The masked British collective Sleep Token has secured prestigious critical acclaim to close out a massive year. Their hit single “Caramel,” the second release from their fourth studio album Even In Arcadia, has been named the No. 1 song of 2025 by The New York Times.
In the publication’s year-end wrap-up, veteran music critic Jon Caramanica selected the track as his top pick, praising its fearless combination of genres that rarely coexist.
‘A huge, gloriously silly and brutally effective amalgam of abandoned styles ripe for reinvigorating — rap-metal, dream-prog, pop-reggaeton, backpack hip-hop, cosplay rock, metalcore and more.’
Released on April 4, “Caramel” has already cemented its status as a commercial and critical success. In addition to the praise from The New York Times, the track is currently nominated for “Best Rock Song” at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Beyond its eclectic sound, the song is noted for its intense lyrical themes, which appear to address the band’s real-life battles with obsessive fandom. Following incidents in recent years where the anonymity of the members was threatened by the leaking of personal documents, “Caramel” serves as a sonic response to the violation of boundaries.
The track’s structure mirrors this emotional trajectory. It opens with “twinkling” dream-pop elements that evoke the initial romance of adoration, before shifting into sardonic verses about the costs of fame. The song concludes with a visceral explosion of aggression, featuring heavy riffing and screamed vocals, seemingly representing the breaking point of the band’s enigmatic frontman, Vessel, as he navigates the pressure of “tryna hide in the limelight.”
Sleep Token has officially released their much-anticipated new studio album, Even In Arcadia, on May 9th, 2025.
The full tracklist for Even In Arcadia is as follows:
- “Look To Windward”
- “Emergence”
- “Past Self”
- “Dangerous”
- “Caramel”
- “Even In Arcadia”
- “Provider”
- “Damocles”
- “Gethsemane”
- “Infinite Baths”
