Tr3s Exclusive: Jencarlos Canela Releases Sweet ‘Caramelo’

By Michael Lopez

Who can resist the infectious pop tune “I Want Candy?” First recorded back in 1965, the song has charted multiple times with covers from Aaron Carter, The Spice Girls’ Melanie C, and Bow Wow Wow. Now, Cuban-America vocalist Jencarlos Canela is giving Spanish-speaking listeners a new version called “Caramelo.” Canela spoke exclusively to Blogamole about the track.

“‘I Want Candy’ is a classic,” Jencarlos said. “The song is so upbeat. It makes you want to dance. In makes you want to get crazy…in a good way of course.”

Recorded for international versions of the new movie Hop, “Caramelo” offers a unique blend of the new and the old. Though the lyrics and production styles are very different from the original song, “I Want Candy” fans will instantly recognize the most memorable parts.

“What they did was they kept the melody, but they changed the lyrics,” Canela said. “We definitely did this song with a lot of love.”

The live action and animated film centers on the wild adventures of an Easter bunny in training. Candy is such a big part of the film that its official website is iwantcandy.com.

“As a kid, you always dream about being a part of an animated fim,” Jencarlos said. “Plus, I grew up with the tradition [of Easter]. I think it’s going to be an incredible movie.”

But the family-friendly soundtrack isn't the only project Canela has in the works.

“I just wrote a song in Spanish for Pitbull’s upcoming Planet Pit album," he said. "We just did ‘Tu Cuerpo’ on his Armando album too. Pitbull’s like a brother to me. We’re doing lots of great work together.”

Hop hits theaters April 1.

Which version of “I Want Candy” do you like best? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Caramelo, Easter, Exclusive Entrevistas, Hop, I Want Candy, Jencarlos Caneda, Música, Movies, Pitbull, Soundtracks