#DECODED BLOG CW36 2025

⛓️ DECODED: What just happened in culture & marketing? We got you — no scroll required.

🎧 This Week’s Drops: Singles, Albums & Collabs

From stadium-ready anthems to intimate collabs — this week’s music slate is both global and personal.

Marteria returns with “Babylonia”, the first single from his upcoming album Zum Glück in die Zukunft III (dropping March 2026). The track continues his futuristic-meets-introspective trilogy, complete with Krauts’ signature production and Marteria’s ability to make even dystopia sound euphoric.

Rema is on a double streak: he drops “Fun” while unlocking the video for his viral hit “Kelebu”. It’s Afrobeats in hyperdrive — playful, fluid, and ready to take over every late-night playlist.

Meanwhile, the internet went into collective re-listen mode with Partynextdoor x Drake x Cash Cobain’s “Somebody Loves Me Pt. 2”, a smoky, late-night sequel dripping with chemistry and regret.

On the harder edge, Latto & Ice Spice deliver “Gyatt”, a swagger-filled flex designed for captions and club echoes alike.

And the pop titans? Justin Bieber just dropped his comeback album “Swag 2”, while Cardi B is going full theater with “Am I the Drame”, dropping a “court edition” and clowning her own promo: “My label said I gotta get out in these streets and sell this album 😩”. If chaos is strategy, Cardi is a genius.

Nina Chuba ties both lanes together this week: she released her new single “3 Uhr Nachts” while also launching a podcast with Hitzemann titled “Die Leute lieben das”. It’s candid, chaotic, and already shaping up to be Gen Z’s favorite sonic diary — proof that Nina’s voice works both on beats and in conversation.

👑 One Night, Many Spotlights: VMAs 2025

If one event defined the cultural calendar this week, it was the VMAs 2025. The show leaned into its reputation as the place where careers shift gears and viral moments are born.

Tate McRae showed off her duality by performing both “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car”, signaling that she’s no longer just a rising star but a fully realized pop force.

Doja Cat reminded everyone why she thrives on live TV with “Jealous Type” — playful, sly, and instantly memed.

Alex Warren pulled things back with a vulnerable performance of “Ordinary”, proving that stripped-down storytelling still cuts through the noise.

The night belonged, however, to Ariana Grande, who closed the show and walked away with Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead”. The track has already become an anthem of resilience, and the win cemented Ariana’s place as both a veteran and a visionary in the pop landscape. The VMAs didn’t just celebrate her artistry; they positioned her as the north star for what mainstream pop can feel like in 2025 — cinematic, emotional, and unshakably present.

✨ Beyond the Stage: Covers, Campaigns & Couture

Cultural influence wasn’t limited to awards shows — it sprawled across covers, campaigns, and catwalks.

Tyla graces the cover of V Magazine’s Fall 2025 issue, stepping fully into her rockstar era with new single “Chanel” on the way and a global tour locked in. Her interview is all whirlwind rise and next-level ambition — and it’s clear she’s building not just hits, but an empire.

Nike launched the Air Max Muse campaign, with self-portrait shots by Salome Gomis Trezise. The message is simple: pave your own way. The visuals are intimate yet expansive — sneakers as identity rather than accessory.

Gap taps into nostalgia with its “Better in Denim” campaign, featuring global girl group Katseye dancing to Kelis’s Y2K anthem “Milkshake”. The low-rise jeans revival feels less like forced retro and more like collective memory play — a dance challenge that’s already all over social feeds.

And then came the wildcard: Post Malone surprising Paris Fashion Week with the debut runway show for Austin Post. Horses, belts, couture grit — a country-rap fever dream on a Paris stage. Unexpected? Absolutely. But also undeniable: Post is no longer just charting songs, he’s charting aesthetics.