Charlie Puth loves a bit of reharmonisation – just check out his version of the US National Anthem from this year’s Super Bowl – so it’s perhaps unsurprising that, when he and his band turned up for work at the Tiny Desk studio, they did so with a set of songs that sounded markedly different from the ones that were committed to record.
The tone was set from the off, with a reworked version of 2016 hit We Don’t Talk Anymore. Gone were the tropical house inspired production flourishes, leaving Puth to perform the song in a way that better represented how he originally imagined it.
“That's the version I wish came out originally,” he told the audience, before adding that “You're going to hear a lot of jazz chords, ladies and gentlemen.”
He wasn’t kidding: the version of 2017 single Attention on display here was full of muso-friendly harmonisation, giving his impressive band a chance to showcase their chops.
“I've always dreamed of doing this and exactly like this,” revealed Puth. “I've heard these arrangements in my head and I've been saving them for this.”
Then came one of Puth’s earliest and biggest hits: See You Again, which he recorded with rapper Wiz Khalifa and became a tribute to Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker, who died before the seventh film in the series was released in 2015.
Puth dialled up the emotion even further on this one by drawing on his love of Gospel: “A lot of my music, the chords are derived from church because I'm very inspired by those chord changes and it feels very, like, grounding,” he explained. “And that's how I wrote this song. I guess you could call this the original version of this song, not the one that you hear on the radio.”
A run through recent single Changes and Puth’s Tiny Desk shift was done, but he certainly left his mark.
This has been a busy week for the star, as he’s also been announced as a brand ambassador for US jeans and clothing company Lucky Brand, noting that their creative ethos chimes with his own.
"I’ve always believed the best work comes from staying true to who you are," he explained. "That’s what drew me to Lucky Brand. There is a genuine appreciation for individuality and the confidence to do things your own way, and I’m excited to be part of a brand that celebrates people who make their own luck."
