Charlie Puth has reacted to the unexpected shoutout he received from Taylor Swift in her song "The Tortured Poets Department."
In the track, Taylor sings the line: "We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist."
Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone, Charlie admitted that he was surprised to hear his name referenced in the song.
"It was pretty shocking. I don't know if that was like the moment where I realized that I needed to write a certain kind of music, but it was definitely affirming that one of the biggest stars in the world knows me," he remarked.
Reflecting further on the lyric, the singer-songwriter shared how he interpreted Taylor's words. "I understood exactly what she meant to be a 'bigger artist.' I think you have to let people in a little bit more and maybe to your point, I hadn't let people in as much as I should have in the beginnings of my career."
"The Tortured Poets Department" track is from the 11th studio album of Taylor with the same title. The album was released in April 2024 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 2.61 million equivalent album units.
Meanwhile, Charlie is set to release his new studio album Whatever's Clever! on March 6.
He announced the news back in October 2025. "I've poured everything I have into this album. I can't wait for you to hear it," he posted on Instagram.
He released the lead single off the album in October of last year titled "Changes."
In the music video for "Changes," Charlie announced that he is expecting his first child with wife Brooke Sansone as the latter revealed her baby bump in a portion of the video. The couple tied the knot in September 2024.
Charlie is set to embark on a tour this year beginning April with stops including the US, Canada, and Europe.