Wikipedia

Caramel (Sleep Token song)

"Caramel" is a song by anonymous English rock band Sleep Token, released on 4 April 2025 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Even in Arcadia. The song became the band's first top 10 single in the UK and first top 40 single in the US.[2][3]

"Caramel"
Single by Sleep Token
from the album Even in Arcadia
B-side"Emergence" (instrumental)[1]
Released4 April 2025
Length4:50
LabelRCA
Songwriters
  • Vessel
  • II
ProducerCarl Bown
Sleep Token singles chronology
"Emergence"
(2025)		 "Caramel"
(2025)		 "Damocles"
(2025)
Music video
"Caramel" visualiser video on YouTube

"Caramel" was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Rock Song" at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Release

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Album campaign

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The release campaign for the album began in February of 2025, starting with a series of cryptic social media posts on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms.[4] On 19 February, the band released a TikTok video directing people to a website that teased new music, named showmehowtodanceforever.com.[5] The video marks the first appearance of the black flamingo, the presumed "Feathered Host", that serves as the ambassador to Arcadia.[6] In order to access the site's contents, visitors had to arrange letters on the page in the correct sequence of the Shugborough inscription, which is associated with the painting Et in Arcadia ego ("Shepherds of Arcadia"). [7][8][9] The website allowed users to enter their e-mail address and could "choose their allegiance" to one of two houses they preferred to be a part of: 'The Feathered Host' or 'House Veridian'.[9][10]

On 27 February, private Instagram accounts for each house were created, to which untitled piano sheet music was posted, later revealed to be the instrumental version of "Even in Arcadia".[10][11][12][13]

Song release

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Sleep Token teased the song via American weatherman Chris Michaels, who is known for referencing metal lyrics in his weather reports based in North Carolina. Michaels posted a video on social media announcing a release from Sleep Token on 27 March 2025, following with two more on 29 March and 2 April. Each teaser included a puzzle regarding the song in a weather segment for fans to guess and the date of the next update.[14]

One day before the release, the final teaser was released, showing the black "Feathered Host" flamingo walking inside what looks like a great hall of a mansion, with ambient music in the background.[15]

On the day of release, the track was accompanied by a visualiser video which depicts a green banner with the "Caramel" coat of arms hung on a black stand, placed on a platform in the great hall, slowly burning as the song plays.

A limited edition vinyl was released for Record Store Day on 18 April 2026 - a 12" liquid-filled vinyl with "Caramel" on the A-side and the instrumental version of "Emergence" on the B-side, previously only on the Japanese album release as a bonus track.[1]

Concept and composition

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No details were provided by the band, leaving listeners to speculate amongst themselves the underlying meaning of "Caramel" and how it connects to the overarching story of Even in Arcadia. The album was described as the start of "a new chapter" after the events of Take Me Back to Eden.[16][a] The lyrics find Vessel exploring his struggles with fame, including achieving it from music made from his own sadness, and dealing with fans attempting to uncover Sleep Token's real identities.[17][18][19]

Lyrics

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Sammi Caramela of VICE wrote that the pop-like sound of the music "disguises a long-ignored cry for respect and privacy" and that the lyrics "are a testament to [Vessel's] struggles in the public eye", such as "Acting like I'm never stressed out by the hearsay / Guess that's what I get for hiding in the limelight ... / Everybody wants on 'em, I just wanna hear you sing that topline".[20] Liberty Dunworth of NME also pointed out how the lyrics deal with the "element of anonymity", like "Every time they try to shout my real name just to get a rise from me".[18] Those lyrics refer to at least one real-life incident caught on camera and posted to social media. At the end of a performance, a few people in a crowd yell out Vessel's real first name, and in acknowledgement, Vessel spits on the ground and gives them the middle finger as he walks off stage.[21]

"Genius" writer Kevin Loo also believes that Vessel is also struggling with a few "paradoxes", citing such lyrics as "right foot in the roses, left foot on a landmine" and "they can sing the words while I cry into the bassline." Vessel is grateful for Sleep Token's "followers", but expressing his "private pain" can be taxing after a while. He adds that Vessel eventually concedes to the place he finds himself in: "Too blessed to be caught ungrateful, I know/So I'll keep dancing along to the rhythm."[17]

Musical style

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Quentin Thane Singer of Forbes called the single "genre-bending" with "many melodic and heavy moments."[19] It starts with a "music box...motif" - "soft", "soothing" and sounds "stripped-down" for the first two minutes.[17][18][22] The song gradually becomes more "danceable" with a reggaeton beat and an "atmospheric", pop-influenced chorus.[19][23][24] A breakdown in the style of deathcore metal occurs three and a half minutes into the song, with "pummeling moments" at the end.[22][24][17][23]

Reception

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Critical

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Reviews of "Caramel" were positive on the whole. Gregory Adams at Revolver praised the song's "genre-defying instrumentation" with Vessel's "expressive vocals.[15] Quentin Thane Singer at Forbes thought the use of "reggaeton grooves" in the song was the "biggest surprise" and the most "interesting aspect" of the song. He was impressed by how they "innovatively amalgamated the latin style with metal music."[19] Staff writers at Blabbermouth thought that the combinations of the melodies and rhythms were a "unique mix of tender beauty and unrelenting force", and the lyrics were full of "haunting vulnerability and unspoken pain."[25]

Commercial

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"Caramel" earned Sleep Token their first UK "Top 10" hit at number 10 on the Top 40 Singles chart.[2] They also took the number 1 spot on the UK Rock & Metal Singles chart.[26] In the US, it debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, number 6 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and landed at number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week after its release.[3][23]

Accolades

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In November 2025, "Caramel" was nominated for 'Best Rock Song' at the 2026 Grammy Awards.[27][28] It won 'Radio Song of the Year' at the 2025 Nocturnal Awards one month later.[29] It also received acclaim from the New York Times with writer Jon Caramanica placing it atop his "50 Best Songs of 2025" list.[30][31]

Year Organization Category Result Ref.
2025 The New York Times Best Song of the Year Won [30][31]
2026 Grammy Awards Best Rock Song Nominated [32]
Nik Nocturnal Awards Radio Song of the Year Won [33]

Personnel

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Adapted from Tidal.[34]

  • Carl Bown – production, engineering, mixing
  • Jim Pinder – engineering
  • Adam "Nolly" Getgood – additional studio production
  • Sebastian Sendon – additional engineering, drum editing
  • Ste Kerry – mastering
  • Vessel1 - composer, lyricist
  • Vessel2 - composer

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Caramel"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[50] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

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  1. ↑ "This new chapter follows Take Me Back To Eden and continues the unfolding journey, where Sleep Token further intertwines the boundaries of sound and emotion, dissolving into something otherworldly".
  2. ↑ The URL shows April 19, 2025 but the chart shows April 12, 2025.

References

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  1. 1 2 "Sleep Token - Caramel". Record Store Day. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 Ambrosio, Isabella (13 April 2025). "SLEEP TOKEN Achieve First Top 10 Hit in The UK with 'Caramel'". Metal Injection. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 Rutherford, Kevin (16 April 2025). "Sleep Token Scores First Hot Hard Rock Songs No. 1 Debut With 'Caramel'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Adams, Gregory (18 February 2025). "SLEEP TOKEN are teasing something with a cryptic new website". Revolver. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Zukowski, Zenae (20 February 2025). "Sleep Token launch TikTok with cryptic teaser". Metal Insider. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Keenan, Hesher (7 March 2025). "Something New is Coming from Sleep Token". MetalSucks. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Show me how to dance forever". Sleep Token. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Sleep Token". Sleep Token. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 Childers, Chad (19 February 2025). "Sleep Token Fans Freak Out Over Mysterious New Puzzle Site". Loudwire. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 Schaffner, Lauryn (26 February 2025). "Sleep Token Launch Private Social Media Accounts, Seem to be Teasing New Music". Loudwire. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Garner, Emily (27 February 2025). "Sleep Token launch two private Instagram accounts to tease new music". Kerrang!. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  12. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Jake (27 February 2025). "Sleep Token's Secret Instagram Is Sending Fans Sheet Music". Blunt Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Newman, Chloé (19 March 2025). "A new offering has arrived: Sleep Token's new single and everything leading up to it". The Shield. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels collaborates with band, Sleep Token, ahead of single release". WRAL-TV. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  15. 1 2 Adams, Gregory (4 April 2025). "Hear SLEEP TOKEN's bittersweet new stunner 'Caramel'". Revolver. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "EVEN IN ARCADIA - Digital Download". Sleep Token. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Loo, Kevin (14 April 2025). "On 'Caramel', Sleep Token Address The Paradoxes Of Fame & The Importance Of Remaining Anonymous". Genius. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 Dunworth, Liberty (4 April 2025). "Sleep Token play with 'real' identity on personal new single 'Caramel'". NME. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Singer, Quentin Thane (4 April 2025). "Sleep Token Release Genre-Bending Single, 'Caramel'". Forbes. Archived from the original on 4 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  20. ↑ Caramela, Sammi (12 April 205). "Sleep Token's New Song 'Caramel' Politely Tells Fans to Fuck Off". Vice. Vice Media Publishing. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Aggressive Vessel". 13 January 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026 – via YouTube.
  22. 1 2 Kaufman, Spencer (4 April 2025). "Sleep Token Unveil New Song 'Caramel': Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 Childers, Chad (4 April 2025). "Here Are the Lyrics to Sleep Token's New Song 'Caramel'". Loudwire. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  24. 1 2 Wilson-Taylor, James (4 April 2025). "Sleep Token Drop New Offering 'Caramel'". Rock Sound. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  25. ↑ "SLEEP TOKEN Releases New Single 'Caramel' From Upcoming 'Even In Arcadia' Album". Blabbermouth. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  26. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 11/4/2025 - Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  27. ↑ "2026 GRAMMYS: See The Full Nominations List". Grammys. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  28. ↑ Adams, Gregory (7 November 2025). "DEFTONES, SLEEP TOKEN, GHOST and more nominated for 2026 Grammys". Revolver. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  29. ↑ "Nominations List". Nocturnal Awards. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  30. 1 2 Schaffner, Lauryn (9 December 2025). "A Sleep Token Song is No. 1 on 'New York Times' Best Songs of 2025 List". Loudwire. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  31. 1 2 "Best Songs of 2025". New York Times. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  32. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (7 November 2025). "Grammy Nominations 2026: See the Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  33. ↑ "Nominations List". Nocturnal Awards. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  34. ↑ "Caramel / Sleep Token / Credits". Tidal. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  35. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for week of 14 April 2025". Australian Recording Industry Association. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of April 29, 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  37. ↑ "Billboard Global 200: Week of April 19, 2025". BIllboard. Archived from the original on 15 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts (Week 15, 2025)". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  39. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Apr 24, 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  40. ↑ "Official Top 40 Singles / Tukutahi Tiketike 40 Ōkawa (11-17 April 2025)". Official Aotearoa Music Charts. Recorded Music NZ. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  41. ↑ "Top 200 Streams Semana 15 de 2025" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 10. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  42. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 15, 2025" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  43. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 19/4/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  44. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 19/4/2025 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  45. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100™ Top 10 Countdown for April 12, 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  46. ↑ "Hot Hard Rock Songs: Week of April 19, 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  47. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of April 19, 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  48. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  49. ↑ "British single certifications – Sleep Token – Caramel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 March 2026. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Caramel Sleep Token in the "Search:" field.
  50. ↑ "American single certifications – Sleep Token – Caramel". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
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