[SINGLE REVIEW] Charlie Puth - I Warned Myself

When I saw the notification for the premiere of Charlie Puth's "I Warned Myself" on Wednesday the 21st of August, I nearly choked on my mug of tea. Having been busy the whole day, I really did not see it coming at all. The last time we all saw him this year was during a remix of 5 Seconds of Summer's "Easier", which he co-wrote, but Puth did not release any new music under his own name since his Grammy-nominated LP Voicenotes back in 2018.

I Warned Myself Single Artwork

Charlie took to twitter to explain about his new single, titled "I Warned Myself" which he co-wrote and co-produced alongside one of the biggest producers of recent times, Benny Blanco. “‘I Warned Myself'” is about a vicious cycle of going back to someone continuously,” Puth wrote on Twitter, “knowing deep down that they aren’t any good for you.”

The singer also confirmed that he will release three new tracks this summer, along with "I Warned Myself" being the first of the three. Puth will perform on the Midtown Music Festival in Atlanta in September and at Rock in Rio in Rio de Janeiro in October.

Featuring a reverberating bassline and dark beats, much similar to the track he penned for 5 Seconds of Summer a few months ago, the song centers on an obsessive relationship.

As the dramatic yet ominous video directed by Brendan Vaughan unfolds, Puth sings, “You mess with my heart/ Now you’re the reason why/ Warned myself that I shouldn’t play with fire/ I can tell that I’ll do it one more time.”

Appearing in various situations with a female love interest such as participating in a photoshoot and lying on a red carpet, Charlie drives through the desert in a red sports car and even stands on top of it while it speeds away.

The track itself is a reminder to one's own self, sending warning signs about a dangerous and all-consuming love. However, Puth ends up contradicting his own advice. “But I can tell that I’ll do it one more time,” he sings. “Don’t trust in myself, no good for my health / You messed with my heart, now you’re the reason why.”

I have to agree that the music video was absolutely stunning and mind-blowingly haunting at the same time, paired with the darkness of Charlie's vocals and the bassline. Overall, I think that the track is a good strong comeback by Puth after almost a year of absence with solo music. May this be a new era for his music.

Hooks (7/10)

Production (9/10)

Longevity (8/10)

RATING (8/10)