Charlie Puth recalls special Philippines connection ahead of Manila return

MANILA, Philippines — Over a decade after the Philippines inspired Charlie Puth to write We Don’t Talk Anymore, the American singer-songwriter jokingly wondered whether Filipino fans have taken the song’s title literally.

Ahead of his Oct. 14 Manila concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, he took to TikTok to share his surprise that his Philippine show was the only stop on his Asian stadium and arena tour that had yet to sell out.

“The only show not sold out on the Asia stadium/arena tour is….. The Philippines?!?” he wrote in the video, before adding a cheeky reference to his 2016 hit in the caption: “Do we not talk anymore for real, Philippines?”

No surprise there — on the surprised reaction — knowing his history with Filipino fans. After all, this was the country where he found some of his earliest international supporters, experienced one of his most memorable receptions as a newbie artist and began writing what would become one of his biggest hits, We Don’t Talk Anymore, his collaboration with Selena Gomez.

A few months back, Charlie spoke at length about this special connection with the Philippines during a virtual roundtable interview with The Philippine STAR and two other news outlets.

When asked about his favorite memories from his first visit in 2015 as a 23-year-old emerging act, one specific TV appearance immediately came to mind.

“I went on this really special TV show (‘Eat Bulaga’). I remember, oh gosh, I was wearing a green tank top or something. Maybe someone can jog my memory,” he began.

“I was so, like — just the energy on the streets, driving through the streets, seeing the culture, seeing the people come up to the car. Everybody was like, all the kids were running around and we pulled up to, almost like, I think it was like a house or something. And I’m so used to going to, like, big production studios, and it just felt so intimate and warm and everybody was so happy and singing.

“And I was like, ‘This place is amazing. It’s like a utopia.’ And everybody was so kind. I remember being really taken aback as to how kind everybody was and how welcoming.

“Not that I didn’t think that they were going to be. It just exceeded my expectations. And being so inspired by the culture, I went upstairs to my hotel room and wrote the start of what would become my song We Don’t Talk Anymore.”

He also fondly recalled trying Filipino food and being overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reception he received at a time when he was only beginning to make a name for himself.

“So there’s lots of good, good first memories of trying all the local food and just honestly, I just remember the people and the amount of people that I played for. I had never played for that many people in my career. I was blown away,” he said.

At that time of that first visit in October 2015, Charlie was best known for his collaboration with Wiz Khalifa on See You Again, the global hit from the “Furious 7” soundtrack.

When he returned to Manila in August 2016, he had more hits under his belt, including One Call Away, Marvin Gaye and of course, We Don’t Talk Anymore.

He went on to share how his Philippine experience influenced the song’s tropical-pop sound.

“I think, there’s definitely the traveling. I remember it being really hot when we landed in the Philippines around that time. And I mean, it would downpour rain for like five minutes and then you get this very tropical smell in the air, happy people, beaches, beautiful weather,” Charlie said.

“So that’s why We Don’t Talk Anymore kind of sounds the way it sounds. It sounds very pop-y, tropical, and it was of the time period to make music like that. But I believe it’s timeless because, you know, the Philippines is timeless.”

What makes the origin story even more interesting is that the song started with a relatively simple recording setup in his hotel room, which Charlie believes helped him become more resourceful as a songwriter and producer.

“I think so because I believe the less things you have in front of you, music-wise, the better music you make. If there are limitations put in place, you’re gonna make better music because you have to really just focus on writing the song,” he noted.

“I made that song with a laptop, a broken keyboard that two notes weren’t working on it and a microphone that was in my hotel room. It’s not a very fancy setup, but the song sounds timeless now.”

But Charlie’s connection with the Philippines actually began even before his first visit.

With Filipino music fans discovering his music during his early YouTube days, he suggested that they were not just among his earliest supporters but also possibly the very first to recognize his talent, long before his major-label success.

“I feel like they were not one of the first, probably the first, before any major-label release. I believe my Filipino fans found me on YouTube, like 2012, 2013, doing all my YouTube Bruno Mars covers and my Chandelier cover.

“They know me from YouTube days, which seem to be cycling back now. So I believe we have this really close, intimate relationship that I might not have with everybody else. It’s our own.

“So maybe that’s why they’re so excited that we’re coming back. And don’t get mad at me for waiting so long to come back.”

Indeed, it has been a long wait. Asked what to expect at his concert tomorrow, he said he intends to match or top the energy of the crowd.

“Whatever they give to me, I’m gonna give back to them tenfold. And I’m just inspired by everything that you all are listening to. And I’m glad I’m always in your playlists and I’m glad I can make you dance and sing and cry and all the above,” he said.

Charlie also said he will perform a mix of songs from his four studio albums, including his latest, “Whatever’s Clever!”

He, likewise, assured concertgoers that even those less familiar with his newer material could still enjoy the show, which will bring together different phases of his musical career.

Charlie also shared his admiration for Filipino musicality when he was asked to describe Filipino fans through a song. He chose Risk It All by Bruno Mars, saying he could imagine thousands of Filipinos singing its melody together.

“I mean, I hear Risk It All by Bruno Mars and I’m thinking, I can hear, like, a stadium of Filipinos screaming that melody. I can hear it right now in my head. I aspire to write a song like that because that’s such a beautiful song and it’s so melodic.

“Everybody, everyone knows that everybody in the Philippines is a great singer. Everybody can sing. And I just know for a fact that they love that song, so I would describe them with that song.”