In nod to Taylor Swift, Charlie Puth teases single 'Hero'
What's the story
Renowned pop artist, Charlie Puth, has recently announced his latest single Hero, set to be released on May 24.
This news has sparked a wave of fan theories suggesting the song could be a response to Taylor Swift's recent reference to him in her album, The Tortured Poets Department.
Despite not mentioning Swift directly in his announcement, fans believe he subtly hinted at her in an Instagram video shared on Saturday.
Fan theories
Puth's Instagram video fueled speculation
In the clip, Puth shared a snippet of himself singing his soon-to-be-released song Hero and added some text.
He wrote, "This is a song I wrote about my friend called Hero. Sometimes I get a little nervous being overly honest in my music which is why this was sitting on my hard drive for a while."
In the caption, he wrote: "Thank you...you know who you are."
Fans are interpreting this as a subtle nod to Swift.
Swift's reference
Swift's previous mention of Puth in album track
Swift had previously mentioned Puth in the title track of her album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19.
The lyrics "You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate/We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist," has been frequently cited by fans.
This shout-out led to an influx of comments on Puth's post previewing Hero, with fans echoing Swift's sentiment about his potential as an artist.
Fan reactions
Fans react to Puth's announcement with enthusiasm
Puth's video announcement has been met with an enthusiastic response from fans. Many believe he was indirectly referring to Swift in his message.
Comments ranged from "We did in fact declare Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist" to "I hope Taylor brings him out on stage during the Eras tour at some point, would be iconic."
This excitement underscores the anticipation for Puth's Hero.
Acknowledgment
Puth acknowledged Swift's mention and album success
Before sharing the preview of his new song, Puth acknowledged Swift's mention on April 28 by sharing her reaction to the success of TTPD among her fans.
In her post, Swift expressed astonishment at the album's reception, stating: "My mind is blown. I'm completely floored by the love you've shown this album."
She also thanked her fans for their support, exclaiming: "2.6M ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life."