As a certified Dunkin’ fan and occasional Boston resident, I am always willing to go to bat for the chain. When people complain about their orders being inconsistent, clearly you don’t enjoy the individuality of each Dunkin’ employees’ interpretation of the recipes. Oh, you think the coffee tastes bad? You must not actually enjoy coffee that much, then. So when I woke up this morning to the news that my favorite coffee shop had released its own boy band-inspired EP to celebrate new menu items, I knew this truly had the potential to contain my song of the summer.
So… why did Dunkin’ release an EP?
Over the past month, Dunkin’ has been introducing the public to its “Dunkin’Terns,” led by Will Arnett himself, as well as the TikTok creator Corporate Natalie. So who are these interns? It’s a star-studded cast from all corners of the internet, from Twitch streamers to actual chefs. The two names that stuck out to me the most, though, were Joey Fatone and A.J. McLean, members of the iconic boy bands NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys, respectively. These are the two minds behind the Iced EP, and truly, who better?
Dunkin has been releasing videos on their Youtube with each of the interns to announce their individual collaborations with the company. Joey and A.J. get a joint one, where in 15 seconds Will and Natalie brainstorm the plan for this album with their duo of Iced Boys, dubbing it “deliciously nostalgic.”
Please, I promise the EP is good.
The EP contains five of these “bangers” with “Iced as my Coffee” as its single. The single definitely holds up to the boy band comparisons, with its smooth synth and chorus of riffing tenors. It’s undeniably catchy, and I found myself singing along after only one listen.
However, it wouldn’t be my favorite song off the EP. That title would have to go to the next track, “Refresher Season.” All of the songs in the collection feature Peyton MacKenzie and August Roads as backing vocals, but this one features Peyton much more prominently. With its slower beat and overemphasized lyrics, it veers away from 90’s boy bands to give us 2010’s Lana Del Rey and Halsey indie-pop. As a Lana ride or die, this was perhaps the most shocking thing a Dunkin’ EP could have ever thrown at me, but I can’t help but keep listening to it. It’s very on-the-nose in its parody, but that doesn’t stop it from being an overwhelming success. While I personally have never been the biggest fan of Dunkin’ refreshers, this song manages to paint them in a different, more positive light for me.
The other songs on the EP include “Intro,” “SPARKD’ UP,” and “All I Need is An Iced Coffee,” managing to feature some of the other exciting new menu items like SPARKD’ energy drinks. I have to admit that I will unironically be listening to this for the rest of the weekend, and I can’t wait to introduce all my friends to the genius of this marketing decision. Dunkin’, you win once again in my eyes!