What do Kehlani, Boyz II Men and James Taylor all have in common? Charlie Puth’s new album “Voicenotes.” Yes, you read that right.
Puth brings quite a few different voices to his sophomore album. Still, his voice shines even more than his first time around the block.
Hailey Stewart | Argonaut
The 26-year-old skyrocketed to fame after Ellen Degeneres signed him to her record label in 2012. Fresh out of college and already on a fast track to stardom, Puth began making headlines with tracks like “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa for the “Furious 7” soundtrack. On that, Puth struck gold.
Next, he sang with the sultry track “Marvin Gaye” with Meghan Trainor. His first years center stage made Puth seem unstoppable. The two put out a solid and sexy performance at the 2015 AMAs.
Then, his first full album dropped. “Nine Track Mind” from 2016 showcased Puth’s ability to combine multiple genres and sounds. As a full first stab at real album making, he fell flat. The tracks just sounded better as singles and felt more like a guilty pleasure album than anything serious.
So, with just around two extra years under his belt and a plethora of new experiences to draw from, Puth has honed his immense skill set and brought in a killer group of featured artists with “Voicenotes.” Puth grew up.
This time around, Puth did the whole “I’ll put out an album” thing right. He promoted the 13-track album for over a year with some stellar singles and kept up the anticipation. “Voicenotes” was released in May and made waves over the past month. On the Billboard Top 100 Chart, Puth’s album just keeps moving up.
Still, it’s not easy advancing in tandem with the likes of Shawn Mendes, Nick Jonas and Maroon Five — artists with similar sounds that also can’t stop dropping new tunes every time we turn around.
Perhaps the best thing Puth has going for him — the thing that really makes him stand out against the rest — is his versatility. Where else are you going to see Kehlani, Boyz II Men and James Taylor on the same album?
In the first three tracks, “The Way I Am,” “Attention” and “LA Girls,” Puth really lets his velvet voice slide in these simple and stable tracks. All of them used as songs to promote the full album, Puth gives listeners a small taste of what’s to come on the rest of “Voicenotes” with these breathy tracks.
“If You Leave Me Now” is the perfect blend of pop and R&B thanks to a slick dose of smooth vocals from Boyz II Men. Puth’s voice fuses beautifully and still, somehow, manages to stand out.
Bringing a bit of variety to the strong R&B vibes on this album, Puth swings in with “Slow It Down” and a beat reminiscent of the ‘80s.
Second to last song on the album, “Empty Cups” is the perfect summer song. It’s bubbly and poppy — with just the right hook for head bobbing.
Unexpectedly, Puth and James Taylor’s voices blend seamlessly, again showing that Puth knows exactly how to combine old and new in “Change” singing “why can’t we just get along if loving one another’s wrong?” It’s oddly perfect in only the way that singing with James Taylor can be.
Liking Puth is no longer a guilty pleasure. In the race of mid-20s pop stars, he’s the one to beat.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at Hailey_ann97