heartbreak) or ruin his chance at love. Even as he’s excited about a prospective serious relationship, he asserts, “… It’s all getting too loud.”  He doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, hence, he’s toning things down.  A prime example is in the second verse, where he asserts, “I’ll act like I don’t even care, yeah / I’m not going out looking dumb.” Puth makes his point loud and clear. Even though he’s quieting down, the chorus is big, showing off his upper range and his ability to pack a punch behind his vocals.  It contrasts the quieter, more tentative verses, which represent being tame – calm, cool, and collected – regarding love.  Besides relatable songwriting and respectable vocals, “Charlie Be Quiet” is respectably produced.

“Why you callin’ at 11:30 / When you only wanna do me dirty?” Ooh wee! “But I hit right back / ‘Cause you got that-that, yeah.” 🤩 🎵 “Light Switch” marked the first taste of Charlie fans received in 2022.  Thematically, Puth dabbles in matters of the pants! While a true relationship with this seems unlikely, the sex is poppin’.  He hungers for her, evident in the pre-chorus (“All a sudden, I’m hypnotized / You’re the one I can’t deny”), and confirmed in the memorable, fun chorus:

“You turn me on like a light switch

When you’re movin’ your body around and around

Now, I don’t wanna fight this (No)

You know how to just make me want.”

Puth sings with an airy, light tone – there’s still a sense of boyish innocence. Nonetheless, I like the sweet falsetto he serves up on the chorus.  Besides a naughty but ‘not too naughty’ script, the bright, warm pop production (Puth) is a plus, featuring some colorful touches (including harmonized vocals) and an infectious pop groove.  Has a minor key joint ever sounded so exuberant?

“There’s A First Time For Everything” 

Following three strong songs, 🎵 “There’s A First Time For Everything” keeps things respectable in Charlie.  The tempo is quick, while the record itself is brief. The synths within the production are warm. The sound of the record reminisces back to the 1980s.  Sure, this is an oft-emulated era and sound, but it works well for Puth. I like his assertive lead vocals, intact with enhancing vocal effects. The melody is rhythmic but also tuneful – a win-win.  The chorus marks the most fun section of this record, something that Puth executes consistently well throughout Charlie:  “Never thought that I would actually miss you / Never thought that I’d be dying to kiss you / But, maybe there’s a first time for everything.”  Maybe so, Charlie.

In 🤩 🎵 “Smells Like Me” Puth does a lot of things well.  Initially, seeing the name of the advanced single, I had my doubts about what he was delivering – it seemed a bit corny and schmaltzy.  After listening, what Puth serves up is authentic, at least to an extent. Puth musters up relatability as he hopes she’s “Lonely when you’re in his arms,” hopes “We can reconsider [the relationship], if you want,” and “Hope(s) your jacket smells like me.” Additionally, he sings well, particularly the harmonized vocals, the production is classy, and the chorus is tuneful and incredibly memorable.  Smells like a winner, all in all.

🤩 🎵 “Left and Right” garnered plenty of attention in advance of Charlie.  Why? Well, Puth collaborates with K-Pop artist, 🎙 Jung Kook.  Not only is this a cool music move, but it’s also a smart marketing move.  Puth, in my eyes, has needed to shake things up artistically.  Perhaps a collaboration with a member of one of the hottest boy bands (🎙 BTS) doesn’t change everything, it shows contrast and perhaps, artistic evolution to a degree.  This marks another brief number, but Puth and Jung Kook don’t require much time to make musical magic.  The contrast between these two pop vocalists is a big-time selling point (Puth sings the first verse, and Jung Kook sings the second).  The chorus is marvelous, particularly how the music pans from left to right in the lyrics, “I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here.”  Plenty to heart!

“Loser”

Why is Charlie Puth a 🎵 “Loser,” you ask? Basically, because he let her go, and “She was a one in a million.” Furthermore, Charlie feels like “I’ll never recover, I’ll never be fine.” Oh, my! Love hurts, even if Puth might be a bit, um, dramatic. Beyond the theme, the production and sound palette is sound, with the synth bass being one of the best touches.  Interestingly, “Loser” is one of the lengthier songs, though still falls short of the three-and-a-half-minute mark.

Charlie Puth continues to feel some type of way in the ballad, 🤩 🎵 “When You’re Sad I’m Sad.” “So, I take you back ‘cause when you’re sad, I’m sad,” he sings in the chorus, continuing, “Baby, don’t do that ‘cause when you’re sad, I’m sad.”  The plight of love continues to envelop Charlie, and his pain is our listening pleasure.  Beyond the theme, the music yields some fine moments.  The piano and strings are highlights, bringing warmth and tenderness to the track.  Puth’s vocals are radiant throughout, including the harmonized vocals that appear toward the end. Melodically, this is one of the more accomplished moments of the album.

Fittingly, 🎵 “Marks On My Neck” is quicker, contrasting “When You’re Sad I’m Sad.” Puth is more assertive vocally, which matches the premise of the track.  Likewise, the instrumental hits literally hit you in the chest.  Ah, those marks on my neck! One of the best lines comes when he sings, “I tried to cover it, cover it, cover it with foundation / Didn’t help it / Tried to get over you, over you, over you but you dug in / And I felt it.” My, my, my – those are some deep marks!

“Tears On My Piano”

🎵 “Tears On My Piano” features a great groove from the onset and more impressive melodic lines.  Once more, Puth delivers a catchy, tuneful chorus (“I can’t think of a melody (Melody) / That makes you come back to me / Got all these tears on my piano”).  The musicianship continues to be strong, including the vocal performance, vocal layers, and instrumental touches, namely the piano chords and licks.  Also, it’s worth noting we get another f-bomb from a salty Charlie: “I don’t have any shame / That every song I write / Is I want you back, yeah, it’s so fuckin’ sad, baby.” Oh, the tears, the tears!

“For me, the stars are alignin’ / But for her, it’s bad timin’ / So, she just can’t be mine.” In the fifth advanced single, Puth informs us, 🎵 “I Don’t Think That I Like Her”.  The truth is, Puth does like her, but the state of the relationship is changing.  After things begin to get serious, she’s getting cold feet.  Because Puth sees she’s going to break his heart, he knows he can’t be with her. “I don’t think that I like her anymore / Girls are all the same,” he sings in the chorus, adding “All they wanna do is break my heart / … They just wanna see me fall apart.”  It’s a similar vibe in the second verse, where he rebounds via hooking up, but finds himself in another sketchy situation.  The theme is successful, while the sound and production – a blend of pop and pop/rock – are respectable. Shout out the key change, a rarity these days

Charlie concludes with 🎵 “No More Drama.”  Here, Puth frees himself from the confines of the defunct relationship. “Oh, I got no more drama in my life / And it’s such a blessing,” Charlie sings in the chorus, continuing, “I’m so glad I finally realized / I’m better off without you.”  Some other positive notes regarding “No More Drama” is the ripe falsetto Puth sings with, sleek production with a chill sound, and some sweet melodic ideas.

Final Thoughts 💭 

So, how bad is Charlie, the third studio album by Charlie Puth? I would argue it’s NOT bad.  Puth has stepped up his game. The result is an enjoyable pop album that plays to his strengths.  Charlie is not the second coming, but this is far and away his best work yet, and there’s replay value!

🤩 Gems 💎: “That’s Hilarious,” “Charlie Be Quiet!” “Light Switch,” “Smells Like Me,” “Left and Right” & “When You’re Sad I’m Sad”

🎙 Charlie Puth • 💿 Charlie • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 10.7.22

[📷: Atlantic]