Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, while songwriting and producing for other artists. With primary intent on a solo career, Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group eventually sought the artist and released his debut single, "Marvin Gaye" (featuring Meghan Trainor), in 2015. His next single and first feature, "See You Again", which he co-wrote, co-produced, and performed with Atlantic label-mate Wiz Khalifa for the Furious 7 soundtrack as a tribute to actor Paul Walker. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks. After the success of "See You Again", he gained worldwide recognition for multiple subsequent releases, including his next single, "One Call Away". The single reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Puth's debut studio album, Nine Track Mind, was released in January 2016 to moderate commercial success. The album was preceded by the singles "One Call Away" and "We Don't Talk Anymore" (featuring Selena Gomez), which peaked at number 12 and number 9 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, he released two songs, "Attention" and "How Long", with the former peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both were included on his second studio album, Voicenotes (2018), with ameliorated critical reception and a peak of number 4 on the Billboard 200. In 2019, Puth released the singles "I Warned Myself", "Mother" and "Cheating on You". The following year, Puth released singles "Girlfriend" and "Hard on Yourself". After deciding not to put these songs on his next album and scrapping what other songs he had written for it in early 2020, Puth released "Light Switch" in January 2022 as the lead single of his upcoming third studio album Charlie, which is scheduled for a 2022 release. "Light Switch" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, "That's Hilarious", was released in April 2022.
Attention
Charlie Puth Lyrics
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You've been runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round throwin' that dirt all on my name
'Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I'd call you up
You've been going 'round, going 'round, going 'round every party in L.A.
'Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I'd be at one, oh
I know that dress is karma, perfume regret
You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine, oh
And now I'm all up on ya, what you expect?
But you're not coming home with me tonight
You just want attention, you don't want my heart
Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new
Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start
You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you
(Oh yeah) you've been runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round throwing that dirt all on my name
'Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I'd call you up
Baby, now that we're, now that we're, now that we're right here standing face-to-face
You already know, already know, already know that you won, oh
I know that dress is karma (dress is karma), perfume regret
You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine (you got me thinking 'bout when you were mine)
And now I'm all up on ya (all up on ya), what you expect? (oh baby)
But you're not coming home with me tonight (oh no)
You just want attention, you don't want my heart
Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new
Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start
You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you, oh
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
(What are you doin'?)
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
(What are you doin'?)
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
(What are you doin'?)
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
I know that dress is karma, perfume regret
You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine
And now I'm all up on ya, what you expect?
But you're not coming home with me tonight
You just want attention, you don't want my heart
Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new
Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start
You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you (over you)
What are you doin' to me? (hey) what are you doin', huh? (what are you doin', what?)
What are you doin', huh? (what are you doin' to me?)
(What are you doin', huh?) (yeah, you just want attention)
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh? (I knew from the start)
(You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you) what are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
Oh, oh
In "Attention," Charlie Puth is singing to an ex-lover who's trying to get his attention by acting as though she's unaffected by their breakup. She's been "running around throwing dirt all on [his] name," and going to every party in L.A. hoping he'll be there, which he is. However, all she wants is attention, not his heart. He knows this because she's just making sure he never gets over her. The dress she's wearing is symbolic of the bad karma she's created for herself by acting this way, and the perfume she wears represents her regret. Charlie is aware of her intentions, and he's no longer interested in falling for her tricks. He's moved on, and she's just a memory.
Charlie's lyrics in this song are very relatable to anyone who's gone through a break-up. We've all had that one ex who couldn't accept that the relationship was over and tried to get our attention in any way possible. "Attention" addresses these attempts and puts them in their rightful place. The song is also an anthem for self-love and self-respect, as Charlie shows us that he's no longer interested in someone who doesn't genuinely want him. Instead, he has moved on and is unapologetically living his best life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh-oh, ooh
The song begins with an instrumental intro.
You've been runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round, runnin' 'round throwin' that dirt all on my name
You've been spreading rumors and talking bad about me to other people.
'Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I'd call you up
You did it because you knew I would find out and confront you about it.
You've been going 'round, going 'round, going 'round every party in L.A.
You've been partying and socializing with other people around the city.
'Cause you knew that I, knew that I, knew that I'd be at one, oh
You did it because you knew that I would probably be at one of those parties.
I know that dress is karma, perfume regret
The dress you're wearing and the perfume you have on remind me of our past relationship and the regrets associated with it.
You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine, oh
You're making me think about the past when we were together.
And now I'm all up on ya, what you expect?
Now that we're in close proximity, what did you think would happen?
But you're not coming home with me tonight
I know you're not interested in a serious relationship with me and you're not coming home with me tonight.
You just want attention, you don't want my heart
You're not interested in a serious relationship with me but just want my attention.
Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new
You're probably jealous of the idea of me moving on and being with someone new.
Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start
I knew from the beginning that you're not interested in a serious relationship and just want attention.
You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you
You're trying to ensure that I don't move on from our past relationship.
Baby, now that we're, now that we're, now that we're right here standing face-to-face
Now that we're standing face to face, I can see the truth about your intentions for myself.
You already know, already know, already know that you won, oh
You know you have control over me and have won this little battle of attention.
What are you doin' to me, what are you doin', huh?
What exactly are you trying to achieve with me?
I know that dress is karma (dress is karma), perfume regret
The dress and perfume you're wearing make me regret the past and the decisions I've made.
What are you doin', huh? (what are you doin' to me?)
What exactly are you trying to achieve with me? This is repeated as a chorus throughout the song.
You're just making sure I'm never gettin' over you (over you)
You're trying to ensure that I never move on from our past relationship and are always thinking about you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charlie Puth, Jacob Kasher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind