This family tradition runs deep for Puth, who recalls his mom placing big headphones on her tummy in the ’90s, playing artists like James Taylor and Luther Vandross. Now a father himself, he plans to continue it. “I’m gonna do what my mom did for me, whether Brooke likes it or not,” he said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Fatherhood has flipped his creative process, too. “It’s different because I put life first and then let music follow,” he explained. “Usually, I come up with the musical motif and then fit life into it. Actually, how every song was written, it was just kind of it almost like it was a therapy session.”

Charlie Puth’s ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ album reflects a personal journey and fatherhood

The album, inspired by moments like his Super Bowl national anthem performance and impending fatherhood, marks a shift from polished radio tracks to deeply personal ones. Puth revealed the title’s irony during his Fallon appearance: “None of these songs are clever. They are genuine. By naming the album ‘Whatever’s Clever,’ I intended to bid farewell to a previous mindset where I felt every song had to be flawless for radio or meet certain expectations. These are truly personal songs for me, and creating this album has been very therapeutic.”He emphasized its honesty in a fan message: “Whatever’s Clever… what’s funny is that I don’t consider any of these songs to be clever – I consider them to be real. I’ve never opened up this much to all of you before, and I owe it to you to do so. I just had to take a closer look at myself first.” Puth also confirmed his baby news on Jimmy Fallon’s show: “I’m gonna be a dad,” while joking, “I hope baby likes music, because it’s the only thing I’m good at.“

Charlie Puth and wife Brooke Sansone: A new chapter in their lives

Balancing tour dates, family, and music feels like “When it rains it pours,” as Puth put it on Today Show Australia. Yet, he seems energized by it all. In chats like his Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, he reflected on Taylor Swift shoutouts and self-discovery.