Charlie Puth

Charlie Puth, a skilled creator of contemporary pop, moved from accumulating attention on social platforms straight into RIAA multi-platinum achievements, both independently and alongside prominent partners. He launched an extended sequence of platinum records in 2015 through the Meghan Trainor duet “Marvin Gaye” and maintained that momentum without pause. Drawing repeatedly from earlier eras, he incorporated vintage R&B, classic singer/songwriter traditions, and the mainstream side of new wave into his energetic modern pop productions. Before releasing his 2016 debut album Nine Track Mind, the singer, songwriter, and producer collected several more hits, among them the number-one Wiz Khalifa collaboration “See You Again.” His second full-length, 2018’s Voicenotes, featured guests ranging from James Taylor to Kehlani, blending older stylistic influences with current textures, and both albums reached the Top Ten of the Billboard 200. After issuing singles such as “Hard on Yourself” with Blackbear and “After All” with Elton John, Puth returned to the Billboard 200 Top Ten with 2022’s Charlie. Over the next two years he continued issuing standalone tracks, including the 2023 release “That’s Not How This Works” featuring Dan + Shay and the 2024 single “Hero.”

Born in 1991, Puth began structured musical instruction while growing up in Rumson, New Jersey. He first presented his work publicly in sixth grade by recording, duplicating, and selling a Christmas album on his own. During high school he pursued jazz piano studies through the Manhattan School of Music’s pre-college program, which prepared him for admission to Berklee College of Music. There his social-media postings attracted early support from television host Ellen DeGeneres, who signed Puth and duet partner Emily Luther to her Warner Bros.-affiliated eleveneleven imprint in 2011. The pair appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show the following year, yet the label deal yielded no official studio releases. Puth stayed active online while completing his Berklee coursework, graduating in 2013 with degrees in songwriting, music production, and engineering, and kept expanding his catalog of independently issued material.

In 2014 he contributed songs to albums by Pitbull and Bonnie McKee while devoting substantial effort to Blue Sky, a project by his mentor and Berklee voice professor Livingston Taylor. His trajectory gained speed after he joined Atlantic at the start of the next year. That February “Marvin Gaye,” again featuring Meghan Trainor, appeared as his first major-label single and climbed toward multi-platinum certification. Within weeks Puth joined Wiz Khalifa on the Furious 7 soundtrack song “See You Again,” a tribute to actor Paul Walker that topped charts across dozens of countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. The four-track EP Some Type of Love followed in May, and three months later came the genuine follow-up “One Call Away,” another eventual multi-platinum hit that also previewed his upcoming album. Throughout that breakthrough year Puth accumulated further co-writing credits on tracks for Skizzy Mars, Jason Derulo, Trey Songz, and Cee Lo Green, while “See You Again” earned three Grammy Award nominations, including Song of the Year.

Nine Track Mind, Puth’s first complete studio album, surfaced in January 2016. Several months after debuting at number six on the Billboard 200, the project gained strength from the Selena Gomez duet “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” a Top Ten single that extended his run of multi-platinum successes under his own name. He appeared sparingly on other recordings for the remainder of the year, including Little Mix’s “Oops” and DNCE’s star-studded rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” In 2017 Puth advanced toward his sophomore album with the relaxed, airy singles “Attention” and “How Long,” both of which added to his RIAA accolades; the former became his second Top Ten pop hit as lead artist. He also registered as co-songwriter on Zara Larsson’s “So Good” and Liam Payne’s “Bedroom Floor,” and he co-wrote and co-produced “Lips on You” for Maroon 5. Tracks with Boyz II Men, James Taylor, and Kehlani preceded Voicenotes, his second album, which arrived in May 2018 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. The non-album singles “I Warned Myself,” “Mother,” and “Cheating on You” followed in 2019, with “Girlfriend” arriving in 2020.

The next year he teamed with Elton John on the track “After All.” Another song, “Light Switch,” surfaced in January 2022 as the opening single from his third studio album, Charlie. Released in October 2022, the album, which captured Puth working through a difficult breakup, also included the worldwide hit “Left and Right” featuring Jungkook of BTS and reached number ten on the Billboard 200. The independent single “That’s Not How This Works,” featuring Dan + Shay, appeared in March 2023. The solo track “Lipstick” came several months afterward, and he also contributed to the K-pop group Stray Kids’ hit “Lose My Breath.” In 2024 Taylor Swift included a lyrical reference to Puth on the title track of her chart-topping album The Tortured Poets Department. He responded with “Hero,” the lead single from his forthcoming full-length.