Charlie Puth is done caring about what you think of him. The singer dropped his latest single “The Way I Am” on Thursday (May 3), a coming-of-age upbeat jam that depicts his road to becoming confident with himself.
Following a trio of high-profile features (Kehlani, James Taylor and Boyz II Men), Puth keeps it solo for this introspective, autobiographical track. “The Way I Am” is driven by a plugging electric guitar riff, and Puth’s vocals sync up to the instrumental during the verses. Even though the star now has three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, he reminds listeners through his lyrics that he still faces self-doubt, insecurities and anxieties — you know, just like any human would. He comes to terms with himself by the jovial chorus, in which he triumphantly proclaims, “I’ma tell them all that you can either hate me or love me/ But that’s just the way I am.”
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“The Way I Am” comes from Puth’s forthcoming second studio album, Voicenotes, which is scheduled to drop May 11. He also revealed the album art Thursday on his Instagram, featuring a warm-tone, glowy headshot of himself. For an extra bonus, he also uploaded a jazzy reinterpretation of the aforementioned Kehlani collaboration, “Done for Me,” on his YouTube channel. Puth transforms the bitter duet into a swinging piano solo, highlighting the Berklee alum’s musical roots.
Listen to “The Way I Am” and take a peek at the Voicenotes artwork below.