The 2010s was the decade that introduced streaming, altering the music industry in front of our very eyes. Young artists ditched the well worn paths to success and began forging their own. While his fellow WiLD 94.9 Jingle Ball performers began paving new paths to success, headliner Charlie Puth was already miles long into the traditional path set before him.
Puth has been in the game since 2009. During his education at Berklee College of Music, Puth won an online video competition Can You Sing? with a rendition of Adele's hit "Someone Like You." The performance caught the attention of Ellen Degeneres and within the same year he was signed to her now defunct record label eleveneleven. After a promotional single and a few performances, Puth decided to leave the label and move on to bigger things.
Within 2 years of his graduation, Puth signed to Atlantic and released his debut single "Marvin Gaye," and soon after wrote, co-produced, and sang on the Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again." The song was featured on the Furious 7 soundtrack and became a hit, earning three Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, and an entry on the shortlist for BBC's Music Awards' Song of the Year. These two global hits hinted that Puth had not only the voice, but the writing and production skills for pop stardom. It proved true when in 2017, he dropped another hit single "Attention," and a sophomore album (Voicenotes) that may have not impressed critics, but earned him a legion of pop fans. It's obvious that Puth was wired to make hit songs and the infectious songs he's playing for his adoring fans tonight is proof.
Puth comes out to thunderous applause in an unassuming white t-shirt and jeans. He walks up to a red keyboard and begins singing "How Long," and ditches it to pick up a keytar. His impressive free form solo on the keytar is a reminder that he's a pop star and a trained musician, a dichotomy he emphasizes throughout his show. By the time he gets through "Mother" and the fan favorite "We Don't Talk Anymore," the room is reminded of his perfect pitch. He sings elaborate runs without ever going under or over the note.
Charlie Puth is a talented man and he knows it. In fact, its where most of his stage presence is manifested. He saunters around the stage relying on his musical ability and charming looks to fill the room. It doesn't come off as pretentious. He's extremely gracious to his Bay Area fans commenting, "It's been a minute hasn't it? Let me get a good luck at you," as the house lights go up.
To round out his set, Puth leans into the dichotomy of the trained musician and the bona fide pop star singing "Done For Me," stopping to give the crowd a jazz-tinged piano solo, and then goes in hard with back-to-back hits "One Call Away" and "Attention."
Puth delivers the last tribute to Juice Wrld, following in Quinn XCII and Lil Nas X footsteps. He plays the opening guitar sample from Juice Wrld's hit "Lucid Dream" before transitioning into his song "See You Again." A song about the silver lining in losing a loved one. With the fresh news of Juice Wrld's death reminding us of all the losses we've gone through in the past few years, but tonight's Jingle Ball also reminds us as we approach a new decade, that we will persevere and continue to honor the legacies of those we've lost too soon. It's the perfect way to close out the perfect night.