Sleep Token Reveal New Single ‘Caramel’
Photo: Andy Ford
Sleep Token have unveiled their latest offering ‘Caramel’, taken from their highly anticipated fourth album, Even In Arcadia, due for release on May 9 via RCA Records, the single might be their most personal release yet.
The reveal of Caramel came after a cryptic teaser campaign involving North Carolina weatherman and rock fan Chris Michaels, who hinted at a major announcement from the band. Fans quickly picked up on the clues, leading to a wave of speculation that was confirmed with the release of the new track. The song see’s the genre blending group venture into even more new territory as pop fuelled melodies are met with music box instrumentals and afrobeat grooves before ascending into more rock and metal territory.
The single also sees frontman Vessel, or perhaps for the first time, the man behind the mask stepping into more vulnerable territory lyrically, addressing the struggles he has faced after their meteoric rise to fame over the past few years: “Every time they try to shout my real name just to get a rise from me, acting like I’m never stressed out by the hearsay / I guess that’s what I get for trying to hide in the limelight / Guess that’s what I get for having 20/20 hindsight.”
The track builds on themes of identity, pressure, and self-preservation: “So I’ll keep dancing along to the rhythm / This stage is a prison, a beautiful nightmare.”
The single follows on from last month’s Emergence, which marked a landmark moment for the band as their first ever track to hit the US Billboard Hot 100 and not only topping the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, but also claiming the #1 spot on iTunes and becoming the biggest rock streaming debut of the year so far, and the ninth biggest of the past five years.
With this rising momentum, Sleep Token are gearing up for a massive 2025. The band will headline Download Festival this June, before embarking on their first-ever sold-out U.S. arena tour this fall — the Even In Arcadia Tour, promoted by AEG Presents, which spans 17 cities and marks their only North American headline tour of the year. They’ll also make a high-profile appearance at Louder Than Life Festival on September 19.