Charlie Puth: Tiny Desk Concert

Credit: Photo: Bronson Arcuri/NPRCharlie Puth walked into the Tiny Desk and turned it into a jazz club.Known for crafting some of the biggest pop records of the last decade, Puth approaches the Desk less like a hitmaker and more like a bandleader, reimagining familiar songs with fresh arrangements that spotlight the musicianship at his core.

With effortless precision — and plenty of spontaneity — he guides his band through each song, shaping dynamics in real time like a professor leading a masterclass."We Don't Talk Anymore" opens with a colorful vamp before unfolding into what Puth jokingly calls "the version I wish came out," trading glossy pop production for rich harmony and space to breathe.Performing another hit, "Attention" leans into an early '90s, Michael Jackson-inspired groove, extending the outro into a jam.

Introducing "See You Again," Puth reflects on how much of his music is inspired by church.This version, wildly different from the one that soundtracks the Furious 7 tribute to actor Paul Walker, swells into a warm, worship-like song.Closing the set with "Changes" from his latest album, Whatever's Clever!, Puth leaves behind any notion that he is just a pop songwriter and producer.

These arrangements reveal an artist deeply fluent in the language of harmony, groove and collaboration — one who's still approaching music with the curiosity of a lifelong student.SET LISTMUSICIANSTINY DESK TEAM...