An old video clip of singer-songwriter Charlie Puth explaining his songwriting inspirations behind his 2017 hit song “Attention” for Genius Lyrics has surfaced on TikTok, and fans are looking at it in a new light. In the video, Puth insinuated that the track was about someone who he wanted to sleep with, but the subject of the song was only using him for emotional support. The subject in question has long been rumored to be fellow singer-songwriter Selena Gomez.
Many commenters felt that Puth’s recount of the inspiration behind the song painted him to be manipulative, and that he was only maintaining a friendship with Gomez in hopes that he could sleep with her. The video sparked a dialogue about male-female friendships, and the importance of respecting women in the entertainment industry. A TikTok user named Kira (@kira_nadya97) wrote “sounds like his intentions weren’t pure and she knew that.” The comment received more than 100,000 likes. Another commenter named Kay (@yellow.watermelon) wrote “Or…she thought y’all were friends?” which received 60,000 likes.
https://www.tiktok.com/@popnewsdaily/video/7215359707228245254?_r=1&_t=8b1lPxMlYgo
Gomez and Puth previously collaborated on the 2016 track “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” Years after the rumors about Gomez and Puth’s relationship were seemingly settled, Puth posted and quickly deleted a Tweet that seemingly confirmed that Gomez was indeed the subject of “Attention.”
@nomoredanny Charlie puth tries shading selena gomez bc she wouldnt get with him ????
Fans of Gomez are also bringing up another incident from that same year–when Puth yelled out “F*ck Justin Bieber” mid-concert. Knowing the context of the statement has the internet questioning Puth’s character even more. While Gomez has spoken out regarding the alleged toxic nature of her relationship with Bieber, some felt it was not Puth’s place to insert himself, and are even accusing him of jumping on the bandwagon of the ongoing Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber internet saga.
@wenasyjjk hahahahha #fyp #foryou #xyzbca #parati #selenagomez #charlieputh #justinbieber #wedonttalkanymore
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The Gomez controversy in turn led to another example of Puth’s behavior when collaborating with female musicians–a 2016 collaboration with Little Mix. When interviewed about the track, titled “Oops,” Puth spoke solely about his intense crush on Jade Thirlwall, despite her being in a relationship at the time. A TikTok creator named Michelle (@thickbrunette66) posted a video about Puth’s previous comments, and felt that they insinuated that Puth does not truly respect the contributions of female musicians since he constantly sexualizes them.
@michelletok Replying to @nikki_diaries91 #charlieputh has a history of making women uncomfortable #jadethrilwall and supporting #drluke during #kesha trial
Puth began his career in music by posting humorous videos featuring original songs on YouTube throughout his high school years in New Jersey and college years at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He has most recently amassed a sizable following of 21.6 million followers on TikTok, where he frequently shares behind-the-scenes videos of his creative process and duets other creators’ videos to explain what note is associated with common sounds. Puth has perfect pitch, which allows him to immediately recognize musical notes and reproduce them from memory.
@charlieputh The possibilities are endless!!!
Puth’s last album, “CHARLIE”, dropped in late 2022. He most recently announced a collaboration with actress turned singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, titled “That’s Not How This Works”, due for release with an accompanying music video on April 14. A version with Dan+Shay will be released March 31. He also announced yesterday that he will embark on a summer tour, “The ‘Charlie’ Live Experience,” alongside Blu DeTiger and Alexander Stewart. In his personal life, Puth has been in a relationship with Brooke Sansone, who works as a digital marketing and PR coordinator in New York City. Puth is yet to comment on the ongoing controversy.
