Have you heard of Charlie Puth? If your answer is no I would like to follow that question up with: “How’s that rock you’ve been living under? “. He might not be a ‘household name’ yet but he has had the Number 1 song on the Billboard Top 100 charts for 10 of the 27 weeks so far in 2015… and it is still the current #1 on this week’s chart so that run could continue. I’m talking about a little track called “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth… aka that song about Paul Walker from Furious 7. Nothing like an emotional anthem to vault you to super stardom! What you might not know is literally anything else about this new artist. Luckily I am here with a Listen & Learn! I am going to give you the basics on baby-faced Charlie Puth whilst doing a track-by-track review of his debut EP “Some Type of Love.” Feel free to listen along… the song titles are links to YouTube videos for each song. Happy Listening!
Charlie Puth Fact #1: The Basics
Born December 2nd, 1991, Charlie Puth grew up in New Jersey and later attended the Berkley School of Music… color me impressed. The most notable experience of his pre-fame days was that he started a YouTube channel in September 2009. There he performed covers of popular radio tracks.
Track #1: I Won’t Tell a Soul
Right out of the gate Charlie Puth shows you what kind of artist he wants to be; the crooner cutie hits all the right notes with this track. It’s sensual and smooth, with a very 50’s vibe. Very grounded, despite being in falsetto much of the song. I’m not the biggest fan of songs promoting cheating so I dock a few points for that, but he does have a way of making it sound appealing…
Charlie Puth Fact #2: YouTube Sensation
Charlie Puth has actually found success on YouTube (and I don’t just mean what he got out of it… more on that in Fact #3). He has written jingles & songs for multiple channels, including the Shaytards, Shane Dawson and O2L (Our Second Life… a collection of young men who make videos together while having great hair). He’s also produced singles with O2L member Ricky Dillon.
Track #2: Marvin Gaye (ft. Meghan Trainor)
This is a fun track. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in its smooth, sultry sound. Sure it comes right out and says “let’s get it on” (a fun play on the classic mood-setter by Marvin Gaye) but everything else about the track backs up that sentiment… so power to it. The addition of Meghan Trainor was a stellar move. From the Listen & Learn I did on her debut album ‘Title‘ you’ll know that I am not her biggest fan. I find her message of ‘love yourself’ patchy & poorly carried out at times, but there’s no denying she can create a sexy, retro sound. My biggest qualm with this track is the music video. Charlie Puth’s adorable smile shoved into a letterman jacket can only counteract so much awkwardness… and if I had to describe the high-school prom turned orgy video as anything it would be AWKWARD! The subject itself is unnerving, but then the execution added to it… plus, did no one think to edit out the obvious panty line on the back shots of Meghan? Anyways, great song, poorly executed video.
Charlie Puth Fact #3: Ellen’s ElevenEleven
I promised to talk about YouTube induced success, so here it is: because of his (& Emily Luther’s) online cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You”, Charlie Puth got his first record deal. Ellen DeGeneres signed him to her now debunked label ElevenEleven and brought him on her show to perform not once but twice. Since then, Charlie has found a new home at Atlantic Records, who produced the “Some Type of Love” EP.
Track #3: Some Type of Love
This is my favourite song on Charlie Puth’s album. I realize on a 4 track EP there isn’t a lot of competition, but this song has everything I look for in a great love song. Its romantic lyrics make you melt, while the strong build into the chorus pumps you up for some loving. It fits with the flow of the album (aka it won’t ruing ‘the mood’) whilst being the stand-out hit… for me at least.
Charlie Puth Fact #4: An Eyebrow Raiser
Charlie’s most distinguishing features are his eyebrows. His scars provoke fans to ask why. Apparently it is due to childhood head trauma and a dog bite from when he was 2 years old. I personally love scars and think they add character to his otherwise too-perfect-to-be-true face.
Track #4: Suffer
Man can this boy do falsetto! It’s really odd how a man using a high voice can be so sexy… but he definitely is. From start to finish this EP is the perfect soundtrack to a night in… you know, the special kind… with someone else… and no Netflix… because that’s what my nights in always seem to include. But anyways, I am excited for the first full record Charlie Puth puts out but until then I know what’s going on my go-to mood music playlist!
Charlie Puth Fact #5: See You Again
I can’t talk about the Charlie Puth basics without bringing up the song that started it all… if “it all” is life in the spotlight. At the song’s inception Charlie was approached by his publishing company to write a song honouring Paul Walker’s memory… a pretty big honour (that I actually think went to multiple people, Charlie’s was just the best). Having had a friend who passed away in a car accident Charlie rose to the challenge and sent off a track that was later picked and remixed with Wiz Khalifa’s raps about family & love. Little did he know that it would become the biggest song in the world!
Track #5: See You Again (with Wiz Khalifa)
This track isn’t technically on Charlie Puth’s “Some Type of Love”…so I guess this is a bonus? Really I just wanted to listen to (and encourage you to listen to) this excellent song. After having heard it about a million times on the radio one would think I’d be sick of it, but the juxtaposition of Charlie Puth’s charm and Wiz Khalifa’s edge creates a surprisingly touching feel.
So what’s my overall conclusion? Using My Fangirl Life’s Rating System, for Charlie Puth’s debut EP ‘Some Type of Love” I give:
7 out of 10 Feels: ?ﾟﾘﾉ?ﾟﾘﾍ?￢ﾘﾺ️?￢ﾚﾪ️⚪️⚪️
Happy Listening! And make sure to let me know in the comments what you think of Charlie Puth, or if you have a new artist or band you’d like to see a Listen & Learn on!
Love & Luck,
Kris
PS. His Instagram is pretty cute too: @CharliePuth