Los Angeles, March 28 (IANS) Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth is quite occupied these days. In October, he released the Phil Collins-indebted ‘Changes’, the delectable first taste of his fourth album ‘Whatever’s Clever’ recently.

He chased it with a pair of eight-show residencies at the Blue Note in Los Angeles and New York, followed by a milestone performance of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl last month, reports ‘Variety’.

Amid it all, he released a handful of follow-up singles including “Cry” with Kenny G and “Home” featuring Hikaru Utada. It feels poetic, somehow, in the grand scheme of things, that he announced the birth of his first child with wife Brooke just three days before “Whatever’s Clever!” arrived.

As per ‘Variety’, and it’s why Puth, 34, takes any chance he can get to sneak in his steps. In early March, he logged onto Zoom to discuss the album with his camera propped on top of a walking treadmill.

He said, “I saw my friend who used to run this label had a slow treadmill. It was like at a stand-up desk. I was always very jealous of that”.

As he spoke about the record, his head bopping up and down with each step, it becomes clear that free time is an increasing rarity these days. When he last had the luxury of taking his time, it was while making ‘Whatever’s Clever’, a project that he describes as “yacht rock 2026” but has a wingspan that stretches across sultry R&B, city pop and gospel. Before that, he estimates, it was in 2006.

“I didn’t have the luxury of time on the last three albums. We always had a song out for the masses that was ‘doing well,’ and then I had to play catch-up. Almost do reverse artistry. I was happy with the results, and I’ll play those songs for the rest of my life. But this is the first time that I have had just a few months to sit and tell the truth”, he added.

--IANS

aa/