27 March 2026
Charlie Puth found his latest album to be the “most challenging” of his career.
Charlie Puth has released a new album
The 34-year-old singer has just released his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, and Charlie has opened up about the emotional process of making what he describes as his most personal record to date.
He told Variety: “What was at times most challenging for me was just how unmusical it started. We didn’t start with the chords, we didn’t start with sounds. We started with the topic of what we wanted to talk about.”
Charlie – who performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl earlier this year – admitted that opening up emotionally doesn’t come naturally to him.
He said: “It’s not the easiest thing for me to do to talk about what I’m going through. Even with my closest friends, there always has to be a little bit of sound playing in the background.”
Despite the challenges, the singer insists that Whatever’s Clever! is his favourite album to date.
Charlie said: “This is the first time that I have had just a few months to sit and tell the truth. I didn’t want to remove the emotion.”
The record — which Charlie describes as “yacht rock 2026” — was executive produced by BloodPop, and features collaborations with Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Kenny G and Jeff Goldblum.
Charlie is now preparing to embark on an arena tour, but he admits that life has become increasingly hectic following the recent birth of his first child with wife Brooke.
He said: “It’s definitely gonna be a challenge to embark on a tour as a new father. There’s gonna be times when I don’t get to see the baby, which is gonna be tough on me.”
However, Charlie is determined to remain positive while he’s on the road.
He added: “I’m so grateful for the strong bond that I have with my family. I believe that’s what’s gonna get me through this tour.”
