Charlie Puth Just Made Electrical Wiring Sexy In His "Light Switch" Music Video
The curly-haired pop star brought it back to the '80s.
If there’s one thing Charlie Puth is good at (and there seems to be many things), it’s word selection. The jury is still out on whether he may or may not have once said the idiosyncratic word, “hungies.” (Puth denies saying it.) Still, he turned Marvin Gaye into a catchy song title and gave us the earworms “Attention” and “How Long.” Today, he’s embarking on a new musical era.
The 30-year-old pop star and not-so-secret songwriter to the stars just dropped the music video for his newest single, “Light Switch.” As a TikTok mainstay, Puth teased the song online for several months.
The finished song is an ‘80s synth-pop moment filled with an extended electrical current pun and toe-tapping beats. The song is distinctly Puth-ian with his signature higher-pitched vocals and layered pop production.
The “Light Switch” music video is equally lively and an unofficial “Karate Kid” homage. Puth is down in the dumps after a breakup. He’s sitting in a reclining chair with crumbs on his shirt, an overgrown beard, and excessively shaggy hair. Slowly, he gets back into shape thanks to an aerobics instructor he sees on TV.
The music video is incidentally also a testament to the power of an assortment of tank tops. Puth’s penchant for ribbed tank tops in the music video and IRL is proof the shirts remain the default basic apparel item for stylish men looking to quietly elevate their looks.
In addition to a successful career as a curly-haired pop star, Puth is also a master songwriter for other artists. He’s helped pen songs like “Harleys in Hawaii” for Katy Perry. Last year, he co-wrote “Stay” by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber. The track was a mainstay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year.
With “Light Switch” and the TikTok rollout, it’s encouraging to see Puth find a musical lane and persona all his own. He’s the slightly nerdy and endearing pop star. Puth is the epitome of a feel-good Netflix rom-com.
It’s anyone’s guess if “Light Switch” is an introduction into a larger musical era, though he’s already hinted on TikTok of a new single dropping later this month. Here’s hoping it’s in character with “Light Switch.”
There’s a lane for Puth to stand out among Bieber, Shawn Mendes, and Lil Nas X as a more approachable male pop star whose equally as comfortable helping others succeed as he is making his own catchy pop songs.
