The New York Times has just unveiled its highly anticipated Best Songs Of 2025 list, and it’s a fascinating mix of genres, with pop and hip hop dominating the rankings. However, the number one spot has been claimed by a surprise contender: the Sleep Token single “Caramel”, a bold and innovative track that has captured the hearts of music fans everywhere.
The list was carefully curated by Jon Caramanica, the renowned pop music critic at The New York Times and host of the popular Popcast podcast. Caramanica had high praise for “Caramel”, describing it as “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.”
“Caramel” has been a game-changer for Sleep Token, marking a major milestone in the band’s career. The song made history as the first-ever Sleep Token track to break into the top 10 in the UK, reaching No. 10 on the UK Singles chart and claiming the top spot on the UK Rock & Metal chart. In the US, “Caramel” became the band’s first top 40 single, debuting at No. 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100. To top it all off, “Caramel” has also earned a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Rock Performance” at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
