Switched on Pop How Charlie Puth honored Whitney Houston for 125 million people (live at Berklee NYC)
Apr 3, 2026
Charlie Puth, singer-songwriter and producer with jazz-piano training, discusses his Super Bowl national anthem arrangement and musical influences. He traces a lineage from Jose Feliciano and Marvin Gaye to Whitney Houston. Conversations cover arranging choirs and strings, citing influences in songwriting, hidden musical quotes, and how those references shape his new album Whatever's Clever.
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How Charlie Manifested The Super Bowl Anthem
- Charlie Puth manifested performing the Super Bowl anthem by making a private demo and revisiting it until it felt right.
- He broke his secrecy, his manager shared it with Roc Nation, and they called back emotional, insisting Charlie had to do it.
Chords Communicate Emotion Before Lyrics
- Charlie emphasizes that chord choices can convey emotion before any lyrics, and his unique harmonic vocabulary is 'in his fingers.'
- He cites Babyface, gospel, and Snarky Puppy as sonic sources that shape those evocative chordal decisions.
The Anthem Is Part Of A Long Lineage
- Charlie situates his anthem within a lineage from José Feliciano to Jimi Hendrix to Marvin Gaye to Whitney Houston, showing reinterpretation as tradition.
- He treats citation as homage: nodding to predecessors while reshaping material into his own harmonic language.