Charlie Puth, One Call Away | The Flops

In the 11^th edition of The Flops (2026), we examine the questionable “One Call Away” recorded by Grammy-nominated pop musician Charlie Puth.

Like damn, bruh! Sis! C’mon! You thought it was bound to hit, but instead it was total shit – nothing but dookie 💩!  The songs that appear in The Flops didn’t hit, underperformed, or underwhelmed.  Flops are even more detrimental when the artist is considered a superstar and rarely misses the mark. Flops can even be successful, even if the quality sucked. Or maybe they’re not-so-bad, but they bombed on the charts.  This column highlights abject failure. In the 11^th edition of The Flops (2026), we examine the questionable “One Call Away,” recorded by Charlie Puth.

Charlie Puth sings in the chorus of his schmaltzy pop hit “One Call Away” 👀.  The adorkable, talented, perfect-pitched musician adds, “Superman got nothing on me / I’m only one call away.”  Can you say cringe, cringe, CRINGE! Ooh, that shit reeks, Charlie! Before the Grammy-nominated artist upped his game on his sophomore album, Voicenotes, there was the mediocre, questionable, subpar, sus, and tepid-at-best debut album, Nine Track Mind.  Although Nine Track Mind was certified double platinum, the critics were not impressed. “One Call Away” sums up the critical eye rolls, even though it peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned multi-platinum status by itself. Puth composed the opener from Nine Track Mind with Blake Carter, Breyan Isaac, Justin “DJ Frank E” Franks, Matt Prime, and Maureen McDonald.  DJ Frank E and Matt Prime produced it.

“One Call Away” is one of the best songs on a suspect album… let that sink in.  Best in the context of Nine Track Mind; it’s not a masterpiece or tour de force.  That Superman lyric is one of the most annoying you’ll ever hear.  Is it offensive? No, but you might expect more poetry from the then 25-year-old… Beyond besting Superman, Puth got a little too deep ‘in his feelings.’ “Call me, baby, if you need a friend / I just wanna give you love,” he sings, in a simple, uncomplicated manner. There’s nothing wrong with sensitivity, particularly when toxic masculinity runs rampant, BUT “One Call Away” had far too much of it.  MAN UP, CHARLIE!!! Beyond the low-calorie, fat-free lyrics, the production feels the same.  Too light, lacking a sufficient amount of punch. It’s not horrid, but it lacks seasoning… Salt and pepper could’ve helped, let alone fancier spices… But hey, girl, Charlie’s got you on the bridge!

“And when you’re weak, I’ll be strong

I’m gonna keep holding on

Now don’t you worry, it won’t be long

Darling, and when you feel like hope is gone

Just run into my arms.”

Oh, brother! The success of “One Call Away” is undeniable.  Lots of artists would love to have a top 15 pop hit that earned four platinum plaques.  But the song is a flop because it is underwhelming, especially considering how talented Charlie Puth is.  He has a beautiful voice, nails singing in tune, and his musical knowledge is masterful.  But this song… Baby, it’s giving flop!

Appears in 🔻:

11 Songs Associated with the Phone (2019) 11 Songs Associated with Number One (2021) 13 Terrific AWAY Songs (2022)

 

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Charlie Puth » Nine Track Mind » Artist Partner Group » 2016

Charlie Puth, One Call Away: The Flops No. 11 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Artist Partner Group; Will Oliveira from Pexels; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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