Charlie Puth turned his first-ever headlining concert at Madison Square Garden into a celebration of the artists who helped shape his musical identity, and one surprise guest in particular underscored a theme he has been discussing throughout 2026. During the sold-out New York City performance on May 29, Puth welcomed gospel legend Kirk Franklin to the stage, capping off a night that blended pop, rap, folk, and gospel influences in front of a packed crowd.
According to The Aquarian, the appearance came near the end of a two-hour set built around Puth’s latest album, Whatever’s Clever!. After performing fan favorites such as “Attention,” “How Long,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and “One Call Away,” Puth told the audience that church music had played a significant role in shaping his songwriting. He then introduced Franklin, who joined him for a medley of gospel staples including “I Smile,” “Lean on Me,” and “Stomp.”
The Madison Square Garden stop was one of the most significant dates on Puth’s current world tour, which launched in April in support of Whatever’s Clever!, his fourth studio album. The New Jersey-born singer-songwriter has built a career that stretches far beyond his own recordings, collaborating with artists ranging from Wiz Khalifa and Selena Gomez to Justin Bieber, Jungkook, and Ozzy Osbourne.
Throughout that journey, Puth has often spoken about studying the mechanics of songwriting and drawing inspiration from a wide range of genres.
“Each person I’m gonna bring up tonight has influenced me musically,” Puth told the audience before unveiling the evening’s surprise guests. That lineup included Art Garfunkel, who joined him for “The Boxer,” as well as Jimmy Fallon and Busta Rhymes.
The Franklin collaboration also connected directly to comments Puth made earlier this year during an appearance on The Terrell Show. In that interview, he discussed discovering gospel music and credited church-inspired chord progressions as a major influence on his songwriting.
He specifically cited songs like “Jesus, You’re the Center of My Joy” as helping him understand the harmonic language he would later incorporate into his own music.
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