"Cold Shoulder" is a song by the British singer-songwriter Adele, released from her first album 19. It was released digitally in Ireland on 20 April 2008 and in the UK on 21 April 2008. "Cold Shoulder" is the only song on the album to be produced by Mark Ronson. The former Jamiroquai bass guitarist Stuart Zender plays bass guitar on the song and is also part of Ronson's touring band. Adele performed the song on Friday Night with Jools Holland on 8 February 2008 and on Saturday Night Live during the 18 October 2008 show. A remix by Basement Jaxx also received airplay and is digitally available.
| "Cold Shoulder" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Adele | ||||
| from the album 19 | ||||
| B-side | "Now and Then" | |||
| Released | 21 April 2008[1] | |||
| Recorded | Compass Point Studios (Nassau, Bahamas) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:12 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Mark Ronson | |||
| Adele singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Cold Shoulder" on YouTube | ||||
Critical reception
The song was met with positive reviews from critics, with most praising Adele's vocals and the song's lyrics.[citation needed] However, Clash Magazine described the song and Ronson's production as having "high concept" and "slick production" that "seems as soulless as a Michael Bay film".[3]
Music video
The music video for "Cold Shoulder" was shot in February 2008 in London. It had airplay on UK music channels and shows Adele singing in a darkened room among melting ice statues, each with looks of despair. The music video ends with many of the statues melted and the final shots of Adele interfade into those of the statues. As of December 2023, the music video has received over 35 million views on YouTube.[4]
Track listings
UK – CD and 7-inch vinyl
- "Cold Shoulder" 3:15
- "Now and Then" 3:24
iTunes EP
Cold Shoulder – EP
- "Cold Shoulder"
- "Cold Shoulder" (Basement Jaxx Classic Edit)
- "Cold Shoulder" (Basement Jaxx Classic Remix)
- "Cold Shoulder" (Basement Jaxx DuBB)
- "Cold Shoulder" (Rusko Remix)
- "Cold Shoulder" (Out of Office Remix)
Credits and personnel
- Vocals – Adele
- Songwriting – Adele Adkins, Sacha Skarbek
- Production, drums, guitar, programming, keyboards - Mark Ronson
- Keyboards - Jason Silver
- Guitar - Michael Tighe, Matt Allchin
- Bass guitar - Stuart Zender
- Percussion - Pete Biggins
- Glockenspiel - Sam Koppelman
- String arrangements - Chris Elliott
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 21 April 2008 |
| Europe | 16 June 2008 |
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 192 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[13] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||