Caramell

Caramell is a Swedish pop group formed in 1998 in Funäsdalen. The collective consists of producers Jorge Vasconcelo (aka Vasco) and Juha Myllylä (aka Millboy)(Vasco and Millboy), along with singers Katia Löfgren and Dinah Nah.

The group’s formation followed Jorge Vasconcelo and Juha Myllylä meeting Malin and Katia in a Stockholm karaoke bar in November 1998. Having previously written songs for other artists and founded his own studio in Västerås, Jorge Vasconcelo then initiated this new project.

Their career began with the early singles Om du var min and a cover of Efter plugget, which became popular hits in Sweden. Their debut bubblegum pop/eurodance album, Gott och blandat, was released in August 1999 and spawned notable tracks such as Jag ser på dig, Kom och ta mig, Telefon and Vingar. Their last single under this project was the energetic Explodera.

In 2001, the group returned with a second album, Supergott, which cemented their place in the Swedish pop and eurodance scene with songs like Vad heter du, Spelar ingen roll and Kom håll om mig. A charity single, Världen utanför, was released in April 2002, shortly before the group split up.

The song Caramelldansen, from their second album, gained international recognition thanks to an internet meme. A sped-up version, Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix), became the soundtrack to a looping animation featuring characters from the anime Popotan. The meme grew massively, with one version looping the chorus and another presenting the full song.

In Japan, this remix was nicknamed “U-U-Uma Uma” due to a misinterpretation of the lyrics. It received a special single release featuring five remixes by different artists, including Ryu*, accompanied by a video.

Following the meme’s viral success, three members reunited under the name Caramella Girls. They released an album featuring sped-up versions of some original Caramell songs and have continued since with new music and covers, maintaining a presence in the music scene.