Sleep Token Debuts at No. 1 on Five Billboard Charts With "Caramel"

Sleep Token may still be a relatively new name to many, but the masked hard rock outfit is already hugely successful on the Billboard charts. This week, the band sees its latest single “Caramel” debut at No. 1 across several rankings in the United States.

British heavy metal group "Sleep Token" performs on stage during the heavy metal music Festival Copenhell, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 15, 2023 (Photo by Helle Arensbak / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT (Photo by HELLE ARENSBAK/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

Sleep Token may still be a relatively new name to many, but the masked hard rock outfit is already hugely successful on the Billboard charts. This week, the band sees its latest single “Caramel” debut at No. 1 across several rankings in the United States.

The breakout hit doesn’t only dominate the hard rock lists, but also scores a lofty start on more than a dozen tallies simultaneously, signaling that a new powerhouse hitmaker in the harder side of rock has truly arrived.

“Caramel” Debuts at No. 1 on Five Billboard Charts

“Caramel” is immediately an unstoppable force. The cut opens at No. 1 on five Billboard rankings this week, including the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart — the most important genre-specific tally when it comes to this style of music.

That alone is a major win, but what makes it even more impressive is who the band knocks out of the top spot: itself. Last frame, Sleep Token ruled that same list with “Emergence,” meaning the band has swapped one leader for another. That kind of baton pass is relatively rare, even on niche rankings like Hot Hard Rock Songs tally.

While “Caramel” debuts at No. 1, “Emergence” doesn’t fall far. In fact, it only slips to No. 2 this week, which gives Sleep Token control of the loftiest two spaces on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. That kind of showing is usually reserved for long-established names or legacy acts with huge fanbases. For a band that remains anonymous and only recently entered the mainstream, this kind of one-two punch is particularly noteworthy.

Both “Caramel” and “Emergence” are singles from Sleep Token’s upcoming full-length, Even in Arcadia. That project is currently slated for release in early May. With two No. 1 smashes already in rotation, the project is likely headed for a huge debut — potentially even a No. 1 showing on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart (as well as other Billboard tallies) when it arrives.

Sleep Token’s “Caramel” is a Huge Win

“Caramel” doesn’t just rule the genre-focused Hot Hard Rock Songs tally. It also leads several individual rankings that focus on specific consumption types in the style, such as Hard Rock Streaming Songs and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales lists. The track also enters at No. 1 on both the Rock Streaming Songs and Alternative Digital Song Sales charts.

In total, “Caramel” lands on 15 different Billboard tallies in its first frame. It reaches the top 10 on 10 of those rankings, which is an enormous welcome for any new release — especially one from a band in the hard rock space, where top-tier debuts are much less common.