Before Charlie Puth took the stage Wednesday evening, his music already filled the space as audience members flooded the various photo booths, backdrops and listening stations where headphones were provided to listen to Puth’s old and new releases.

Grammy U, a membership program that provides emerging music professionals with educational and networking opportunities, hosted Charlie Puth at The Novo for an installment of its Unwrapped series, centered on his fourth studio album, “Whatever’s Clever!” The series gives the audience a behind-the-scenes view into the artist’s creative processes, from songwriting to production to the development of individual tracks.

Grammy U members, including several USC students, eagerly waited for Puth to enter the stage. 

“I’m really interested to learn more about … how he uses [his perfect pitch] to develop what he wants to write, how it alters his vision in the writing process,” said Caroline Fedigan, a junior at USC majoring in music industry. 

Jasmine Harrell, a graduate of Howard University who studied music business and now works as a singer-songwriter, volunteered to help set up the Unwrapped event. 

“The distance not [being] so far between the stage and the crowd really created an atmosphere of focus and intimacy that was really great for conversations,” Harrell said.

As the event kicked off, the host greeted the audience before playing a video introducing Puth and his new album, which was described as showcasing “his most open self.” 

Following the introduction, the audience learned that Puth would be joined by surprise guest and music producer Jimmy Jam.

“It was really inspirational to [see] an iconic [producer like] Jimmy Jam, who produced for Janet Jackson, Michael [Jackson], Mary J. Blige — so many icons,” said Shaun Huncer, a junior at Franklin University. 

Puth explained the influence Jam had on his new album, specifically in his decision to integrate jazz with hard-hitting drums, which was one of the several musical decisions inspired by Jam’s work. 

The first section of the night included Puth walking the audience through several songs from his new album and breaking down the elements behind each track, demonstrating how the song changed as individual components were added or removed. 

In his new song “Changes,” Puth explained how he first created a “skeleton” for the body of the song, made up of a looping track along with the presence of big drums that contrasted with delicate instrumentation. 

Another of Puth’s songwriting strategies that he described was his way of playing around with potential lyrics once he had the beat down, which allows for the words to develop naturally around the song’s sound.  

In another song on the album, titled “Cry,” Puth found an opening where he felt something was missing, so he collaborated with Kenny G to integrate saxophones. 

“I didn’t know there was so many things you have to do to produce one song, how many layers, how many instruments you have to actually use,” Huncer said.

While Puth focused on the technicalities of his work, Jam credited Puth with a gift for preserving humanity, saying emotion shines through his work. He explained that even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant production decisions make a large emotional difference. 

“You hear the result of it, and you feel the way that this feels when you hear it. Everybody in here is feeling this record,” Jam said.

After Puth’s dive into the development of his songs, the evening became a Q&A with Jam. 

During the Q&A, Jam emphasized the importance of “knowing your neighbor,” and reminded the audience that there are only a few steps in separation between the crowd’s seats and the stage. Despite differences in experience or success, he drew upon the room’s shared love for music as something that connects those across the industry. 

“I really thought what Jimmy Jam said was super inspirational about [the notion] that the stage and the audience or the crowd is only a few steps away, so it’s super attainable to achieve your goals if you just put your mind to it and center yourself,” Harrell said.

Puth also explained his intentions behind this album and the origins of how the album’s name came to be.

“The reason why the album is called ‘Whatever’s Clever’ is because it is a mantra that [my co-producer] and I would say over and over to remind ourselves that it’s okay that the snare isn’t perfect, or [that] it’s kind of spilling over into the next measure,” Puth said.

He said that his shift in mindset away from his perfectionist tendencies made him more comfortable with imperfection in his work. 

“It was super great to meet other like-minded individuals that have a passion for the music industry and connect and then be a part of production, [seeing] what goes on behind the scenes,” Harrell said.