Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez were rumored to be dating in March 2016. “It’s not serious, but she’s super into him,” a source told Us Weekly at the time, however later that afternoon, Gossip Cop and People published pieces refuting any romantic relationship between them. But something was going on, as Puth revealed in a new interview with Billboard.

Gracing the cover of Billboard’s Feb. 3 issue, the 26-year-old pop singer opens up about their 2016 collaboration, “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and the brief romance that ensued. “It’s about a particular moment in my life, when someone very close to me wanted the attention of somebody else,” Puth tells the magazine. “When I found that out and we ended it, I might have done some shady things too, and she might have asked me, ‘How long has this been going on?’”

“I don’t kiss and tell, but the only way a song like that can come across as real is if there’s something else going on behind the scenes. And that’s what was happening. Very short-lived, very small, but very impactful. And it really messed me up. I’m trying to put this the best way possible: It wasn’t like I was the only person on her mind. And I think I knew that going in — what I was getting myself into.”

When it came time for Charlie to premiere the video for their collaboration, “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Selena was noticeably absent, which many saw as an indication of a rift between the two. In the midst of a nasty Instagram feud with Justin Bieber, Charlie unfollowed Selena. People also pointed out that a painting in Charlie’s latest music video for “How Long” looked very similar to Selena. So it’s only fitting that Charlie is now revealing details about his relationship with Selena in his new interview.

According to Billboard, he said, “You gather a bunch of emotion with the life shovel, throw it in the life bucket, mix it up. And she evoked such good emotion on that song, it was a pleasure working with her. That’s why I’m always happy to sing it, even though it came from a dark point in my life.”

Compared to Nine Track Mind, Puth had happy recollections while recording Voicenotes. He argues that the record was hurried, resulting in “a mishmash pile of music.” Puth, his harshest critic, compares it to “flossing with aluminum foil” and “bitten nails on a chalkboard.”

“Everything I didn’t want to happen to me—typical things you hear about a young kid getting signed in the music industry—happened to me,” the pop star tells Billboard. “I was being told to do this, this and this. I didn’t want to do any of it, and I was just going along with the punches.”

In March 2016, the “One Call Away” singer and Disney alum, 25, had a short affair. At the time, a source told Us Weekly of their connection, “It’s not serious, but she’s super into him.”

The confirmation has elicited a wide range of emotions from fans. Some others believe he exaggerated the situation. “Charlie Puth made a song with Selena for only two damn weeks, that was 2 years ago. He more effected off that than Abel was dating Selena for 10 months. LMFAOOO LIKE BOY, PLS SIT TF DOWN,” one user wrote.  “Charlie Puth really wrote 2 songs about Selena after spending 2 Weeks with her lol know wonder he thought him and Bella Thorne were dating,” someone else tweeted.

Others, on the other hand, have backed the singer of “Attention.” One fan wrote, “it’s sad that all charlie did was tell his side of the story that people kept wanting to know yet he gets hate for it from selena stans. Leave him alone if you don’t like it. & charlie didn’t even mention justin at all, why mention him when charlie didn’t?”

It explains why, during a concert in March 2016, Puth yelled “f*ck you, Justin Bieber” , he had a very public dispute with Justin Bieber. He’d later claim on Twitter that it was “meant to be a joke,” which explains why a painting of Gomez appears prominently in his music video for “How Long,” when he sings, “Boy, tell me honestly, was it real or just for show?”

Regarding “Attention,” he says, “It’s s—t-talking. It’s a mean song.” Either way, it did its job. “I didn’t feel like an artist until ‘Attention’ came out. And I feel like people are just starting to get it. I’m not mad that they’re just finding out—they’re getting the message I wasn’t allowed to say before. Attention’ is me saying, ‘F—ck everybody: I’m doing this song the way I want to do it.’”

In November, Gomez reconnected with her on-again, off-again lover Justin Bieber. Just days after her breakup with The Weeknd. “Selena and The Weeknd just fizzled and ended amicably — it wasn’t dramatic and it wasn’t about Justin. But Selena always had feelings for Justin,” a source told Us at the time. “Her friends want her to be cautious because she has been in such a good place post-surgery.” Gomez had a kidney transplant earlier this year as a result of complications from lupus, an inflammatory illness she was diagnosed with in 2013.

It’s critical to take everything with a grain of salt. Charlie was clearly conflicted about his love for Selena. On the other hand, it’s unclear how Selena felt. She hasn’t responded to the new interview yet.