The first time many people heard Charlie Puth was on the Paul Walker tribute led by Wiz Khalifa “See You Again”. Everyone became incredibly acquainted with his emotional voice. With all the overplay on the radio at the time, it was quickly defining his career. With time, Puth kept pumping out records before putting on the brakes in 2020. By that point, he was wondering what he was doing. Clearly burnt out by the music industry and the grind of making music, he fell out of love with his passion.
Over 10 years since his breakout feature, Charlie Puth has the honor to sing the National Anthem at the 2026 Super Bowl. So how did he eventually overcome his creative and mental woes? Apparently, it was a little dig from one of the all-time great musicians that got his head out of the sand. In a 2022 conversation with Tony Dokoupil for CBS Mornings, Puth opened up about his self-titled album and why he decided to stop everything when the music didn’t feel right.
Charlie Puth on Why He Decided To Pause From Music and How Elton John Sparked It
“I went to a restaurant in West Hollywood, right when I decided I was going to start over. The maître d’ came over and said, ‘Elton John would like to meet you,’” Puth recalled. The “Rocket Man” singer apparently heard some music he was slated to release. Then, he flatly told him, “That music you just put out was not very good.”
Naturally, Charlie Puth was thrown off by the directness. He didn’t quite disagree—he just didn’t expect to hear it from Elton John at a restaurant. Initially, it stung but it was the truth. He quietly thought to himself that the music wasn’t what he wanted to make. Hearing it from someone he loved and admired only confirmed his disposition. Consequently, he scrapped his album entirely and regrouped accordingly.
So how could Charlie Puth capture that spark he used to have from music again? The “We Don’t Talk Anymore” singer reflected on his days in Rumson, New Jersey and how his mom would play piano for him as he woke up. “That would be my alarm clock,” Puth admitted.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic halted everything, TikTok became his new outlet. There, he wouldn’t have to rush to release everything. He could have an open source to express his delightfully nerdy music interests. With a renewed vigor, he felt like he was finally “telling the truth.”
“You can’t lie and write a song. I’ll be telling the truth from hear on out. Sometimes, to my detriment,” Charlie Puth laughs. “But at least it’ll be the truth.”
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