Stone Cold Sober (Paloma Faith song)

Last updated

"Stone Cold Sober"
Stonecoldsobercover.jpg
Single by Paloma Faith
from the album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
B-side "I Just Wait"
Released15 June 2009
Recorded2009
Genre
Length2:56
Label Epic Records
Songwriter(s)
  • Paloma Faith
  • Paddy Byrne
  • Blair Mackichan
Producer(s) Patrick Byrne and Blair Mackichan
Paloma Faith singles chronology
"Stone Cold Sober"
(2009)
"New York"
(2009)
Music video
"Stone Cold Sober" on YouTube

"Stone Cold Sober" is the debut single by English recording artist Paloma Faith from the album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009). It was released on 15 June 2009 and entered the UK chart at number 17.

Contents

Background

The theme of the song is the predicament of appearing to be one thing and actually being quite another. Faith told Q July 2009 about the Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? album: "My vocal style suits the subject matter of my album. It's about the human condition, the constant striving for love and companionship. I've thrown my heart at many a wrong man in my time, I can't tell you. I'm the queen of tragedy. Melancholy informs everything I do."

This song is featured in the commercial for the Max Lashes product manufactured by cosmetics company Rimmel London.[ citation needed ] The B-side, meanwhile, featured in an 'Alcohol: Know Your Limits' public information film run by the NHS about binge drinking in 2008.

Critical reception

Digital Spy gave the song 4/5 stars and a positive review stating: "'Stone Cold Sober' makes the most of her theatrical background. Sure, it's another slice of post-Winehouse retro-pop, but it's more interesting that most tunes of that ilk, partly because it's a got a chorus you could quite easily do the can-can to, and partly because Faith gives it more sass than a backchatting teenager. Maybe a spell in the circus should be compulsory for all pop wannabes?" [1]

BBC Chart Blog gave the song a mixed review with 3/5 stars: "'Stone Cold Sober' is more of an uptempo rockin' raveup than it is an old school soul resurrection (with desperate lyrics, let us not forget), there are a LOT of little clues scattered through this endeavour which suggest Paloma is being sold as a sequel to a very successful franchise." [2]

Chart performance

"Stone Cold Sober" had moderate success throughout the charts, being most successful in the UK, peaking at number 17 and spending three weeks in the chart. The song peaked at number 70 in Germany, 45 in Australia, 36 in Switzerland and number 30 in New Zealand.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by the British music video director Sophie Muller. [3]

Track listing

Digital download [4]
No.TitleLength
1."Stone Cold Sober"2:56
2."I Just Wait"4:48

Charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
Australian Physical Singles (ARIA) [5] 45
Germany (Official German Charts) [6] 70
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [7] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [8] 84
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [9] 30
Scotland (OCC) [10] 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [11] 36
UK Singles (OCC) [12] 17

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [13] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDate
United Kingdom 15 June 2009
Germany [4] 11 September 2009

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4ever (The Veronicas song)</span> 2005 single by the Veronicas

"4ever" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald for the Veronicas' debut studio album, The Secret Life Of... (2005). It was released as the album's first single in Australia on 15 August 2005 as a CD single. The song reached number two on the ARIA Charts and number seven in New Zealand. In the United States, the single was promoted early in 2006 by Archie Comics through a mention in issue #167 of the group's namesake Veronica comic, which featured a guest appearance and cover picture of the Veronicas and a card containing a code that could be used to download an MP3 version of the song for free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evanescence discography</span>

American rock band Evanescence has released five studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, two demo albums, three extended plays, eighteen singles, nine promotional singles, two video albums, and eighteen music videos. Evanescence was founded in 1994 by Amy Lee and Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. The band's lineup comprises Lee, guitarist Troy McLawhorn, guitarist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, and bassist Emma Anzai. As of 2022, the band has sold over 31.9 million albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Tear Us Apart</span> 1988 single by INXS

"Never Tear Us Apart" is a power ballad by Australian rock band INXS, released in June 1988 by WEA as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Kick (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex on Fire</span> 2008 single by Kings of Leon

"Sex on Fire" is the first single released from American rock band Kings of Leon's fourth studio album, Only by the Night. The song gave Kings of Leon their first number-one single in Australia, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, charting at the top spot on digital downloads alone in the latter country, before its physical release. In September 2009, it was Britain's second most-downloaded digital single ever. The song has sold 1.2 million copies in the United Kingdom as of November 2012. It has also gained significant popularity in the United States, reaching number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's second highest-charting song there on the latter chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sober (Pink song)</span> 2008 single by Pink

"Sober" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Pink, taken from her fifth studio album, Funhouse (2008). It was written by Pink and Kara DioGuardi, with additional writing by Nate "Danja" Hills and Marcella Araica, while production was done by Danja, Tony Kanal and Jimmy Harry. The song was released as the album's second single on November 10, 2008, firstly through digital download and later was added to U.S. radio stations on December 1, 2008. The power pop song talks about the quiet sense of comfort in being sober, with the singer claiming it was about the vices that we choose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Aloud discography</span>

The discography of British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud consists of five studio albums, two compilation albums, twenty-three singles, one promotional single, two live albums, one remix album, two box sets, eleven video albums and twenty-four music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paloma Faith</span> English singer and actress (born 1981)

Paloma Faith Blomfield is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. After signing to Epic Records in 2008, she released her debut studio album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009), which was certified double platinum in the UK and spawned the singles "Stone Cold Sober", "New York", and "Upside Down". Her second studio album, Fall to Grace (2012), charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and earned her another double platinum certification. The album produced her first top ten single, "Picking Up the Pieces", the top twenty cover version of INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart", and earned her two Brit Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paloma Faith discography</span>

English singer and songwriter Paloma Faith has released six studio albums, 40 singles and 36 music videos. Faith made her debut in September 2009 with the studio album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?, which peaked at number nine in the United Kingdom and was later certified double-platinum. Its first two singles, "Stone Cold Sober" and "New York", both peaked within the top twenty in the United Kingdom. The album spawned three more original singles: "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?", "Upside Down" and "Smoke & Mirrors".

<i>Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?</i> 2009 studio album by Paloma Faith

Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? is the debut studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith. It was released on 28 September 2009 by Epic Records. Its first two singles from the album, "Stone Cold Sober" and "New York", both peaked within the top twenty in the United Kingdom. The album spawned three more singles: "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?", "Upside Down" and "Smoke & Mirrors".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York (Paloma Faith song)</span> 2009 single by Paloma Faith

"New York" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith from her debut studio album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009). It was released on 13 September 2009. The song features a sweeping gospel chorus by the London-based Souls of Prophecy Gospel Choir. The song was re-released in a new remix featuring rapper Ghostface Killah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (song)</span> 2009 single by Paloma Faith

"Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith from her 2009 debut studio album of the same name. It was released on 21 December 2009, and peaked at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. It was co-written with Ed Harcourt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upside Down (Paloma Faith song)</span> 2010 single by Paloma Faith

"Upside Down" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith from her debut studio album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom on 15 March 2010, by Epic Records as the fourth single from the album. "Upside Down" was written by Faith, Andrew Nicholas Love, Jos Hartvig Jorgensen and Belle Sara Humble, and it was produced by Love and Jorgensen. The song received mixed reviews from critics. "Upside Down" reached a peak position of fifty-five in the UK chart. The music video was directed by Chris Sweeney, who previously directed the video for Faith's third single, "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?".

<i>Fall to Grace</i> 2012 studio album by Paloma Faith

Fall to Grace is the second studio album by English singer Paloma Faith, released on 28 May 2012 by RCA Records. She worked on the album with producer Nellee Hooper, who previously worked with artists such as Madonna, Björk, Massive Attack, and Gwen Stefani. Fall to Grace was received positively by most critics. A deluxe edition was released the same day, which contains acoustic versions of five songs from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picking Up the Pieces (Paloma Faith song)</span> 2012 single by Paloma Faith

"Picking Up the Pieces" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith from her second studio album Fall to Grace. Produced by Nellee Hooper and written by Faith, Wayne Hector and Tim Powell, it was released as the album's first single on 18 May 2012. Faith revealed "Picking Up the Pieces" was inspired by the issues and insecurity of dating someone who is recovering from a previous relationship. The artwork for the single was revealed on 5 April 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30 Minute Love Affair</span> 2012 single by Paloma Faith

"30 Minute Love Affair" is a song performed by English recording artist Paloma Faith. It was released on 10 August 2012, by RCA Records, as the second single from her second studio album Fall to Grace (2012). The song was written by Faith and Chris Braide, while Nellee Hooper produced it. Faith explained that the concept of the song is based on a real-life encounter she had with a busker when she was fourteen. The singer said that she wanted the song to have a similar feel of freedom and escape that the 2011 film Drive evokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Be (Paloma Faith song)</span> 2012 single by Paloma Faith

"Just Be" is a song by British recording artist Paloma Faith from her second studio album Fall to Grace (2012). It was released on 16 December 2012 by RCA Records as the fourth single from the album. Written by Faith, Greg Wells and Matt Hales, "Just Be" is a "love song for real lovers". One critic called it an honest portrait of the highs and lows of relationships. "Just Be" reached Number 66 in the UK Singles Chart, three months before it was released. The official music video was released on 5 November 2012 and features Faith in a love affair with a man in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Rely on You</span> 2014 single by Paloma Faith

"Can't Rely on You" is a song by English singer Paloma Faith, written by Faith and American singer and producer Pharrell Williams. The single, available for purchase from 23 February 2014, serves as the lead single from her third studio album, A Perfect Contradiction, which was released in early March.

<i>A Perfect Contradiction</i> 2014 studio album by Paloma Faith

A Perfect Contradiction is the third studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 10 March 2014. Musically, the album is a pop album, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, Motown and disco. The album received mixed reviews; it spawned six singles; "Can't Rely on You", "Only Love Can Hurt Like This", "Trouble with My Baby", "Ready for the Good Life", "Leave While I'm Not Looking" and "Beauty Remains"; the first two of these charted within the top 10 in the United Kingdom and "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" topped the charts in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Love Can Hurt Like This</span> 2014 single by Paloma Faith

"Only Love Can Hurt Like This" is a song by English singer Paloma Faith, written by Diane Warren. Released as the second single to promote her third studio album, A Perfect Contradiction (2014), on 11 May 2014, it was promoted on shows such as Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The song peaked at number six in the United Kingdom, making it Faith's highest-charting single as a solo artist in the country. In Australia, the song was promoted through a high-profile TV advertisement for Channel 7's drama series Winners & Losers, and it reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart on 26 July 2014. In 2022, due to a resurgence of popularity on TikTok, the song charted in several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changing (Sigma song)</span> 2014 single by Sigma

"Changing" is a song by British record production duo Sigma. It was co-written by TMS, Wayne Hector and Ella Eyre. The song features English singer Paloma Faith, most associated with her pop and soul ballads. This song was heard on Vodafone commercials in October 2017 for the brand-new ″Proud″ campaign.

References

  1. "Paloma Faith: 'Stone Cold Sober'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  2. "BBC - Chart Blog: Paloma Faith - 'Stone Cold Sober'". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  3. "Paloma Faith - Stone Cold Sober video". NME . IPC Media. Archived from the original on 15 December 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Faith,Paloma - - - musicline.de". musicline.de. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  5. "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 August 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  6. "Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  7. "Tipparade-lijst van week 49, 2009" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  8. "Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. "Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober". Top 40 Singles.
  10. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  11. "Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober". Swiss Singles Chart.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  13. "British single certifications – Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2 February 2024.