Dublin-headquartered Wendy's released a six-track emo and pop-punk EP on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The move pairs the fast-food chain's social media persona with real musicians at a time when the company is posting its steepest sales declines in at least six quarters. The EP, titled "Songs to Listen to in a Wendy's Parking Lot," runs about 22 minutes and is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and other platforms, NBC4 reported.
Wendy's also released individual music videos for each track.
Producer Matt Squire, whose credits include Panic! at the Disco, Good Charlotte and Ariana Grande, was the EP's executive producer. The project was created in partnership with Rise Records, an Oregon-based label, and features vocalists from Silverstein, Memphis May Fire, Blessthefall, State Champs, Winona Fighter and Holy Wars.
"Emo has always been about the small moments that feel huge," Squire said in a Wendy's blog post announcing the release. "Enjoying a Wendy's Frosty in a parking lot might sound like a small moment, but everybody's had a night where that was the only thing that went right."
Song titles play on the menu: "She Said She Didn't Want Fries" features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, and "My Frosty's Funeral" features Kat Leon of Holy Wars. Wendy's gave its mascot logo an emo makeover for the campaign, adding asymmetrical side-swept bangs, black eyeliner and black hair bows.
The company wrote on its blog that it partnered with established artists and that the music was "made by real musicians, not generated by AI."
Sales decline shadows EP launch
The EP lands during a difficult stretch for the company's finances. Wendy's reported U.S. systemwide sales fell 8.2% in the second quarter of 2026, with same-restaurant sales down 7% for the sixth consecutive quarter of decline, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
Burger King passed Wendy's during the quarter to become the country's second-largest burger chain for the first time since 2021.
Net income dropped to $32.6 million from $55.1 million a year earlier, according to a financial analysis by ts2.tech. The company withdrew its 2026 financial outlook and cut its quarterly dividend.
Wendy's U.S. locations fell from 5,967 to 5,724 year over year. That is a net loss of 245 locations in the first half of 2026, FinanceBuzz reported.
Meanwhile, Meritage Hospitality Group, one of Wendy's largest franchisees, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 17 in federal court in western Michigan, ABC News reported. The Grand Rapids-based company operates 314 Wendy's restaurants across 15 states, including Ohio, and employs about 9,000 people.
Wendy's terminated Meritage's franchise agreement one day before the filing, claiming the franchisee owes $146.9 million.
Bob Wright, who became Wendy's president and CEO in May, acknowledged the challenges in the company's Aug. 7 earnings release. "Our traffic, our value proposition and franchisee economics are not meeting our expectations," Wright said at the time.
Wendy's next quarterly earnings report is expected Nov. 11.
