The Charlie Puth controversy, explained

Normally, we hear about Charlie Puth entirely against our will. Whether it’s through his oddly explicit Genius video interview or his incessant media presence reminding us of his perfect pitch, we always end up hearing about him in some way or another.

This time, Puth is trending for wholly different reasons. For starters, Stray Kids’ digital single expected on May 10 — and needless to say, it’s not boding well with fans. And here’s why.

Why is Charlie Puth controversial?

Charlie Puth’s collaboration with the K-pop group Stray Kids is facing heavy backlash and even boycotts from fans stemming from Puth’s public for Israel amidst its ongoing conflict with Palestine, which many view as one-sided genocide — rightfully so. The announcement was made through Stray Kids’ official Twitter/X , which immediately received mixed reactions.

Due to his political stance on this ongoing issue, numerous STAYs took to social media to express their disapproval of the collaboration. They argue that Puth’s views are incompatible with the values of the fandom and the image associated with Stray Kids. Additionally, the singer’s liking of Noah Schnapp’s post featuring “Zionism is sexy” pins has further fueled speculation about Puth’s alignment with Zionism.

Charlie Puth’s mention in Taylor Swift’s song

Another reason why Puth’s name has been circulating on social media hails from Swift’s lyrics in her song “The Tortured Poets Department.” The lyrics read “We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist,” which left several netizens and fans puzzled over the meaning of her words. Some fans were unhappy about the positive connotation Swift attributed to Puth, not only because of his alleged Zionist-friendly position but also due to his past relationship with Swift’s best friend and singer, Selena Gomez.

According to Puth, he and Selena had a brief relationship, which he described as “very short-lived” but “very impactful.” However, many netizens did not sympathize with Puth’s alleged reminiscing of this relationship. His 2017 hit song “Attention” is believed to have been written about Gomez, and in a now-deleted tweet, the singer hinted at the same belief. “‘Attention’ is about what you think it’s about,” he wrote.

In the Genius interview where he discusses the meaning of the song, Puth explains the lyrics by sharing his own experience. “We would be talking in the hotel, she’d be like, ‘You wanna sleep over?’” he said. “I’d be like, Yes, I’m gonna get it in! And then nothing would happen, which is totally fine. But after like the fifth time of that happening, I knew what she was doing.” Although unconfirmed, netizens believe this moment references Gomez.

Overall, Puth has frequently been involved in oddly controversial behavior. Despite this, his actions have often been overlooked due to his fluctuating popularity. However, with the heightened attention from both K-pop fans and Swifties towards Puth’s sudden surge in fame, it’s not surprising that his words and actions are once again being brought up.