Charlie Puth - “CHARLIE” Album Review

Story posted October 14, 2022 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Madison Reed

The long awaited third Charlie Puth album just dropped and it’s definitely worth a listen.

Puth recently claimed that Ellen Degeneres’ record label essentially ghosted him after his first EP so this was his first project with Atlantic Records.

The pop album is very similar in sound to his 2018 album “Voicenotes,” but that’s where the similarities end. Puth’s new album “CHARLIE” is far more consistent lyrically and narratively. It takes listeners through the story of a difficult and messy relationship all the way through the breakup.

While the idea of a breakup album is nothing new, especially not as of late, this is a new side of Puth that fans have been waiting to hear for a while now.

The album begins with songs like “That’s Hilarious,” “Light Switch” and “Left and Right” which the singer has heavily documented the production process of on his TikTok account. 

While it was cool to see Puth’s musical talent at work, the release of nearly half of the album’s songs prior to the full album’s release date did not help build excitement for its release amongst anyone who wasn’t already a fan. It made those songs feel already worn out which isn’t the best way to start an album.

That being said, the nine other songs that hadn’t been overplayed were made that much more exciting to listen to for the first time.

“CHARLIE” utilizes a lot of synth and piano to give the album’s instrumental an 80s feel while singing about the timeless struggles of partnership. The lyrics are even more impressive when paired with Puth’s vocal skills.

The beautiful harmonies and wide vocal range in songs like “There’s A First Time For Everything,” “Smells Like Me” and “Tears On My Piano” make them highly replayable and catchy.

The stand out songs on the album pair stylistic instrumentals with a solid beat and continue to tell the story of the breakup that Puth experienced. One of the songs that does this really well is “I Don’t Think That I Like Her.”

This song is second to last on the album and comes after songs about missing an ex, taking them back and watching the love they shared slowly fade. Then this song plays and it’s all about Puth’s realization that he might not even like said ex. One might think that this would be the saddest song on the album but it feels like one of the happiest.

The one song that feels incohesive with the rest of the album is “When You’re Sad I’m Sad.” While its lyrics and storytelling do fit in with the rest of the album, it plays in the middle and is the only slow-tempoed ballad. It feels like it doesn't really fit in this album and might be more at home on an album like “Voicenotes.” That being said, it is still a good song, it just doesn't fit on “CHARLIE.”

Overall, the album’s got tons of strong beats that feature piano, guitar, synth and drums to give its songs a fun vibe. It makes almost the whole album feel like its listeners should be dancing and singing along. A songwriting break for Puth is well deserved but listeners can’t wait to hear what he does next.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: Loser, Marks On My Neck, I Don’t Think That I Like Her

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Songs: N/A


Madison Reed is a third-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email mnr5288@psu.edu.