Charlie Puth appeared to come to the defense of Taylor Swift regarding accusations circulating on social media suggesting she copied melodies on her recent album, The Life of a Showgirl.
Several tracks featured on Swift’s 12th studio album have faced scrutiny from both fans and critics, notably her provocative song “Wood,” which has been compared to The Jackson 5’s 1969 hit “I Want You Back.” Furthermore, some fans have alleged that The Life of a Showgirl’s namesake track borrows its melody from the Jonas Brothers’ “Cool,” while “Actually Romantic” has been likened to a blend of Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” and Weezer’s “Beverly Hills.”
Puth, 33, refrained from directly mentioning Swift, 35, in the latest installment of his TikTok series, “Professor Pluth,” where he dissects music theory and trends for his 22.5 million followers. Nevertheless, the timing of his video led many fans to speculate that he was defending Swift.
“Recently, there’s been considerable discussion about instances where two songs share similar melodies,” Puth shared with viewers. “Given that there are only 12 notes in a scale … it’s inevitable that when composing a new song, there will be similarities to a pre-existing one.”
The “Light Switch” singer elaborated that each song has a “four-note threshold,” explaining that original work can only replicate the same four notes from an older track before venturing into “interpolation territory.”
“If I could just interject for a moment: It occasionally happens that artists unintentionally interpolate each other,” he noted. “It’s almost never a deliberate act. We really need to stop vilifying this when it occurs.”
Puth concluded, “Interpolations and sampling, these practices have been around for a significant period, and some remarkable music has emerged as a result.”
He also included a Showgirl-related clue in the video description: “12 notes. TWELVE.” (The Life of a Showgirl is Swift’s 12th studio album, comprising 12 tracks.)
Fans suspected that the timing of his recent TikTok video was intentional, with one follower questioning: “IS HE LOWKEY DEFENDING TAYLOR?”
“Taylor was correct WE AGREE CHARLIE PUTH SHOULD BE A MORE PROMINENT ARTIST,” another added, while a third commented: “An undercover Swiftie in its truest form.”
Taylor Swift in January 2025. Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Much discussion has centered on The Life of a Showgirl’s “Father Figure,” which interpolates the 1987 song of the same title by the late George Michael. Michael is recognized as a songwriter alongside Swift and her producers Max Martin and Shellback. However, similar acknowledgments of older artists are absent from Life of a Showgirl’s “Wood” and “Actually Romantic.”
Puth and Swift share a history, with Swift previously suggesting that he “should be a bigger artist” on 2024’s “The Tortured Poets Department.” Puth attributed Swift’s praise as the catalyst for releasing his new song “Hero” in May 2024.
“I’m very eager to share my next album with all of you, particularly this song, as it accurately reflects what’s on the horizon,” he announced at the time. “I’ve never released a song quite like this before — it represents a significant departure for me, but I must express my gratitude to @taylorswift for inspiring me musically to release this from my hard drive.”
In the meantime, Swift addressed the varied reviews and social media commentary surrounding The Life of a Showgirl during an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on Tuesday, October 7.
“I embrace the chaos,” she jested. “The golden rule of show business is that if it’s the first week of my album’s release and my name or album title is being mentioned, it’s beneficial.”
Swift declared she was not “the art police,” expressing her acceptance of a wide spectrum of reactions to The Life of a Showgirl.
“It’s like, everyone is entitled to their feelings, and our purpose as entertainers is to serve as a mirror,” she elaborated.
In spite of the notably mixed critical response, The Life of a Showgirl has proven to be a considerable financial triumph for Swift, having sold 2.7 million units within its initial day of release and establishing a fresh benchmark for first-week vinyl sales, with 1.2 million physical LPs sold in a mere 24 hours, according to data from tracking firm Luminate.
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