Is Charlie Puth’s “Marvin Gaye” Pop Music’s Next Smash Hit?

Atlantic Records took the music industry by surprise in 2014 with the signing, and later complete radio domination, of Meghan Trainor. Her throwback sound, coupled with timely pop culture references, made songs like “All About That Bass” inescapable pop hits. Just how long her career will last is anyone’s guess, but it should go without saying at this point that Atlantic has leveraged her unique style quite well up to this point.

Today, Atlantic Records is hoping to find similar success with the introduction of Charlie Puth, a young male vocalist whose new single just so happens to feature an appearance from Meghan Trainor. The track, which is titled “Marvin Gaye,” takes an innocent approach to talking about sex, with accompaniment that is straight out of your grandma’s favorite sock hop memories. Not unlike Trainor’s “Bass,” this song thrives on innuendo, and it’s largely due to its cute, tongue-in-cheek nature that it feels so immediately infectious. You can stream the single below:

Speaking about the creation of “Marvin Gaye,” Puth commented:

“The song came to me out of nowhere. I hadn’t been listening to anything, and went out to eat- sat down at a table and literally started humming the baseline to what is now ‘Marvin Gaye,” said Puth. “I had the track in my mind, and when I went to record it, I just blurted out the chorus ‘Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on.’ When I wrote the chorus with Julie Frost- it just felt so special When Meghan came in she already had the harmonies in her head. When she laid down the second verse, I got chills everywhere and knew it was going to be 10 times more special. She added so much value.”

We could go back and forth over how silly it is that we’re turned the name Marvin Gaye into a verb, but such debates would only be a disservice to you and us. The fact is, plain and simple, that this song has pretty much every component needed to create a massive radio single. The hook is simple and memorable, the melody catchy, and the foundation is essentially the same sound that has served as the building blocks of pop music for the last fifty years. Just like how Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars have made a mint in recent years with a revitalization of funk ethos, Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth are now doing the same for pop, only with less risk.

If you ask me, Charlie Puth is about to become a household name. I don’t know when “Marvin Gaye” will officially begin its radio campaign, but rest assured as soon as it does you will hear everyone, including your mother, talking about this track. For now, comment below and let us know your thoughts on Puth’s blossoming music career.

Review written by: James Shotwell

James Shotwell
Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

One Response to “Is Charlie Puth’s “Marvin Gaye” Pop Music’s Next Smash Hit?”

  1. morgan says:

    I really like this track! Hopefully Meghan Trainor will play it at her show in Chicago on 3/4!