Charlie Puth’s latest single ‘Girlfriend’ is the funky pop earworm his fans have been absolutely itching for. It’s smooth, it’s suave, it’s got a killer bassline reminiscent of Puth’s earlier works — the slow but striking notes on the synth will immediately beguile you from the get-go.

Puth has certainly made a career out of hitting those sweet, high notes that most male pop stars don’t attempt nowadays. He keeps his compositions juicy, exhilaration and teeming with emotion. At the same time, he doesn’t really bother with keeping his tunes sanitized for his legion of young fans. Risque topics are explored frequently and Charlie does it with tact and aplomb. 

For example, the way Puth approaches the first verse is indicative of his charm and musical sensibility. The words come through slowly but with purpose — each and every note is tinged with a sense of desperation and pent-up tension. The subject matter itself is quite simple in that he basically is mustering up the courage to ask a girl whether she wants to be his girlfriend. But the lyrics as well as the songwriting touch upon a relationship that’s built on intent, sensuality, and pleasure. The instrumentation is by and large simplistic yet the touches on the electric guitar that keeps on strumming through the pre-chorus and the chorus are undeniably sensational and even nostalgic. But the nostalgia ends here and there — most of the tune is focused on Puth’s vocal overlaps that chime in at the chorus and completely take over during the bridge. Puth’s ability to soar through those pitches yet maintain the steady, mellow beat is remarkable. He certainly has a way of dancing through pitch-ranges that other male artists simply don’t bother with anymore. 

Earlier in the year, Puth revealed that he scrapped his third studio album because none of it “felt real” to him. As a result, ‘Girlfriend’ marks his first solo effort of the year, and it is already a hot number among fans. Speaking about the song, Puth said, “I am very bad at communicating, so most of the time, I just express my feelings in my music and 'Girlfriend' is an example of that. The song is about being persistent and letting someone know that your feelings for them aren’t going to just go away.” 

 r&b     pop 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.