:Caramelldansen

File:Caramelldansen.gif

The meme started as a fifteen frame Flash animation loop showing Mai and Mii, characters of the Japanese visual novel Popotan, doing a hip swing dance with their hands over their heads to imitate rabbit ears, and the chorus of a sped up version of the song.

Popotan first appeared as a Japanese PC game on 12 December 2002. After the anime was aired from 17 July to 2 October 2003, short GIF animations clips were created from the opening of the game and posted on the internet. The clips were matched with various songs, with titles ranging from "Popotan dance" to "Sexy bunny dance".

In late 2005, a sped-up version of the song was posted by a DJ named Speedycake to 4chan. According to an interview with Ruakuu, Speedycake said the speed-up came from a mixing mistake while transitioning the "Caramelldansen" song to a faster BPM, and it ended up being "squeaky and high pitched", but that people were requesting for it anyway. In the same year, its chorus part was combined with the animation loop and posted to 4chan by a "Sven from Sweden".{{Cite news |author=Ruakuu |date=23 June 2008 |title=Ruakuu's Blog: Caramelldansen History (Complete) |url=http://ruakuu.blogspot.com/2008/06/caramelldansen-history-complete.html | via=Blogspot | access-date=September 20, 2022}}

As the video and song clip gained popularity, it became a meme. Artists and fans started to copy the animation and include other characters performing the dance. Its boom began at the end of 2007 in Japan (known as the "Uma uma Boom") where an explosion of different Caramelldansen iterations appeared in the Japanese video-sharing site Nico Nico Douga.{{Cite web |title=Japanese page Niconico showing a large number of Caramelldansen versions |url=http://ichiba.nicovideo.jp/item/dw703432/related/1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310143342/http://ichiba.nicovideo.jp/item/dw703432/related/1 |archive-date=March 10, 2008 |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Ichiba.nicovideo.jp}} The meme soon after spread to YouTube and became a global phenomenon. Lore Sjöberg wrote in a Wired magazine article about how Flickr users "look down from Flickr Hills into YouTube Chasm and see wailing, gnashing of teeth, and endless versions of "Caramelldansen" and they are sore afraid."{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2008/04/alttext_0416 |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926040247/http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2008/04/alttext_0416 |archive-date=26 September 2013 | magazine=Wired | title=Flickr Fans Flustered Over Video Posting | first=Lore |last=Sjöberg | date=16 April 2008 }}

File:Natalie doing Caramelldansen.jpg performs Caramelldansen, 2009.]]

While the group Caramell had disbanded in 2002, the group's music started to spread widely across the Internet thanks to the popularity of this Internet meme. Malin Sundström commented on the popularity of the meme: "We felt that it was time to move on; that one of our songs now may be a breakthrough is just a bonus." Caramell's Juha "Millboy" Myllylä, responding to questions from Japanese show Netstar NHK, said that he first learned of the dance on YouTube. When asked if he does the dance himself, he responded, "Yeah, well, the dance is very funny to do, so I used to do it every time, I mean in the shower, and I used to show my family and my friends to make them dance. I like it. It's very funny."{{Cite AV media |title=The Net Star |publisher=NHK |time=23:05 |people=Juha "Millboy" Myllylä}}

The meme is not limited to the small Flash animation loops. 3D animation shorts have been released performing the dance, and live action videos made by fans. The idea of the new Swedish concept came from YouTube, showing more than 16,000 different versions of the original Flash animation, including small loops, complete song shorts and live action videos.{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2008 |title=Svensk danslåt störst – i Japan |trans-title=Caramelldansen hit and interview to Malin and Katia |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesliv/musik/article2892570.ab |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Aftonbladet |language=sv |author1=Johannes Heuman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717060749/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article2892570.ab |archive-date=17 July 2009}}{{Cite web |title=YouTube search for caramelldansen |url=https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Caramelldansen&search_type=&aq=f |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=YouTube.com}}

File:Otakuthon 2014- Caramelldansen spying on the main hall (15039513092).jpg attendees taunt the main hall by performing Caramelldansen outdoors, 2014. Two Hatsune Miku cosplayers can be seen.]]

Caramelldansen is known in Japan as {{Nihongo|"Uma uma dance"|ウマウマダンス}}, because the chorus's lyrics "u-u-ua-ua" were misheard as {{Nihongo krt|"u- u- umauma"|ウッーウッーウマウマ}} The Japanese title is written with the emoticon (°∀°) added to the end. The lyric: "{{Lang|sv|Dansa med oss, klappa era händer}}" ("Dance with us, clap your hands") was sometimes misinterpreted as {{Nihongo krt||"バルサミコ酢やっぱいらへんで"|"barusamiko-su yappa irahen de"}}, which translates to "I don't want any balsamic vinegar after all", and ended up being a popular {{tlit|ja|soramimi}} or mondegreen for the song, even affecting the Japanese language version.

{{Infobox song

| name = Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix)

| cover = Caramelldansen.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Caramelldansen Speedy Mixes cover featuring the Caramella Girls, from left: Mindy, Vera, and Nadine

| type = single

| artist = Caramell / Caramella Girls

| album = Supergott Speedy Mixes

| language = Swedish

| released = 2008

| recorded = 2005

| studio = Playhouse Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)

| genre = {{Plainlist|

• Dance-pop
• Eurodance}}

| length = {{duration|2:56}}

| label = {{Plainlist|

• Remixed
• Exit Tunes (Japan)}}

| writer = {{hlist|Jorge Vasconcelo|Juha Myllylä}}

| producer =

| misc = {{External music video

| type = single

| {{YouTube|PDJLvF1dUek|"Caramelldansen"}}

}}

}}

Japanese music distributor Exit Tunes gained the rights from the original Caramell producers, Remixed Records, to distribute the sped-up version of the original song in Asia, releasing first an album in April 2008 called Uma Uma Dekiru Trance wo Tsukutte Mita which included "Caramelldansen" (named "U-u-uma uma" (Speedycake Remix)) and other popular meme songs at the time. Toromi, the voice actor who voiced Mii in Popotan, also covered the song on a single Toro☆Uma.{{Cite web |title=Toro☆Uma |url=http://mise.pupu.jp/torouma/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219044056/http://mise.pupu.jp/torouma/index.htm |archive-date=February 19, 2012 |access-date=January 1, 2012 |publisher=Mise.pupu.jp}} There was also an official single "U-u-uma uma" release{{Cite web |title=Japanese Caramelldansen discography |url=http://www.umauma.cd/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624204428/http://umauma.cd/ |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=January 1, 2012 |publisher=Umauma.cd | language=ja }} Uma Uma Dekiru Trance reached number 20 on the Oricon charts and stayed on for 16 weeks;{{Cite web |script-title=ja:EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS ウマウマできるトランスを作ってみた |trans-title=Exit Trance Presents Uma Uma Dekiru Trance wo Tsukutte Mita |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/52027/products/758596/1/ |access-date=September 20, 2022 |website=Oricon |language=ja}} and the "U-u-uma uma" single reached number 16 and stayed 14 weeks.{{Cite web |script-title=ja:ウッーウッーウマウマ(°∀°) |trans-title=U-u-uma-uma |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/454184/products/762192/1/ |access-date=September 20, 2022 |website=Oricon | language=ja }}

In March 2009, it was awarded Single of the Year (International) at Recording Industry Association of Japan's 23rd Japan Gold Disc Awards.{{Cite web |script-title=ja:第23回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 | trans-title=23rd Japan Gold Disc Award | url=http://www.golddisc.jp/award/23/Prize_1.html |work=Japan Gold Disc Award official website | publisher=Recording Industry Association of Japan | access-date=20 September 2022 | at=Single of the Year – 洋楽部門 (Western Music Category) | language=ja }}{{Cite web |year=2009 |title=RIAJ Yearbook 2009 |url=https://www.riaj.or.jp/riaj/pdf/issue/industry/RIAJ2009E.pdf |website=Recording Industry Association of Japan |page=18 }}

Remixed Records released the sped-up version of the original Supergott album on Apple's iTunes Store; the album was called Supergott Speedy Mixes.

In Japan, this was titled U-u-uma-uma SPEED with the song titles completely rewritten with emoticons. Speed reached number 48 on Oricon and stayed 5 weeks.{{Cite web |script-title=ja:ウッーウッーウマウマ(°∀°)SPEED アルバム |trans-title=U-u-uma-uma SPEED album |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/454184/products/767236/1/ |access-date=September 20, 2022 |website=Oricon | language=ja }}

Remixed Records also released a set of Caramelldansen Speedy Mixes. On 16 September, they released an English version of the song called "Caramelldancing".{{Cite web |last=Arnflo |first=Oscar |title=Swedish Caramelldansen discography |url=http://www.caramell.nu/?page=media&subpage=music |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228024910/http://caramell.nu/?page=media |archive-date=28 February 2009 |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Caramell.nu}} A German version of the song, "Caramelltanzen", was released on 15 April 2009.{{Cite web |date=15 April 2009 |title=Caramelltanzen (German Version) - Single by Caramella Girls |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/caramelltanzen-german-version-single/1495010310 |via=iTunes }}

The speedy versions were released and remixed in multiple versions and languages, and the singles / remix EPs credited to other Caramell or Caramella Girls and produced and distributed by Remixed Records unless specified.

Singles and remix EPs:

• {{Nihongo|"U-u-uma uma"|ウッーウッーウマウマ(°∀°) }} (Exit Tunes QWCE-00048, May 21, 2008){{Cite web |script-title=ja:ウッーウッーウマウマ(゜∀゜) / キャラメル |url=http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce00048.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207150442/http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce00048.html |archive-date=7 December 2011 |access-date=1 January 2012 |website=Exit Tunes |via=9819.jp}}
• Caramelldansen Speedy Mixes (2008)
• "Caramelldancing" (English, 2008)
• "Caramelldancing - Christmas Version" (English, 2009)
• "Caramelltanzen" (German, Remixed Records, EMI Music & RemRec songs, 2009){{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MB2R8o4JSo |title=Caramella Girls - Caramelltanzen German version (Official) |date=29 April 2009 |last=Caramella Girls |via=YouTube}}
• "Caramelldansen Español 4K" (Spanish, Remixed Records, RemRec Songs & Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 2021){{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vgqfaPO5 |title=Caramella Girls – Caramelldansen Español 4K |date=2 April 2021 |last=Caramella Girls |via=YouTube}}

Compilations of:

• {{Nihongo3|"Tried making a trance you can Uma Uma to"|ウマウマできるトランスを作ってみた|Uma Uma Dekiru Trance wo Tsukutte Mita}} (Exit Tunes QWCE-00047, 16 April 2008){{Cite web |script-title=ja:EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS ウマウマできるトランスを作ってみた | trans-title=Exit Trance Presents Uma Uma Dekiru Trance wo Tsukutte Mita |url=http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce00047.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207150448/http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce00047.html |archive-date=7 December 2011 |access-date=1 January 2012 |work=Exit Tunes |language=ja |via=9819.jp}}{{Cite web |date=8 March 2008 |script-title=ja:腰クネクネ謎のダンス 「ウマウマ」大流行の兆し |trans-title=The myysterious hip-swaying dance "Uma Uma" is a sign of a new craze |url=http://www.j-cast.com/2008/03/08017442.html |access-date=12 March 2025 |publisher=Jcast}}{{Cite news |script-title=ja:「ウッーウッーウマウマ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)」がCD化 販売中止のトランスアルバムが新装復活 | trans-title="U-u-uma uma(ﾟ∀ﾟ)" CD; the discontinued trance album is revived |url=http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/0802/25/news030.html |access-date=1 January 2012 | date=25 February 2008 | work=ITmedia | language=ja }}{{Cite news |script-title=ja:新しい空耳ソングがブレイクか？今度は"ウッーウッーウマウマ(°∀°)" |trans-title=Will the new soramimi song be a breakthrough? This time, "U-u-uma uma (°∀°)" |url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000038247 |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Barks |location=Japan |language=ja | date=29 February 2008 }}

• Supergott Speedy Mixes (2008) {{Cite web |title=Media |url=http://www.caramellagirls.com/media_music_caramelltanzen.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711152550/http://www.caramellagirls.com/media_music.php |archive-date=11 July 2009 |access-date=22 October 2015 |website=Caramella Girls official website}}
• released in Japan as {{Nihongo|U-u-uma uma SPEED|ウッーウッーウマウマ(゜∀゜) SPEED}} (Exit Tunes QWCE-20001, 18 June 2008){{Cite web |script-title=ja:ウッーウッーウマウマ(゜∀゜) SPEEDアルバム / キャラメル |trans-title=U-u-uma-uma SPEED album / Caramel |url=http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce20001.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303075103/http://9819.jp/cd/exit_tunes/qwce20001.html |archive-date=3 March 2012 |access-date=1 January 2012 |website=Exit Tunes |language=ja |via=9819.jp}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| background = group_or_band

| name = Caramella Girls

| origin =

| genre = {{hlist|Bubblegum pop|nightcore}}

| years_active = {{Start date|2008}}–present

| label = Remixed

| spinoff_of = Caramell

| current_members = {{Plainlist|

• Mindy
• Nadine
• Vera}}

| website = {{URL|caramellagirls.com}}

}}

Caramella Girls is an AI group created by Remixed Records in 2008 to promote the "Caramelldansen" song. They first showed up in the Japanese release "U-u-uma uma" single on 21 May 2008 as two anime character counterparts for the two female vocalists Malin Sundström and Katia Löfgren, removing the rest of the band members. They were then redesigned to be a girl group of three virtual girl characters – Mindy, Nadine, and Vera. At some live events, they would appear in masks and costumes.{{Cite news |last=Kaehler |first=Lilli |date=19 September 2008 |title=Why You Don't Remember Caramelldansen |work=The Hitching Post |url=https://cmhs.news/why-you-dont-remember-caramelldansen/}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a9rBGsZkL8 |title=Caramella Girls - Caramelldansen - Stage Performance |date=14 June 2011 |last=Caramella Girls |via=YouTube}} Remixed Records has further rebranded all related releases on music platforms from Caramell to "Caramella Girls".{{Cite web |title=Supergott (Speedy Mixes) by Caramell |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/supergott-speedy-mixes/id281046723 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403150756/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/supergott-speedy-mixes/id281046723 |archive-date=3 April 2018 |access-date=3 April 2018 |website=Apple Music}}{{Cite web |date=May 2008 |title=Supergott (Speedy Mixes) by Caramella Girls |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/1495013032 |access-date=23 January 2022 |website=Apple Music}}{{Cite web |last=Arnflo |first=Oscar |title=New Carammel Swedish concept |url=http://www.caramell.nu/?page=about |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Caramell.nu}}{{dead link|date=November 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

On 18 March 2011, Caramella Girls released the song "Boogie Bam Dance", available in English, Spanish, and German. In October 2012, the band released the Caramelldancing Remixes EP, which features remixes of the English version of the Caramelldansen song by Crazy 1, No Trixx, and DJ Triplestar.{{Cite AV media |date=30 October 2012 |title=Caramelldancing Remixes - Single av Caramell |url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/caramelldancing-remixes-single/574633211 |via=iTunes }}

Caramella Girls has since released other songs and videos. Some of these were written by Kim Andre Arnesen and Kristian Lagerström; and some are covers of other bubblegum pop tunes. In 2020, they released a digital compilation album (without "Caramelldansen") called Sweet Decade.{{Cite web |title=Caramella Girls News thread | url=https://www.bubblegumdancer.com/190-Caramella_Girls/news/ |work=Bubblegum Dancer | access-date=21 September 2022}}

In July 2009, the Taiwanese gaming company Gamania launched an advertising campaign with the "Caramelldansen" song for the Japanese version of its online game Lucent Heart.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUeAd6Tbagg |script-title=ja:ルーハーCMちゃんねる3 |date=28 June 2009 |language=ja |publisher=Gamania |trans-title=Luu-Haa (Lucent Heart) CM Channel 3 |access-date=13 April 2010 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/gUeAd6Tbagg |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} "Caramelldansen" has also been used in Japanese arcade games. A rhythm game of the dance was released by Remixed Records on iOS on 18 November 2009.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091220035317/http://www.caramellagirls.com/game | archive-date=2009-12-20 | url=https://www.caramellagirls.com/game/ | title=Caramella Girls - Now on iPhone and iPod Touch | work=Caramella Girls official website | access-date=22 September 2022 }} Entertainment group LoadingReadyRun performs the dance for their Desert Bus for Hope charity fundraisers most years, sometimes multiple times during a single run. In August 2010, the characters in the American Disney Channel program Phineas and Ferb perform the dance in the episode "Summer Belongs to You" when they stop by Tokyo.{{cite episode | title= Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs To You! | series=Phineas and Ferb | season=2 | number=54 | at=Welcome to Tokyo | date=August 2, 2010 | network=Disney Channel }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/caramelldansen-meme-song-history-revival/|title=Caramelldansen: The Otaku Meme Song's History and Revival|first=Timothy|last=Donohoo|date=20 April 2020|work=Comic Book Resources}} "Caramelldansen" is one of the licensed songs in the 2013 edition of Dance Dance Revolution.{{cite video game | title=Dance Dance Revolution | date=2013 | developer=Konami, Bemani | publisher=Konami }} The dance has also appeared as a purchasable "Cat Ear Dance" emote in the 2017 video game Destiny 2.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-2-most-annoying-emote-is-available-for-bright-dust-this-week/1100-6498456/|title=Destiny 2's Most Annoying Emote Is Available For Bright Dust This Week | work=GameSpot | first=Phil | last=Hornshaw | date=30 November 2021}}

In a TV commercial for Gamania's Lucent Heart video game, the couple do the dance with the song playing in the background. In the World of Warcraft "Mists of Pandaria" expansion pack, the choreography for the female Pandaren dance emote is derived from this meme.{{Cite web |title=New Pandaren mounts revealed for World of Warcraft |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/73957/new-pandaren-mounts-revealed-for-world-of-warcraft |website=Shacknews|date=24 May 2012 }}

• List of Internet phenomena
• 2 Phút Hơn
• Loituma Girl
• Nyan Cat
• Pikki Pikki dance
• Shukusei!! Loli Kami Requiem

{{reflist|refs=

Desert Bus for Hope videos featuring "Caramelldansen":

• {{cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk8Slq1iN5Y|title=DB8 - The entire room does the Caramelldansen in celebration of $90K raised | author=Desert Bus for Hope | date=15 November 2014 | via=YouTube }}
• {{cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7gPphoR0DI | title=DB2019 - Kathleen teaches Jacob the Caramelldansen as the room dances to $100k|author=Desert Bus for Hope | via=YouTube | date=8 November 2019 }}
• {{cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZbKBN-tY-8 | title=DB2021 - Caramelldansen (the first of many?) | author=Desert Bus for Hope | date=13 November 2021 | via=YouTube}}

}}

• {{Official website|http://www.caramellagirls.com|Caramella Girls official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090624204428/http://umauma.cd/ Caramelldansen official website] (archive) {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Know Your Meme|caramelldansen}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2000s fads and trends

Category:2000s viral videos

Category:2001 songs

Category:Caramell songs

Category:Eurodance songs

Category:Internet memes introduced in 2006

Category:Macaronic songs

Category:Novelty and fad dances

Category:Remix singles

Category:Songs containing the I–V-vi-IV progression

Category:Songs in Swedish

Category:Viral music videos