In early June a soundless video snippet was released in which we see Ryan Tedder and TOMORROW X TOGETHER in a studio listening to what we can guess is a new track. Ryan Tedder is known as OneRepublic’s lead singer, but he is equally famous in the industry – perhaps even more so – as a producer and songwriter. He contributed to Beyoncé’s “Halo” and Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” and he already has under his belt three Grammy Awards for Album of the Year for his work on “21” and “25” from Adele, and Taylor Swift’s “1989”. A few days ahead of that clip being posted, Tedder had teased on his Twitter account with a selfie at TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s US concert with the jesting text “Joining @TXT_members ??” One could sense from the tweet that his familiarity with the group was too great for this to be a simple shout-out. Indeed, that video clip itself had been captioned with “A big one is coming”, and we most certainly got that.

By mid June, TOMORROW X TOGETHER posted a group photo by a pool with the caption reading, “We go Together”. It’s clearly designed to remind us of the cover art of the album “Happiness Begins” released by Jonas Brothers in 2019, as was the text which happens to be the opening line to their hit song, “Sucker”. And what do you know, it also happens to have been written by Ryan Tedder. Finally, on June 22, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers officially announced their collaboration project “Do It Like That” which will be released on July 7.

Jonas Brothers is one of the most successful boy bands of the past two decades. It is not an overstatement to declare this quite a singular feat, especially for an American boy band. Their longevity and continued new music releases to this day since 2005 – despite disbanding and reuniting in between– is another uncommon feat. From 2007 to 2009, the band appeared mainly on the Disney Channel and solidified their position as the unquestionable heartthrob for teens and enjoyed some of their most glittering years during this time. The members went on to pursue solo careers for about a decade after which the brothers at last found their collective adult identity as a pop rock band. Their being family might be brought up to downplay their success as a group, but maintaining the band as teenage idol musicians and consistently evolving over time is no small feat. 

One of the biggest contributing factors of this successful artistic reinvention is “Sucker”. Not only did it make its debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, but it remains their sole single to have reached that pinnacle to this day. What’s even more remarkable is it held its position in the top 10 until August, earning itself the accolade of being one of the “Songs of The Summer” in 2019, alongside Post Malone’s “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).” While the title “Songs of the Summer” may not be an official concept, it holds significant weight in the industry. With summer traditionally being the season with much family time – especially outdoor activities – it’s the perfect season for music to become embedded in our collective memories and transcend time and space. Summer anthems become global megahits dominating airwaves everywhere and very likely go on to become still-beloved golden classics. We all know how “Livin’ La Vida Loca” returns every summer. In fact, Billboard has been running a “Songs Of The Summer” chart since 2010. In the most recent years, “Sucker” still reigned as one of the most successful summer songs. Along with the likes of “Peaches”, “Levitating”, and “As It Was”, for the foreseeable future we are going to hear “Sucker” during the heatwave months on beaches, by pools, and in shopping malls and cafés.

The meeting of TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers for “Do It Like That” takes place like some learning-by-osmosis for a still fresh boy band that only debuted in 2019. “Do It Like That” has all the makings of a summer hit such as its danceable rhythm that’s bouncy yet chill, a hook that sinks in quick to reel you in fast, and chill and relatable lyrics. TOMORROW X TOGETHER is certainly one of the more successful K-Pop acts performing today, but adding to their loyal teen audience, acquiring universal appeal, and getting significant radio play are not easy tasks for any artist. “Do It Like That” presents an opportunity to clear all these challenges in one go. It’s especially apropos for TOMORROW X TOGETHER this summer as they gear up to make their summer festival rounds where a song like this really adds to their arsenal as a number that can get people vibing immediately regardless of whose fans happen to be in the crowd. 

As for the Jonas Brothers themselves, they have a massive 37-date North American tour planned. “Do It Like That” can be a nice follow-up to “Sucker” as it brings fresh blood to the group’s summer song catalog, especially since the song will bring in the broader K-Pop listenership. That is why the recent social media activity from the Jonas Brothers such as their “Excuse me BRUHH” TikTok with TOMORROW X TOGETHER that reenacts that meme-able moment from the film “Zoolander” and the adoption of a K-Pop industry move of releasing “concept photo” as part of their promotional material, all appear to be much more than just spur-of-the moment online humor. In short, “Do It Like That” is a definitive snapshot of how K-Pop’s most recent forays into the US market have evolved. It has a better understanding of what comprises the market's essence. With this insight, their moves are much more calibrated, thereby yielding opportunities for a mutually beneficial collaboration within the ecosystem. It’s a deft mix of the team’s musical color and K-Pop’s commercial cachet. This masterful positioning was also on display in last summer’s collaboration with iann dior who provided a direct line to the musical sensibilities of Gen Z, and now this summer TOMORROW X TOGETHER is aiming for the charts with Jonas Brothers. You don’t get to see a band like this every day.