Incredibly it’s been 11 years since Charlie Puth arrived on the scene with the double-punch of his debut single ‘Marvin Gaye’ featuring Meghan Trainor and the chart-topping Wiz Khalifa track ‘See You Again’ from ‘Furious 7’, which he featured on. Puth’s debut album ‘Nine Track Mind’ arrived just over 10 years ago in 2016, it was certified 2x Platinum in the US and Platinum in the UK. Since then Puth has released 2018’s ‘Voicenotes’ and 2022’s ‘Charlie’, and he’s openly admitted getting lost on his journey in the midst of it all. Now Puth is releasing fourth studio album “Whatever’s Clever!” and he’s exploring a new sound in the process.
For “Whatever’s Clever!” Puth has written and co-produced with BloodPop (Lady Gaga, Madonna) and the project sees him embracing influences and sounds from the 80s. Album opener 80s recalls ‘Africa’ by Toto with an explosive synth-driven chorus that gives Puth one of his catchiest songs in a while. Lyrically the song is more mature than what we’ve heard from the singer-songwriter before, as he reflects on his marriage and finding out that he’s going to be a father (Puth welcomed his first child recently). A gospel choir adds an emotional kick in the song’s latter half and the song is one of Puth’s best.
‘Beat Yourself Up’ is the best 80s song never to come out in the 80s. You can imagine the song appearing on the soundtrack of a film like ‘Big’ and becoming a huge hit. Puth’s vocal layering is effective as he harmonises with himself over a catchy beat. ‘Washed Up’ blends 80s sensibilities with 70s melodies as Puth delivers a hushed vocal on the verses as the chorus threatens to go full-on disco. The soulful “Don’t Meet Your Heroes” is a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for, and ‘Hey Brother’ is a midtempo R&B moment that really highlights Puth’s abilities as a vocal arranger, with layers and harmonies for days.
There are plenty of features across “Whatever’s Clever!”. Rising R&B star Ravyn Lenae appears on ‘New Jersey’, a song that draws from the catalogue of Jam & Lewis, while Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada lends her vocals to the beat-laden ‘Home’, a song that has a surprisingly emotional depth if you listen closely to the lyrics. Grammy-winning star Coco Jones appears on the sultry ‘Sideways’, which is one of the album’s strongest tracks. I wouldn’t have expected Puth and Jones to work so well together vocally but they sound great.
Fully embracing the 80s sound of the record Puth enlists Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins for the foot-stomping jam ‘Love in Exile’, and movie star turned musician Jeff Goldblum appears on ‘Until It Happens To You’, a bouncy hand-clapping moment of joy that drives the album towards its conclusion. The self-reflective ‘I Used to Be Cringe’ ends the record with Puth admitting his past behaviour has left him with plenty to apologise about.
“Whatever’s Clever!” is a strong release from Puth and dare I say it’s his best album to date? He’s a remarkable musician with a deep understanding of music and how to put all of the different elements together. This 80s sound may only be here for one album but this feels like the first time Puth has really followed his gut and allowed himself to have some fun. “Whatever’s Clever!” puts in a strong case for pop album of the year and it’s not even April yet!
Track list: 1. Changes 2. Beat Yourself Up 3. Cry (feat. Kenny G) 4. Washed Up 5. New Jersey (feat. Ravyn Lenae) 6. Don’t Meet Your Heroes 7. Home (feat. Hikaru Utada) 8. Hey Brother 9. Sideways (feat. Coco Jones) 10. Love in Exile (feat. Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins) 11. Until It Happens To You (feat. Jeff Goldblum) 12. I Used To Be Cringe Record label: Atlantic Records Release date: 27th March 2026 Buy “Whatever’s Clever!” now
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