The Way I Am (Charlie Puth song)


"The Way I Am" is a song by American singer Charlie Puth from his second studio album Voicenotes. It was written and produced by Puth, with additional writing from Jacob Kasher. The song was initially released by Atlantic Records as the second promotional single on May 3, 2018, and was sent to US contemporary hit radio on July 24 as the fifth single from the album.

Background

The song deals with Puth's reaction to his sudden fame, specifically his insecurities and anxieties. He has identified the song as his most personal on the album. The content of the song was so personal in fact that Puth "was almost crying while writing it because it was so overwhelming."
In an interview with Genius, Puth explained the meaning behind the song, saying: "I was known for who I was dating more than my music. People were forgetting that I was actually a singer. And that was not good and multiple people told me that wasn't good. I worked too hard to have that reputation. So I just like a slight steer to the left and brought it back to the music. I honestly feel better mentally than I ever have in my life."

Composition

"The Way I Am" is an upbeat pop song in which Puth addresses on his self-acceptance. Described as an "introspective, autobiographical track", it heavily features "a plugging electric guitar riff" throughout, with "Puth's vocals syncing up to the instrumental during the verses".

Music video

Directed by Colin Tilley, the music video was released on July 9, 2018. It features Puth wandering from one room to another, interspersed between flashbacks of a house party that took place the night before and shots of him sitting alone on the roof of the house, as partygoers drink and dance past him in fast-motion. Throughout the video, he locks eyes with a brunette woman; they come face to face and exchange smirks as the party comes to an end. Salvatore Maicki of The Fader regarded the video as "a nice aesthetic throwback to the late 90s", while PopSugar's Mekishana Pierre opined that Puth's character bears a resemblance to My So-Called Lifes Jordan Catalano.

Live performances

On June 22, 2018, Puth made the first televised performance of "The Way I Am" at the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards. On July 17, he performed the song during his television appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as the Citi Concert Series on Today three days later.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Recording and management
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Voicenotes.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history