Charlie Puth is back with his latest single “Cheating On You,” and at first glance it seems like a pretty straightforward pop song about unrequited love. However, the musician quickly clarifies through the song’s video and cover art that the song is “not about a person, it’s about a feeling I’ve never had.” He even underscored this point on social media:
This message seems to stand in contrast with the setup of the song, where he seems to sing about a young relationship that didn’t take off like he expected:
It started with a kiss
On your momma’s couch
2012 was nothing serious
And then we caught the feels
It got really real
Too good to be true
I guess I thought you was, yeah
He further explores this idea on the chorus, seeming to set up the idea that future relationships were unsatisfying due to this unrequited love:
I know I said, “Goodbye,” and, baby, you said it too
But when I touch her, I feel like I’m cheating on you
I thought that I’d be better when I found someone new
But when I touch her, I feel like I’m cheating on you
Based on Puth’s tweets, none of these lines are about a real relationship or even a real person, despite what the song’s content might lead you to believe.
“Cheating On You” is self-produced, and represents Puth’s third new single in the past month. It follows “Mother” and “I Warned Myself.”
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to Charlie Puth’s “Cheating On You” on Genius now.
