“You just want attention, you don’t want my heart / Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new,” popstar Charlie Puth sings in his hit song “Attention.” This unforgettable line definitely sets the tune for Puth’s new album Voicenotes.

The album takes on a retro, R&B style that sets his impeccable singing voice and spectacular songwriting skills on full display. This record is phenomenal. It has a great variety of tempos and rhythms. Voicenotes is an overall amazing record.

The lyrics in almost all of the 13 songs sound very love based, filled with drama, romance, and modern-love. Every song seems to have a backstory, something all soulful fangirls will enjoy.

Despite all of this, Puth does have some things he could work on. Many of the beats in the songs sounded very similar. Originality is a good thing, and he can afford to mix up the pulses to where each track is something completely new and individual.

In short, like all albums, Voicenotes has some good songs and some bad songs. Although, I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by the album, and I’m excited to see if Puth can top this head-bopping album in the future.

Puth had his “big break” in 2015 with the release of his song “See You Again” for the Furious 7 soundtrack. Since then, the popstar has managed to steadily climb the charts. Later in 2016, he released his debut album, Nine Track Mind, previous to Voicenotes. It’s safe to say his musical style has grown since then.

The singer himself says that he wasn’t happy with Nine Track Mind. At the time, he was trying to figure out who he was musically, all while producers were controlling his every move. With the release of Voicenotes, he’s been able to control his image and his signature sound. It’s clear that Puth has shed his old skin – and reputation. He wrote and produced all of the songs by himself, collaborating with other artists for 3 of the 13 songs.