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Change (Charlie Puth song)

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"Change"
Single by Charlie Puth featuring James Taylor
from the album Voicenotes
Written2017
ReleasedMarch 26, 2018 (2018-03-26)
RecordedJanuary 2018
StudioConway (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length3:35
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Charlie Puth
  • Johan Carlsson
Charlie Puth singles chronology
"Done for Me"
(2018) 		"Change"
(2018) 		"The Way I Am"
(2018)
James Taylor singles chronology
"Montana"
(2015) 		"Change"
(2018)

"Change" is a song by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, featuring vocals from fellow American singer-songwriter James Taylor. and was released for digital download on March 26, 2018, as the fourth single from Puth's second studio album, Voicenotes. It debuted during his performance at March for Our Lives.[1] Puth produced the song with Johan Carlsson and they wrote it alongside Ross Golan.

Background

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Puth first revealed the song in an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 radio show. "This song is called 'Change' and I'm actually gonna play it, they're doing March for Our Lives this Saturday downtown. I know nobody knows this song and James won't be there with me but I'm just gonna be on my piano. That's the right song [to play at the right moment] and I think people will understand when they hear it." Talking about how he got in touch with Taylor, Puth said that his friend Miles Beard set the collaboration up.

He stated on Twitter that the song is "dedicated to all of the Parkland students, any lives lost to senseless gun violence, and the world", alongside single cover, which features a dark blue backdrop.[2] "It wasn't written for [March for Our Lives] specifically. I wrote it a year prior. I don't really know why I wrote it, but now I know why. It just happened to catch up a year late," Puth told Women's Wear Daily.[3] He also opened up about the song during an Instagram live chat, saying: "It's about everybody, as humans we all help each other and that song came about through collaboration. This is the most important song I ever wrote."[4]

Taylor admired Puth in a statement, saying: "Mr. Puth and I spent an excellent afternoon at Conway Studios in Hollywood this past January. It was a delight to work with such a gifted fellow musician and I'm so excited to finally see the release of the finished piece." Puth added: "Recording with James Taylor was a dream come true. He's the reason why I write music and it was an absolute honour to work with him."[5][6]

Composition

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Described as a "smooth, acoustic-guitar driven tune",[7] the folk pop and soft rock song consists of "light pop melodies" and "a loose, stripped-back guitar arrangement".[4][8] Abby Jones of Billboard noted that "the soft, folksy ambience of the track is reminiscent of Taylor's signature sound, made famous in the '70s — however, the lyrics are very much 2018".[9] As the song ends, it "evolves into this homage to 1990s rock and R&B, with heavy bass and rhythmic drums". Lyrically, the song urges people to change their attitudes in order to eliminate division and hatred.[5]

Critical reception

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Scott Sterling of CBS Radio opined the two artists' "distinctive voices meshing beautifully over the warm track", writing that it is "far more reflective of classic James Taylor than anything on the current pop charts, and benefits mightily from the simple arrangement".[7] Adreon Patterson of Paste complimented Taylor's ability to "create the ethereal mood the song evokes" with his "light baritone vocals", calling the song "a forgotten Taylor track from his '70s heyday".[5]

Live performances

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On March 24, 2018, Puth premiered the song during his performance at March for Our Lives in Los Angeles. "There's such a theme of change happening," he introduced the song before performing it alone on the keyboard. "This song...you don't know it and it's totally fine. It just feels like the right song to perform right now."[10][11] The live recording was later released as the official video, interspersed with footage from the event.[12]

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 14

References

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  1. ^ Merrill, Philip (March 26, 2018). ""Change" Came Today From Charlie Puth And James Taylor". Grammy Awards. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  2. ^ Sheridan, Wade (March 26, 2018). "Charlie Puth dedicates new song 'Change' to Parkland students". United Press International. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  3. ^ Scharf, Lindzi (March 26, 2018). "Five Minutes With Charlie Puth". WWD. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Wass, Mike (March 26, 2018). "Charlie Puth & James Taylor Call For "Change" On New Single". Idolator. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Patterson, Adreon (March 28, 2018). "James Taylor and Charlie Puth Team Up for March for Our Lives Tribute Song, "Change"". Paste. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  6. ^ Longmire, Becca (March 28, 2018). "Charlie Puth Unveils Music Video For New Track 'Change', Dedicates Song To Parkland Shooting Victims". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Sterling, Scott (March 26, 2018). "Charlie Puth Recruits James Taylor For New Single 'Change'". CBS Radio. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  8. ^ DeVille, Chris (March 29, 2018). "Lil Dicky Is Making A Career Out Of Being Charismatic And Problematic In Equal Measure". Stereogum. Retrieved April 3, 2018. It's hard to hate on a soft-rock ballad constructed so expertly and presented with such casual grace that James Taylor himself sounds right at home.
  9. ^ Jones, Abby (March 26, 2018). "Charlie Puth & James Taylor Call for Acceptance With New Single 'Change': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  10. ^ Brandle, Lars (March 28, 2018). "Watch Charlie Puth Address the March For Our Lives in 'Change' Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  11. ^ Reuter, Annie (March 28, 2018). "Charlie Puth Drops Video Of 'Change' From March For Our Lives Performance". CBS Radio. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  12. ^ Hosken, Patrick (March 28, 2018). "Charlie Puth Brings A Hopeful Message To March For Our Lives In New Live Video". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  13. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 14, 6 april 2018". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
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