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Charlie Puth Celebrates Taylor Swift’s ‘TTPD’ Success After She Name Drops Him on Song
Charlie Puth has shared his reaction after getting the namecheck of a lifetime in the title track to Taylor Swift‘s new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
On Sunday, April 28, Charlie, 32, reposted Taylor’s Instagram about the success of TTPD on his Story. Her post featured behind-the-scenes shots from the studio and the message, “My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album. 2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed. I was already so fired up to get back to tour but you doing THIS? May 9th can’t come soon enough.”
Charlie’s repost came after Taylor, 34, sang the lyrics, “You smokеd, then ate seven bars of chocolate / We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist,” referring to the “How Long” singer in “The Tortured Poets Department” song. The song was cowritten by Taylor and her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff.
The Rumson, New Jersey, native got his big break when he was featured on the anthem “See You Again” with rapper Wiz Khalifa. It appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack in 2015 and was a tribute to the late Fast & Furious star Paul Walker. He died in a fiery car crash in November 2013.
The song rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it spent 12 weeks in the top spot.
Shortly afterward, Charlie proved he could make it on his own with his 2016 debut album, Nine Track Mind. It featured the hit singles “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” “One Call Away” and the collaboration “Marvin Gaye” with Meghan Trainor.
“My friend was talking to me about his long-distance relationship, and how it breaks his heart that he can’t see his girlfriend every day,” Charlie told MTV in 2016 about writing “One Call Away.” “So, I wanted to make an anthem for everyone in a long-distance relationship or just someone they haven’t seen in a while is just one call away.”
The “How Long” singer had a moderate hit with 2022’s “Light Switch,” off his last album, Charlie. He hasn’t released any music since then with the exception of the March 2023 single, “That’s Not How This Works,” with country-pop duo Dan + Shay.
“The Tortured Poets Department” also namechecked two famous poets, Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith, as Taylor sang in the chorus, “I laughed in your face and said, ‘You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith” adding, “This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots.”
Dylan was a famed Welsh writer who died in November 1953 at just 39 years old after moving to New York City. Patti is an American singer, songwriter and poet who helped influence the punk rock movement in the 1970’s.
“TTPD” is believed to be about Taylor and her romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. She hinted at his song “Chocolate” in the lyric with Charlie’s name, while also singing, “I scratch your head, you fall asleep like a tattooed golden retriever.” Matty, 35, is the only one of Taylor’s most recent romantic interests to have tattoos.
