Charlie Puth Essentials

Though born with perfect pitch, this New Jersey native has been doggedly honing his craft since age four, when he began learning classical piano—and set off on the journey of getting closer to expressing the perfect convergence of modern pop and timeless R&B. The cleancut Berklee School of Music grad who emerged in 2015 with emotionally exposed ballads like Paul Walker tribute "See You Again" and peppy malt-shop bops like "Marvin Gaye" quickly grew into a bona fide soul man and maestro. To wit, he swoons in harmony with throwback greats Boyz II Men on the same album—his second, 2018's Voicenotes—that finds him smouldering alongside futurist Kehlani.