If it wasn’t for being a Grammy Award nominated pop-star and producer, Charlie Puth would have been a teacher.
It was a former ambition he reflected on during the pandemic, as the US artist spent most of his time indoors.
"I just have so much respect for teachers and enamoured by how they process and give information," he said during his session at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. "I hope that I am able enough to do something like that with a feasible piece of art, which is an album."
Speaking with Berklee College of Music president Roger H Brown, the Attention singer explained his creative process and how the viral hit See You Again with Wiz Khalifa, which currently has five billion YouTube streams, gave him an insight into the universal power of songs.
Here are five takeaways from his session.
1. The importance of melody
Puth realised he had global smash hit on his hands when seeing the reaction to See You Again on his travels across China and Europe. The way people responded to the song, he recalled, became instructive in how he approached his future works.
“I heard fans singing my song outside the hotel room, in China. Now they were getting the melody absolutely perfect but messing up on the some of the lyrics because English is not the first language," he says.
"The same thing happened in Denmark where they also got the melody right and only some of the lyrics, it dawned on me then that melody is the most important thing for non-English speaking fans.
“From that point on, melody was the focal point of everything I do.”
2. He goes with the flow
Travel remains Puth’s primary source of inspiration.
A life on the move, he says, naturally unlocks certain qualities nearly all creatives share.
“It no coincidence I wrote all of my hits abroad because I am inspired by different cultures and watching how people carry themselves in comparison to where I come from,” he says.
“If you want to be a songwriter then you are usually an empathetic person. We are very good at reading the room. I would go to a restaurant and a melody would pop in my head just from the way my fork felt. I always let my brain flow freely.”
3. Keep chasing greatness
One of the best career advice Puth received was from Jimmy Iovine.
Puth recalled meeting the music executive and producer while briefly signed to record label Interscope Records. Upon meeting the burgeoning artist, Iovine told him to aim bigger than the charts.
“He would tell me to 'chase great'. I also feel that if you are excited to play your song to your friend, then it will translate to the rest of the world,” Puth said.
“If the song is no good and you post it on TikTok or Spotify and you feel that you have something better up your sleeve, make sure you show the better stuff. You have to be passionate about it.”
4. He wants to make a classic album
While known for his modern approach to pop music, Puth aims to step back and explore the sounds of the past.
After this record that I am working on, which is pop, I just want to do something like Rod Stewart's The Great American Songbook albums," he said. "I mean, this was how I came to learn about all these great classic songs.
5. His next album will be his best
Participating in the conference from his home studio, Puth reveals he is close to completing his yet-to-be-titled third album.
Not only could it be a career defining work, but Puth hopes it can nab his first ever Grammy Award.
“I want to win the Best Pop Album in the Grammys. I had many nominations but now I just want to win,” he said.
“We don't make music to win Grammys but it is just a personal goal of mine. I just want to make the best album ever and one that people coming out of this pandemic can be inspired by.”
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi concludes on Wednesday at 9pm. Attendance is free and open to the public. Registration is live on the website.
