Charlie Puth Sings “The Boxer” With Art Garfunkel in Surprise MSG Performance

On Friday night, Charlie Puth performed at Madison Square Garden for one of the sold-out shows on his Whatever’s Clever! tour. The perfect pitch sensation brought out several guests throughout the night, including Jimmy Fallon, Busta Rhymes, Kirk Franklin, and Art Garfunkel.

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“Each person I’m gonna bring up tonight has influenced me musically,” Puth during the show, as reported by Rolling Stone.

Highlights of the night included a performance of “Africa” by Toto with Fallon and Busta Rhymes rapping “Look At Me Now” to an extremely enthused crowd.

However, when Puth brought out Art Garfunkel, fans were in for a special treat. The two singers sang “The Boxer” from Simon and Garfunkel’s album, Bridge Over Troubled Water.

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“The Boxer” is one of Simon & Garfunkel’s most enduring hits. The song sings about a poor boy trying to survive city life. It’s been played in Muhammad Ali’s honor, as well as a tribute on SNL for the September 11, 2001 attacks.

While onstage, Garfunkel gave Puth a shoutout, per Billboard. “He learned how to make his records from me and Paul [Simon]. You’re my student.”

“I am your student,” Puth said in response to Garfunkel. “I’m not just saying that because all these wonderful people are here. The reason that I’m here right now is because of the music you’ve written with Paul. It’s amazing.”

Puth Embarks on ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ World Tour

On March 27, 2026, Puth dropped his fourth full-length studio album, Whatever’s Clever!

In an announcement on Instagram in October, Puth told fans, “I’ve poured everything I have into this album. I can’t wait for you to hear it.”

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In an interview with NPR back in March, Puth talked about how he feels his new 12-track album is different from his previous projects.

“I would describe the album as being delightfully on the nose,” he told Adrian Ma. “What’s funny is that the music usually happens first in my head. But for this album, it was about what I would be singing about, which would happen first, and then the music would follow.”

Upcoming shows for Puth’s Whatever’s Clever! tour include appearances in Orlando, Nashville, Houston, Austin, and more. Then, Puth hits the European leg of the tour in late June, starting in Denmark.

Photo by: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images