Charlie Puth Delivered an Experience in Downtown Miami

"Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound/You got to lower the noise a little bit now," sang Charlie Puth on Wednesday evening as he kicked off his performance at the FPL Solar Amphitheater in downtown Miami. The lyrics ring in irony, as part of Puth's popularity is his emotional, expressive, and overshared life — though some perhaps wish he would tone it down.

Before Puth took the stage, TikTok-famous bass player Blu DeTiger and her band served as the evening's openers. With her funky bass lines and blonde hair flips, DeTiger was having fun and just wanted to share it with the audience — even if they were there to see Puth and not her.
Then it was time for the Charlie Live Experience, letting the audience inside Puth's brain to see how his creative process works. He opened the show by simply walking on stage and explaining how "Charlie Be Quiet!" came to fruition. It started as an idea stuck in his brain, and he rotated through his playlists — demonstrated by a clicking iPod sound and flashing lights — to find a song that he felt fit the vibe he was looking for. He landed on "The Whisper Song" by the Ying Yang twins and launched into the song's whispering intro.

Much of Wednesday's performance was similar. Puth took small breaks between songs to converse with the audience and explain how the music they loved went from an idea in his head and out into the world. Not unlike the little snippets he is known for on TikTok, Puth explained the different sounds (a door squeak for "No More Drama"), heartbreaks ("Boy" was dedicated to "you know who," he exclaimed), and inspirations behind his discography.
"Tonight is about me and you," he said to the screaming crowd. "Experience the music like you never have before." Despite his success, Puth still comes off as a bit meek and humble, as if he hasn't entirely accepted his level of fame. His stage presence is still a bit awkward, and unsurprisingly Puth shines best when he's behind the piano, reminding everyone that he's, first and foremost, a musician.

Puth is also an accomplished songwriter, so the Charlie Live Experience is as much about his own music as it is about the music he's written for other artists. The setlist included covers of the Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber collaboration "Stay," which he co-wrote, as well as Trey Songz's "Slow Motion," with the original track featuring Puth on background vocals.
Last night's highlight was his performance of "We Don't Talk Anymore." Played on a center-stage upright piano, the original track features Selena Gomez and has been the center of pop-culture drama between the two artists for years. "Love songs are great," he opined. "But what happens when you find yourself at odds with the one you love?" He switched back and forth between other love songs like "Dreaming of You" by beloved Mexican-American artist Selena (coincidence?) and "Creepin'," Metro Boomin's collaboration with the Weeknd (Gomez's ex). Still, he always returned to the chorus of "We Don't Talk Anymore," conveying that his mind always returns to her no matter what.

Changing from a 1980s-style Michael Jackson jacket with pleated jeans to a football jersey with his birth year of '91 to a simple vest and white T-shirt, and finally just the vest and a muscle tank, Puth took the audience through an authentic journey of a lovesick musician who happened to find fame. His show let fans into the back door of music creation and a peek into the songwriting process. The Charlie Live Experience is an apt name for the tour, as it wasn't a show as much as it was an experience — an experience the audience at FPL Solar Amphitheater loved so much they cheered for two encores.

Setlist:
- "Charlie Be Quiet!"
- "No More Drama"
- "Forget You" (CeeLo Green cover)
- "Attention"
- "Stay" (The Kid Laroi cover)
- "Left and Right"
- "Boy"
- "Light Switch"
- "Slow Motion" (Trey Songz cover)
- "We Don't Talk Anymore"
- "Dreaming of You" (Selena cover)
- "Creepin'" (Metro Boomin cover)
- "I Don't Think That I Like Her"
- "When You're Sad I'm Sad"
- "I Knew You Were Trouble" (Taylor Swift cover)
- "That's Not How This Works"
- "Loser"
- "Done for Me"
- "How Long"

Encore:
- "One Call Away"
- "See You Again"