On the morning of Friday, May 29, Charlie Puth performed live on the TODAY Plaza. Ready for the long day ahead, the singer-songwriter played new tracks and throwbacks hours before his sold-out Whatever’s Clever! tour stop at Madison Square Garden later that night.
Known for his perfect pitch and highly-successful, chart-topping pop songs, Puth came to fame in 2015 after the release of his debut single, “Marvin Gaye.” Later that year, his guest feature on Wiz Khalifa’s hit single “See You Again” escalated his fame, resulting in a top placement on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks. In 2025, after playing a series of concerts at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Puth announced the March 2026 release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever! Having last performed on the Citi Concert stage over a decade ago, Puth returned to The TODAY Show to share the joyful power of music with his fans bright and early.
Charlie Puth’s second-ever Citi Concert started with a pretaped performance of “Attention” for TODAY’s Third Hour. A throwback to 2018 off his album Voicenotes, the singer encouraged fans, otherwise known as the “TODAY Show choir,” to sing along to the catchy track.
Puth appeared in his element as he gravitated between two keyboards throughout the duration of the show. New hit “Beat Yourself Up” brought out an R&B aspect to Puth’s predominantly pop-rooted setlists. With a funky baseline, rhythmic drum beat, and snapping interlude, the groovy single demonstrated the evolution of the singer’s sound over the last decade.
Between singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, welcoming his first child into the world, releasing Whatever’s Clever!, and now performing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, Puth’s had quite the year – and it’s only May. Excited about all his recent successes, Puth spoke to the TODAY Anchors about the thematic elements of the new album, describing it as scholastic utopian. “I think teachers are the coolest people in the world,” Puth explained, “and I always loved it when my teachers in school made it entertaining. So, I think the whole project – and even the way I’m dressed, it gives substitute teacher – I want people to love the music and learn about music, too.”
Ever the cool teacher, Puth often takes to TikTok to explore music production with everyday objects, testing his perfect pitch along the way.
“Changes,” the first track off the new record, acts as the overarching theme to Whatever’s Clever! At the song’s start, Puth shared his New York spirit with the crowd by saying “Go Knicks!” The track demonstrates the singer’s wide vocal range. As Puth leads his band into the chorus, his powerful, smooth vocals take center stage, sounding identical to the record. Complete with a piano solo, the musician’s joy for his artistry is obvious.
Puth rounded out the morning with a laid back, jazzy version of throwback hit “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” This sultry rendition of the 2016 mega-hit featuring Selena Gomez came from a matured place, one in which Puth has been developing for years. Fans that grew up with the artist are no longer teenagers – with many fans in their early twenties, this stylized take on the viral song felt like revisiting an old friend. Encouraging the crowd to sing the chorus over him, Puth proved to explore his decade-long discography in a way few dare to – by recrafting the same song throughout time. This allows Puth the freedom of not being trapped in the fame of his 2010’s anthems. Rather, he remains playful, curious, and ever-evolving in his music journey.
Charlie Puth – Friday, June 29 – TODAY Citi Concert Series
Setlist: Attention (Pretaped), Beat Yourself Up, Changes, We Don’t Talk Anymore
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