Have you noticed there wasn’t really a “song of the summer” this year? Sure, there were popular songs, but they didn’t take over our cultural consciousness like Charli xcx’s Brat Summer did last year. Why? It’s not like there isn’t excellent music coming out every week. There were plenty of contenders for the esteemed title, but none really seemed to stick around this summer. We’re all still listening to tracks that came out earlier in the year, mostly all of DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny and “Gnarly” by KATSEYE. Sure, most of that can be attributed to Benito’s Puerto Rican residency and KATSEYE’s various marketing campaigns, respectively, which have kept both artists in the public eye. But the reason is deeper than that… These records and artists have a strong, unique concept that goes beyond the music — something that the summer of 2025 lacked.
In a world where trends have an online lifespan of a millisecond, artists need to do more than just release a good single. Gone are the days of the one-hit wonder; now people need the whole package. It’s not enough to have an excellently produced EP or album — they need a strong story, concept, and branding. It’s not really about the music, but the type of lifestyle it presents. And it can’t be faked; we can tell otherwise. The story needs to be honest and true to the artist. It’s a difficult feat for anyone, so it’s no wonder it’s becoming rare, and why Bad Bunny is still reigning in the charts with his eight-month-old album.
It’s obvious once you realize it. The concept album is nothing new. Most of the best albums of all time are cohesive in their theme. But what is different is that it’s now become a qualifier for popularity in the mainstream. Even our most recent popular singles (like “The Subway” by Chappel Roan) are as cultural as they are because the artists themselves have a strong concept.
Bad Bunny is an excellent example of this. Un Verano Sin Tí was a phenomenon in 2022, with its honest songwriting, mix of genres, cohesive theme, and a title that perfectly describes its storyline. But his next album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, fell flat for many different reasons, mainly its lack of a strong concept. So, of course, Bad Bunny took that lesson and came back with an album that completely took over the cultural zeitgeist. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is unlike anything we’ve seen before, from him or any other artist. And it’s what sets it apart. What touches people so much isn’t the production or even the lyrics (although they’re excellent), it’s the concept. And that concept, which is Puerto Rico and its tragic colonial ties, exists outside of the album. It’s a branding, a lifestyle, embedded in the island itself and his residency (including the sponsors and the “Seguimo’ Aquí” Experience in Plaza Las Americas).
Rauw Alejandro is another great example, where his earlier work in Saturno had a terrific, completely original, and unique concept, which got lost with the follow-up Playa Saturno. It had the same issue that plagued Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. Rauw then came back with a strong storyline for Cosa Nuestra, an album that feels cohesive with absolutely perfect production. While the concept is different from DTMF (Rauw has described it as inspired by West Side Story and the Puerto Rican migration to NYC), it got overshadowed by it when it was released two months later. Some could argue that the production in Cosa Nuestra is better than DTMF, but the truth is that the concept is stronger in the latter. And right now, in music, a strong concept and branding beat everything else.
You may have a seemingly strong concept, but it still doesn’t translate to success. Take Karol G’s Tropicoqueta, whose concept of the tropical showgirl seemed to be original and strong enough in its styling to inevitably succeed at first glance. Yet, people’s reactions were instantly negative, creating online discourse on whether or not the concept belonged to her in the first place. For many, it felt disingenuous. And that was enough to kill it — without even considering the album or the quality of the songs at all.
Now, that’s not to say that a concept and storyline are all you need to succeed. The music still needs to be good, obviously. But there’s plenty of really good music out there, so how do artists stand out? It’s all in the branding and a memorable concept. This is nothing new to another musical phenomenon that has been taking over the Western mainstream audiences as of late: K-pop. If you’re deep into K-pop, you know that a concept is everything. There’s a concept for groups that we learn even before their official debut, and there are concepts and themes for each “comeback” or era they’re in, which includes highly-produced music videos, EPs or albums, and live performances. And of course, they’re all different and unique. Or at the very least, the best are.
While we’re not advocating for the industry to absorb all of K-pop’s rules and practices, there’s a lot to learn. It’s no wonder KATSEYE has been such a big player this year, with all of their songs having a cultural moment — some might even title “Gnarly” as the song of the summer. Like most popular K-pop groups, they have a strong concept. We’re at a time where mainstream audiences are drawn to them subconsciously — to the overarching themes, big concepts, and cross-industry brandings. There isn’t a song of the summer because people aren’t listening to just songs anymore. Instead, they’re experiencing it with every one of their senses. They don’t want to be sold a song as a collection of verses or an album as a collection of songs. They want the entire experience, the lifestyle, the concept. And they want it to feel real, true, and authentic. It’s no easy feat, but that’s the next step for Latine music’s global growth (and the music industry as a whole). Everyone else better keep up.
