Writing 'I Used to Be Cringe'

Before Charlie Puth became a multi-platinum artist and one of the most technically gifted musicians of his generation, he was a kid who couldn't sing in front of people until he was 18 years old. He was a student who heard everything at 200% volume, who felt sick when sounds were off-key, and who believed the only way he could express himself was if there was music behind him. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer sits down with David Begnaud to share the people who believed in him when he was too afraid to believe in himself.

Charlie opens up about growing up with diagnosed OCD, perfect pitch, and a sensitivity to sound so intense that it still makes him nauseous. He talks about his parents, Chuck and Deb, who championed him when teachers told him to stay in one lane, when Catholic school didn't understand his love for Eminem, and when competitive swimming felt like sensory overload. His mom, a Jewish music teacher in a Catholic school, taught him that music could bring people in. His dad took a day off work and sat with him for 14 hours in line for an America's Got Talent audition, only to watch Charlie freeze and say he couldn't sing without something behind him.

There's also a raw reflection on why Charlie has resisted vulnerability for so long, why he's terrified of being judged, and why his new album is the first time he's letting people see the imperfect, anxious, overthinking version of himself. He shares what it felt like to hear Taylor Swift mention his name in a song, why sitting with Quincy Jones changed his life, and why the song I Used To Be Cringe might be the most honest thing he's ever written. He talks about his pregnant wife, building a house, going on tour the same week his baby is due, and why the only thing that makes him feel better when the world gets too loud is a melody in his head.

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Chapters ☀️

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro: The Musical Prodigy Who Hears Everything
• 00:02:39 The Incense, The Nerves, and Sweating the Small Stuff
• 00:05:30 When Music is Your Only Comfort: The Gift and the Curse
• 00:08:41 I Used to Be Cringe: Writing the Song That Was Too Honest
• 00:15:49 The Swimming Pool Story: When Mom Pulled Him Out
• 00:15:08 Chuck and Deb: The Parents Who Believed When No One Else Did
• 00:39:51 The Classical vs Jazz Battle: Fighting to Do Both
• 00:44:55 Mom's History: Why She Fought So Hard for Charlie's Freedom
• 00:50:05 The Vulnerability He's Been Hiding: Opening Up for the First Time
• 00:49:21 Taylor Swift, Baby Puth, and the Album That Changes Everything
• 00:57:19 The Imperfections Make It Human: Charlie's Letter to His Younger Self

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Charlie Puth

Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Theme Music: Slipstream

Audio Technical Production: Joseph Gabay, Will Whitley

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

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