On 23 September, the American fast-food chain Wendy's released its own six-track emo album on Spotify and other streaming services, written and recorded for it by real musicians. The record, “Songs to Listen to in a Wendy's Parking Lot”, sits there as a standalone title that listeners can find and play alongside regular artists.
The album targets nostalgia for the emo and pop-punk wave of the turn of the millennium, which is resonating again with millennials and younger audiences. The songs play with titles such as “My Frosty's Funeral”, “It's Not a Phase, It's a 10PC” and “The Best Combo Meal on the Worst Night of My Life”. The vocals come from musicians from established bands such as Silverstein, blessthefall, State Champs and Memphis May Fire, including Shane Told, Beau Bokan and Matty Mullins. Matt Squire produced it, and the chain stated explicitly that the record was made by live musicians and not with generative AI. For the emo scene's audience, the authorship of specific musicians is part of a recording's credibility.
Red Bull released its own music for eighteen years
A brand as a music producer is nothing new. The Austrian energy drink maker Red Bull ran its own label, Red Bull Records, from 2007, based in Los Angeles and London, with distribution through Sony's label The Orchard and bands such as Awolnation and Beartooth on its roster. At the end of 2025 it wound down the operation, as it had done earlier with the Red Bull Music Academy and Red Bull Radio in 2019. This year the company Moonbug also launched its own music project, Big Feelings Music for kids' creators.
Wendy's chose a lighter model. A one-off campaign requires no permanent recording infrastructure or long-term development of artists. The chain hired artists and a producer for a single record and released the result straight to the streaming services.
Chipotle only licenses music for its ads
Chipotle took a more cautious route. In January 2026 it launched the national TV spot “Choices” with a licensed track by the rapper E-40, in which the visuals switch according to the song's lyrics and its words “yup” and “nope”. Licensing a finished track is a cheaper and faster step than writing and recording your own catalogue.
Wendy's went further and had original songs made that carry its name right in the title of the record.
Streaming figures are not yet available. But the record goes straight in among bands and creators on streaming platforms, where the audience chooses for itself what to listen to.
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