Music & Concerts
New Charlie Puth album shows musical growth
26-year-old hitmaker spins beguiling bass lines on creamy ‘Voicenotes’
Hitmaker Charlie Puth’s new album ‘Voicenotes’ features lots of slinky bass and creamy falsetto crooning. (Image courtesy Atlantic Records)
Taking the stage at the March For Our Lives student protest in Los Angeles, Charlie Puth performed his song “Change.” With a bluesy keyboard accompaniment, he sang lyrics that seemed to speak directly to the students: “What a waste it would be if we hurt for nothing?”
Charlie Puth’s career has been nothing short of meteoric. In less than two years, the 26-year-old singer (he’s straight), who has become something of a heartthrob à la Shawn Mendes, has dominated with hits such as “See You Again,” “One Call Away,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore” and “Attention.” On his second album “Voicenotes,” Puth is beginning to show real depth. Jazz, folk and R&B are key influences of the new music, which features collaborations with Boyz II Men and James Taylor. As with his previous work, Puth demonstrates his astounding vocal range and delivers a fresh showcase of ready-made hits.
Sexier and funkier than his 2016 “Nine Track Mind,” the new album shows more musical maturity. With producer and writer credits on every track, in addition to many instrumental credits, he takes ownership over his music in a way that is surprising for a singer of his age.
The album’s lead single “Attention,” released more than a year ago, has been a mainstay (perhaps an overplayed one) of pop radio for the past year, and the music video has attained 750 million views on Youtube. This success has allowed Puth to move from opening for Shawn Mendes to headlining his own tour.
The album opens with “The Way I Am,” featuring a fast funk groove oddly reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” Puth centers the song, as well as much of the album, on the bass line. It sets a danceable, somewhat funky tone for the rest of the album.
Following the massive success of lead single “Attention,” singles “How Long” and “Done For Me” have been released. “How Long” opens much like other songs that have aspired to be summer hits — “Cake by the Ocean” comes to mind. “Done for Me” treats similar material but is framed as sensual duet with singer Kehlani.
Jealousy, relationships, breakups, and “LA Girls” are the recurring themes. If one were to reproach “Voicenotes” for any one thing, it would be for the repetitive lovesick content and the tendency toward juvenile lyrics. This is not to say the strategy is without some merit — Puth has been hugely successful with a younger demographic. But while he has made considerable progress developing the music, he still has some lyrical maturing to do.
“BOY” is perhaps the best representative of the often strange mix of musical maturity and lyrical adolescence. Beginning with syncopated synth chords, the song quickly transitions into an up-tempo groove, broken up in the middle by a jazz keyboard solo. It would be a stretch for most pop albums but Puth incorporates it effortlessly. At the same time, the lyrics self-consciously nod to Puth’s young age: “You won’t wake up beside me/’Cause I was born in the ’90s.” (Puth probably doesn’t help his own cause by singing a large part of the song in a cherub-like falsetto.)
The most surprising part of the new album is the two collaborations — clearly a means of pushing Puth outside his comfort zone, allowing him to explore new territory.
In “If You Leave Me Now” with Boyz II Men, Puth appears eager to show off his collaborative skills, his soaring falsetto blending into a thick R&B harmony. The song “Change,” featuring James Taylor, has a refreshingly beautiful melody and gives the listener a needed break from snappy bass lines and synth hooks.
Puth has gone a long way in creating an album that showcases his musical abilities. His talent is unmistakable.
Music & Concerts
Red, White, and Beyoncé: Queen Bey takes Cowboy Carter to D.C. for the Fourth of July
The legendary music icon performed on July 4 and 7 to a nearly sold-out Northwest Stadium.
Just in time for Independence Day, Beyoncé lit up Landover’s Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) with fireworks and fiery patriotism, bringing her deeply moving and genre-defying “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Washington, D.C. area.
The tour, which takes the global icon across nine cities in support of her chart-topping and Grammy-winning country album “Cowboy Carter,” landed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over the Fourth of July weekend. From the moment Beyoncé stepped on stage, it was clear this was more than just a concert — it was a reclamation.
Drawing from classic Americana, sharp political commentary, and a reimagined vision of country music, the show served as a powerful reminder of how Black Americans — especially Black women — have long been overlooked in spaces they helped create. “Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024, is the second act in Beyoncé’s genre-traversing trilogy. With it, she became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album and also took home the coveted Album of the Year.
The record examines the Black American experience through the lens of country music, grappling with the tension between the mythology of the American Dream and the lived realities of those historically excluded from it. That theme comes alive in the show’s opening number, “American Requiem,” where Beyoncé sings:
“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but
If that ain’t country, tell me, what is?
Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years
They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this
When I sing my song…”
Throughout the performance, Beyoncé incorporated arresting visuals: Black cowboys on horseback, vintage American iconography, and Fox News clips criticizing her genre shift — all woven together with voiceovers from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The result was a multimedia masterclass in storytelling and subversion.
The “Cowboy Carter” tour has been a social media sensation for weeks, with fans scrambling for tickets, curating elaborate “cowboy couture” outfits, and tailgating under the summer sun. At Commanders Field, thousands waited in long lines for exclusive merch and even longer ones to enter the stadium — a pilgrimage that, for many, felt more like attending church than a concert.
One group out in full force for the concert was Black queer men — some rocking “denim on denim on denim on denim,” while others opted for more polished Cowboy Couture looks. The celebration of Black identity within Americana was ever-present, making the concert feel like the world’s biggest gay country-western club.
A standout moment of the night was the appearance of Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Commanding the stage with poise and power, she matched the intensity and choreography of her mother and the professional dancers — a remarkable feat for someone her age and a clear sign that the Carter legacy continues to shine.
It’s been nearly two decades since Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child parted ways, and since then, she’s more than lived up to her title as the voice of a generation. With “Cowboy Carter,” she’s not just making music — she’s rewriting history and reclaiming the space Black artists have always deserved in the country canon.
Music & Concerts
Berkshire Choral to commemorate Matthew Shepard’s life
Concert held at Washington National Cathedral
Berkshire Choral International will present a concert performance of composer Craig Hella Johnson’s fusion oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard” on Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral.
The program will be guest conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Benson, a native of the DMV who currently serves as Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The concert is a partial benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Notably, Matthew’s remains are interred at the National Cathedral and his parents, Dennis and Judy, will give opening remarks at the performance.
Tickets are $20 – $65, and 50% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tickets are only available online at berkshirechoral.org.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony
Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.
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Calendar: July 11-17
