"Light Switch" is a song recorded and produced by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. It was released on January 20, 2022, as the lead single from his third studio album, Charlie (2022).[2] Puth wrote the song alongside Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Jake Torrey.[3] A funky, uptempo track, the song lyrically sees Puth crooning about his attraction to a love interest.[1] The song was teased several times on his TikTok account, causing the video to go viral on the platform, with many videos being made using the audio.[4]

"Light Switch"
Single by Charlie Puth
from the album Charlie
ReleasedJanuary 20, 2022
Recorded2021
GenrePop[1]
Length3:05
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth singles chronology
"After All"
(2021)
"Light Switch"
(2022)
"That's Hilarious"
(2022)
Music video
"Light Switch" on YouTube

Commercially, "Light Switch" reached number one in Singapore, and charted in the top ten in Malaysia and Vietnam. It reached the top 40 in Canada, worldwide, Ireland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Background

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In November 2021, Puth revealed "a single" would come out in 2022 by responding to a comment on Twitter.[5] "Light Switch" then was teased on TikTok that same month, showing him documenting the production of the song. The video went viral on the platform, with a presave for the song made available on November 24, 2021. Throughout the rest of 2021, Puth kept teasing the song in various videos on TikTok. On January 18, 2022, Puth revealed the release date and cover art for "Light Switch" on his social media accounts.[6]

Music video

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A few hours after the song's release, an official music video for the song premiered on Puth's YouTube channel. The music video was directed by Christian Breslauer.[7] The music video begins with Puth out of shape after an implied breakup, watching TV on his recliner. A Tae Bo instructor (Billy Blanks) he watches crawls out of the TV and encourages him to get back into shape with some workouts and other activities, such as fence painting, cleaning, and buying $100 worth of Bitcoin. Puth is later shown performing the last chorus to his ex in front of a bright sign that says "SORRY", only to find out the ex has gotten a new, out of shape, boyfriend. The trainer arrives, leading Puth away. In the comments of the video on YouTube, Puth says, "I created the concept for this music video based on an idea I had and shared with the incredible director, Christian Breslauer. I wanted to humorously portray all the things we sometimes try to change about ourselves in order to capture that unrequited love, when deep down we should be changing our lives only to benefit ourselves and no one else."[8] The music video also includes product placements from Regal Select Exterior Paint by Benjamin Moore and the cryptocurrency company Coinbase.

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Light Switch"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[68] 2× Platinum 140,000
Austria (IFPI Austria)[69] Gold 15,000
Canada (Music Canada)[70] 2× Platinum 160,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[71] Gold 45,000
France (SNEP)[72] Gold 100,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)[73] Gold 30,000
Poland (ZPAV)[74] Gold 25,000
Portugal (AFP)[75] Gold 5,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[76] Gold 400,000
United States (RIAA)[77] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release history for "Light Switch"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various January 20, 2022 Original Atlantic [78]
Italy Radio airplay Warner [79]
United States January 24, 2022 Adult contemporary radio Atlantic [80]
January 25, 2022 Contemporary hit radio [81]
Various February 4, 2022
  • Digital download
  • streaming
Instrumental [82]
February 18, 2022 Acoustic [83]
March 4, 2022 Tiësto remix [84]

References

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  5. ^ @charlieputh (September 3, 2021). "That's not my single it's the song I wrote for LG. Single and album comes in 2022" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ @charlieputh (January 18, 2022). "LIGHT SWITCH. OUT THURSDAY. HERE IS THE SINGLE ART" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  84. ^ "Light Switch (Tiësto Remix) - Single by Charlie Puth". March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Apple Music.