Charlie Puth revealed that Taylor Swift inspired him to release "one of the hardest songs" he’s ever written. The pop superstar, 34, mentioned Puth in her song “The Tortured Poets Department” from her latest album, singing about how they declared, “Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.” This encouragement led Puth, 32, to release his song "Hero" on May 24, 2024.

Puth shared on Instagram that "Hero" is about witnessing someone you love self-destruct and feeling powerless to save them. He expressed gratitude to Swift for giving him the courage to release the deeply personal track, which he had previously hesitated to share. Puth described "Hero" as a significant departure from his previous work and a representation of his upcoming album. He thanked his fans for their support, emphasizing how much they mean to him. Puth also recently collaborated with K-Pop group Stray Kids on "Lose My Breath."