Charlie Puth’s new single “Beat Yourself Up” feels less like a pop release and more like a conversation with someone who’s right on the edge of giving up on themselves.

Instead of wallowing, the song reaches out a hand and reminds you that surviving one more day is already proof that you’re doing better than you think. It’s the second track from his upcoming album Whatever’s Clever!, out March 27th, and it sets the tone for a project that clearly wants to do more than just sound good: it wants to mean something.

“Beat Yourself Up” follows that journey from childhood to early adulthood, zooming in on the way we learn to carry weight that was never really ours to hold. There’s this feeling of growing up too fast, doing what you’re told, measuring your worth in numbers and output, and then slowly unlearning all of that… something we all can relate to.

Instead of shaming the listener for their mistakes, the song does the opposite: it turns every misstep into proof that you’re still here, still trying, still choosing yourself even when it doesn’t feel like it. It’s tender, but not cheesy… like someone talking you down from the harshest version of your own inner voice!

As part of the Whatever’s Clever! era, “Beat Yourself Up” feels like the emotional anchor: it’s vulnerable, hopeful, and built around the idea that your existence alone is worth celebrating. With the album arriving March 27th, this single functions as the heart of the story, hinting that Charlie is more interested in connection than perfection this time around.

Charlie is taking Whatever’s Clever! on the road starting April 22nd in San Diego, turning that message into something collective and loud. Tickets for the general public go on sale today at 10AM local venue time, making this the moment where the era shifts from your headphones to real life.

Be sure to stream “Beat Yourself Up” now if you need a reminder that you’re allowed to be imperfect and still worthy! It’s the kind of track that doesn’t just hit once; it sneaks up on you on the third or fourth listen when a line suddenly feels like it was written about a version of you you’ve never said out loud.

And if this is where Whatever’s Clever! is starting, it’s safe to say this album is going to aim straight for the part of you that’s still learning how to be kinder to yourself.