Ep. 243: Charlie Puth Pt. 2| The Long Road to Becoming Yourself

Today’s guest is one of the defining voices in modern pop — a songwriter, producer, and artist behind some of the biggest records of the last decade.

His songs have been streamed billions of times worldwide.

He came to Los Angeles to write for others.

Instead, he became a globally identifiable artist — before fully becoming himself.

Now, he’s building something that’s truly his.

And The Writer Is… Charlie Puth!

In this episode, Charlie opens up about:

• His early journey

• The moment “See You Again” came together, and why it still feels unexplainable

• How early success shaped his career before his identity caught up

• Why the best songs often come from discomfort, not control

• The role of collaboration in pushing him beyond his instincts

• Sessions with legendary artists — and what those moments actually feel like

• The importance of staying human in an increasingly synthetic world

• And much more…

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Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.

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Chapters:

0:00 Intro

2:46 Charlie Demos the Theme Song

5:00 The “Mouth Phone” Trick

7:00 His Secret Involvement in Dangerous Woman

9:00 “Stay” — The Power of Collaboration (Justin Bieber, Kid Laroi)

13:00 “Are You Where You Want to Be?”

16:00 Where His Best Work Comes From

16:53 The Story of See You Again

20:43 Wiz Khalifa’s Defining 'See You Again' Moment

23:02 When the Industry Didn’t Know What to Do With Him

27:22 The Song No One Believed In (We Don’t Talk Anymore)

29:52 Ross’s Philosophy on Sending Music

31:04 The Song That Changed Everything

34:09 Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Letting People In

39:00 Why It’s More Important to Be Human Than Ever

45:05 NMPA — Our Lead Sponsor This Season

45:56 Splice

46:38 Conflict, Collaboration, and Making the New Album

51:11 Coffee With Kenny G and Michael McDonald

55:39 Chris Stapleton's Songwriting Advice

1:02:05 The Artists and Producers He Studies

1:08:00 His Lowest Point

1:31:51 Charlie Shares Drum Samples

Hosted by Ross Golan

Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad

Edited by Jad Saad

Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Watercolor Art by Michael White

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