Bad Bunny's "DtMF" was released as the fourth single from his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, described as a "love letter to Puerto Rico."

Cultural impact

• Bad Bunny performed "DtMF" at the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.

• The track inspired a viral TikTok trend where users shared emotional tributes to late loved ones.

• "DtMF" won the 2025 Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song.

Critical response

• Rolling Stone described the title track "DtMF" as blending "Nintendo-inspired beats" with "lively plena, a Puerto Rican folk call-and-response genre." Read full review

• Pitchfork observed that Bad Bunny "lets the hand drums and Afro-Indigenous sounds live right alongside the hypnotic synth lines and sub-rattling bass." Read full review

• Variety praised the album's "foundation of live instrumentation, blending tradition and modernity with genres like salsa, reggaeton, dembow and plena." Read full review

Kendrick Lamar & SZA's "luther" emerged as part of the GNX rollout, sampling Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's "If This World Were Mine" to craft a love song about alleviating a partner's pain.

Cultural impact

• Kendrick Lamar and SZA performed "luther" at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.

• Part of the track became a popular sound used on TikTok and social media, with a dance challenge even becoming part of the virality.

Critical response

• NPR Music critic Ken Tucker noted that Lamar "samples Luther Vandross' 'If This World Were Mine,' with Kendrick singing and wrapping his own love lyric all around it." Read full review

• Songs Magazine highlighted that "Kendrick Lamar weaves his verses with sharp poetry, exploring themes of identity, struggle, and hope," while SZA "adds emotional depth." Read full review

• The New York Times Amplifier Newsletter described "luther" as "easily the album’s most tender moment," where Lamar and SZA "trade verses that imagine a better world for their beloveds." Read full review

Sabrina Carpenter's 'Manchild' serves as the lead single for her seventh album, Man's Best Friend, offering a sharp critique of masculinity and immature men.

Cultural impact

• Sabrina Carpenter debuted 'Manchild' live at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona in June, marking its first major festival performance.

• To support the release, drive-in theater experiences were held, paying homage to the "cinematic" feel of the song & project's rollout.

• The song went viral on TikTok, with its bridge inspiring a dance trend that included participation from celebrities like Anne Hathaway.

Critical response

• The Guardian observed that 'Manchild' is "astounding in its construction and stickiness," noting its "second verse has a completely different melody than the first, which is different again from the bridge." Read full review

• Rolling Stone highlighted that "Carpenter has few peers these days when it comes to turning some of the most uncomfortable or even painful feelings when you’re crying over an ex into giggle-worthy treats." Read full review

• "'Every jab and insult leveled at men in her music is played like a gag fit for a screwball comedy,' NPR Music stated, identifying compositional influences from 'fist-raising classic country' and '90s R&B hits like 'No Scrubs.'" Read full review

Originally hesitant to release a studio version, Chappell Roan's "The Subway," arrived in July with her usual counterpart Dan Nigro assisting to bring the track to life.

Cultural impact

• The music video for "The Subway" was directed by Amber Grace Johnson and shot on 35mm film in New York City.

• The New York Transit Museum added the song to its screen credits for utilizing restored antique subway cars in the music video.

• Chappell Roan performed the song live at major festivals including Lollapalooza 2024 and Primavera Sound 2025.

Critical response

• Consequence noted that producer Dan Nigro "floods her vocals with space and reverb and lets a clean electric guitar do a lot of the talking," creating a sound closer to early '90s acts like The Cranberries and The Sundays. Read full review

• NPR Music observed the song pulls from '90s jangle-pop acts like The Sundays and The Cranberries, with Roan's vocals wailing at the song's end "not unlike the latter's late lead singer Dolores O'Riordan." Read full review

• Slant Magazine highlighted how concerns about replicating live vocal performance were "largely assuaged, especially during the track's sublime outro," with Roan's "lilting crack in her voice recalling that of Cocteau Twins's Elizabeth Fraser." Read full review

Attempting to build on her 9 GRAMMY wins, Billie Eilish's "WILDFLOWER" is the fourth single from her most recent album 'HIT ME HARD AND SOFT', written & produced by her brother Finneas.

Cultural impact

• The track was featured in a set of live appearances on outlets such as SNL, COLORS & Songline.

• Although Eilish had never clarified who the song is about, it has been reported that multiple lines in the song allude to her relationship with Devon Lee Carlson.

• "WILDFLOWER" featured prominently on the setlist for Eilish's HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR, which spanned 106 dates across the globe.

Critical response

• The Guardian described "WILDFLOWER" as a "stealthy acoustic-driven power ballad." Read full review

• Pitchfork noted the track's "much-hyped live instrumentation" as "more window dressing than it is integral to the artistry." Read full review

• Rolling Stone praised "WILDFLOWER" for its emotional restraint and cinematic sweep, noting that it "builds slowly into one of the album’s most affecting moments." Read full review