If your interests lie in that latter category, then you should know that hitmakers Charlie Puth and Megan Thee Stallion are among those A-listers ready to “push it” with their Flamin’ Hot Super Bowl campaign, which began earlier this year when Puth, playing himself, happened upon a mysterious set of powdery, orange paw prints in his trailer. That storyline has since gone on to feature Stallion in a funny sloth-off (which is a word we just made up) with a security guard. And while both of them display formidable comedic chops in those teasers, it all culminates with a Super Bowl spot that shows Puth and Stallion doing what they do best: Music. Ahead of Puth’s Super Bowl debut, Parade.com sat down with the “Light Switch” singer to find out what went into making the ad, what a Charlie-Megan collab might sound like, and most importantly, when his new album may drop.
To start, I’d love to know what’s been the most fun or most surprising part of being in a Super Bowl commercial.
I mean, just being in the commercial—the initial call you get asking the rhetorical, “Would you like to be in a Super Bowl commercial?” I think that’s a hilarious thing on Frito-Lay’s part, asking if I’d like to be in the commercial. Of course I’d like to be in the commercial. But I will say, the way that they made it so musical, I didn’t anticipate that. I’m not a very good actor and when they talked to me about how I’d have to do a little bit of voiceover work, I was like, “Ah, I’ve never done that before, I don’t know if I’m good at it.” They explained to me all I have to do is just be myself and that they’re just going to animate me as the beatboxing fox, and that’s what I turned into.
What was the creative collaborative process like? What sort of input were you most able to sort of provide in putting this spot together?
Well, they had a pretty clear vision; I know they had it pictured out already, they had animated me and they had animated Megan and the forest—I mean, the animals look so realistic, especially when they eat their Flamin’ Hot snacks and they come to musical life. And that’s what happens to me when I have a Flamin’ Hot snack as well. They basically told me that they wanted me to supply the beat to “Push It,” that famous Salt-N-Pepa song, and that they would do the rest, they would layer all the parts to it, which I’m not used to. I’m used to, like, in “Light Switch,” I did all of the parts and layered all the instrumentation, so I was especially excited to see how it would turn out—and of course I expect nothing less, but it ended up being perfect.
I don’t believe you and Megan had ever worked together before, is that right?
No, we’ve never worked—we’ve actually never met before. We worked on this remotely.
Oh, so you still haven’t met?
Still haven’t met.
Well, I would love to hear your thoughts for what your dream collab with Megan would be like.
Maybe like a mix between “Megan’s Piano,” which is a record of hers—any setting you put that record on, everything’s going off. You can play that in a church and everyone’s going to get super lit, it’s going to be great. And maybe a mix between that and “Light Switch?” I wonder what that would sound like. An interesting cocktail.
You recently said that you essentially made your next album on TikTok. I am an old and I would like you to describe to the olds what that means.
[laughs] You’re not an old. “I am an old,” ha! I’ve never heard anyone say that. That’s funny, you made me laugh there. And it’s been a long morning, repeat the question, I forgot it.
What does it mean to make an album on TikTok?
Right. Well, I’m so used to getting off stage, having just played for thousands of people, and having my little studio in the back and just not being ale to sleep until 4 o’clock in the morning, coming up with a beat and coming up with a song, just feeding off that energy, I didn’t have that energy this time around because of obvious reasons—the pandemic and there was no touring—so I turned to a virtual audience where I wasn’t necessarily looking for feedback, like how or what should I do to the song? It was more of the excitement of sharing a work in progress with millions of people at once.
So putting this on TikTok was more about being able to have an interaction with fans which you haven’t been able to have lately? Or did putting it on TikTok actually help you sort of do rewrites?
First thing you said. You said it much better than me, pretend that I said it like that. I have never had a song do as well in the beginning stages as “Light Switch”—because, you know, I’ve been teasing it for five months, but I think my fans feel super-connected to the song, I feel like they felt like they wrote it with me.
Any intel you can share on when the album may drop?
It’ll be this year, I’m not going to make people wait nine months for it, it’ll be this year.
And you’re calling it Charlie, is that true?
Yeah, I’m calling it Charlie, I’m oversharing. I’m not the artist that’s going to hide away for two years and come back in the very Prince-like fashion. I’m just going to tell you everything, I’m going to say what I had for breakfast and I’m going to put a beat to it.
A lot of people put that on TikTok, too.
I think that would be on the FYP, that would go well. Next, These 70 Super Bowl Worthy Dips Will Keep Football Fans Happy No Matter How Many Touchdowns Are Scored
