In the aftermath of Charlie Puth’s release of his “Voicenotes” album and five subsequent singles, the talented musician took to TikTok spreading leaks of his future songs. Fans believe these songs will comprise his third studio album entitled “Charlie,” including his latest single, “Light Switch” released January 20, 2022. 

Puth’s TikTok posts show his upcoming songs and showcase the songwriting and production process behind his works. He highlights creative dilemmas in his works including his use of different instruments and whether one or another adds to the piece overall. He tends to avoid nuanced production issues such as mixing and mastering in his videos to simplify his clips into something easily understandable.

Puth avoided releasing the final products of his upcoming releases by revealing incomplete snippets of his songs. This strategy helped build interest in the songs acting as a trailer for greater things to come. Certain people pieced together these clips to upload the songs in unofficial “full releases”. He marketed similarly prior to the release of “Light Switch” which he teased on social media through clips of the production and creation process. The song peaked at 28th on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 12, just a month and a half after its initial release. 

“I found a few of his clips on YouTube, and it made me excited for him though I don’t even listen to him. It’s really cool how he’s putting his songs out there and showing off how some of them are made. It’s interesting stuff,” senior Bryan Casalini said.

Prospective songs Puth leaked on his TikTok include “Loser,” “That’s Hilarious,” and “HER.” These songs tap into catchy melodies and lovesick lyricism akin to Puth’s style in his older successes. The pieces star women in Puth’s life that exist in his past. The album may tell a story about the aftermath of Puth’s relationships with those people, tackling both the positive and negative aspects of those memories now left behind.

Puth struggled in 2019 with three single releases that diverged heavily from his heartfelt tone in his past successes in “See You Again” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” He attempted a “cool guy” feel and found himself criticized by Elton John and industry critics. None of those songs broke through the Billboard Hot 100. With his upcoming album, Puth aims to embrace a new mindset revolving around revenge. He admitted to beginning to question his relationships with people around him and his own professional inspirations. After collaborating on the wildly successful song “Stay” with The KID LAROI and Justin Beiber, one can only wonder which of his next works will top the charts.