Wendy’s Released an Emo Album, and the Reception is Mixed
By Andrew Schafer
Published October 13, 2026
It’s been 20 years since emo music boomed in the early 2000s, but according to Wendy’s, emo is back. On Sept. 23rd, the fast-food chain released “Songs to Listen to in a Wendy’s Parking Lot.” Featuring songs such as “She Said She Didn’t Want Fries” and “I Miss the Sunroom,” the album aims to recreate the sound of the emo scene, with a fast-food twist.
Wendy’s said they wanted to stay true to the genre, and did not use any artificial intelligence to create the album. “When we first came up with the idea to make an emo album, we knew we had to do the genre justice. So we partnered up with respected artists from across the emo community, resulting in a soundtrack made by real musicians, not generated by AI, and a high-quality production that stays true to the genre,” Wendy’s said in a press release. “With emo and pop-punk experiencing a resurgence in culture, the genre felt like the perfect backdrop for celebrating everything from Frosty treats and fries to sunrooms and late-night Wendy’s runs.”
The project was led by producer and songwriter Matt Squire, who has worked with bands such as Simple Plan, Sum 41, and Panic! At the Disco. The album features six guest musicians: Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire and Anberlin, Chloe Kinnon of Winona Fighter, Shane Told of Silverstein, Beau Bokan of Blessthefall, Derek DiScanio of State Champs and Kat Leon of Holy Wars.
The album has received some backlash from critics. “Presented sloppily on a tray of generic emo-tinged pop punk, it hardly gets more contrived than this,” said Jonathan Tan of Boolintunes.com. Others have described the release as a marketing ploy disguised as an emo album. “This feels so much more like a joke than actual music,” said one user on the popular music reviewing site albumoftheyear.org. “Probably not to be surprised because obviously a corporation is unable to put soul into their own music and just [wants] it to be boring and overly-referential as fodder for advertisements and maybe a few extra eyes on them.”
Not all of the reviews have been negative, however. Marketing ploy or not, Alejandro Fuentes of KVRX.org said the album reflects a genuine musical effort. “I think a lot of people have gotten the impression that this EP is a cheap, throwaway gag made for some quick corporate promotion, but I’ve been genuinely impressed by the quality and commitment to the bit,” he wrote in his review. “While Wendy’s end goal is undoubtedly to advertise, and they’re not subtle with the lyrics, ‘Songs to Listen to in a Wendy’s Parking Lot’ is still an awesome tribute to Emo music that faithfully recreates its inspiration.”
The album currently holds an average rating of 29/100 on albumoftheyear.org, as well as a 1.5/5 average rating on rateyourmusic.com, another popular online music review site. This is not Wendy’s first time releasing an album. In 2018, the fast-food giant released a hip-hop EP titled “We Beefin?”
“Songs To Listen To In A Wendy’s Parking Lot” is available on all major streaming platforms.