Taylor Swift has name-checked several personalities through ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, known and unknown. But one veiled reference that echoed on multiple fronts with artistic nods was the Charlie Puth reference. Recognizing the valuable opportunity to be part of Swift’s Easter egg tradition, Puth responded in the way he knows best: through music. His acknowledgments were initially conveyed through musical exchanges, but now he has decided to address it verbally.

Until now, Puth's reactions, or what were believed to be his reactions, had all been favorable towards Swift's mention, but his verbal response underscores that the mention might have been a sign from the universe.

When Taylor Swift said Charlie Puth “should be a bigger artist”, the 32-year-old took it as a cue to return to the musical forefront and announced his single ‘Hero’. But in retracing the moment he first chanced upon the reference, all Puth could recall were the butterflies he felt. In a recent conversation with Rolling Stone, Putt reminisced that “it was surreal,” the moment he hit the play button on her title track from ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ upon its release.

Putt rattled his grey cells and remembered how he may have cried a little in disbelief when Swift said his name, someone sounding like, “P-O-O-T-H”. He explained that previously a friend of his, who had heard a leak of the album, informed him about Swift namedropping him in one of the songs. Puth presumed the reference to be a part of an interview or a recent media bite while he also did not rule out the chances of being an AI-generated fodder for jokes. 

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Only when the album dropped did Puth dispel the notion that it was just a daydream. Until then, he was allegedly in a state of “complete denial”.

During his conversation with Rolling Stone, Charlie Puth addressed whether he had any sort of prior knowledge about Taylor Swift’s shout-out for him through ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. Puth acknowledged that it was quite “random” until it was not as he was left in “complete denial” at first. The singer further expanded Swift’s credit list upon inspiring him to release ‘Hero’ in a way he never thought of.

Puth elaborated, leaning on Swift’s expertise to tell a story through her music that inspired him to “put out” the single. He did not shy away from acknowledging her role, recognizing it as a driving force behind him, pouring his heart out. Although he made a subtle acknowledgment while announcing his song previously, this direct address surely stood out, highlighting the moments of enlightenment in popular culture. 

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What do you think of Charlie Puth's initial state of disbelief at Taylor Swift mentioning him through 'The Tortured Poets Department'? Let us know in the comments below!