Honestly, music in 2017 was a bit of a trip. We were all caught between the remnants of tropical house and this emerging, darker pop-trap hybrid that seemed to take over the airwaves. Enter Cold, the second single from Maroon 5's Red Pill Blues. It dropped right on Valentine’s Day. Talk about a mood killer, right?
While most couples were out sharing overpriced pasta, Adam Levine was singing about a relationship turning into an absolute freezer.
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People usually lump this song in with their other big rapper collaborations—like the Kendrick Lamar-assisted Don't Wanna Know—but there is something much weirder happening here. It isn't just a "breakup song." It's a snapshot of a band completely shifting their DNA. If you look past the catchy hook, you’ll find a production that’s surprisingly sparse and a music video that is, frankly, kind of insane.
The Future Factor: Why This Pairing Actually Worked
When you hear a Maroon 5 song featuring Future, your first instinct might be to roll your eyes. On paper, it feels like a boardroom decision. "Hey, let's get the biggest name in Atlanta trap to jump on this pop record for the streaming numbers."
But it worked.
The track was written by a heavy-hitting team: Justin Tranter, John Ryan, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Phil Shaouy, and Adam Levine himself. These guys are the architects of modern pop. They didn't go for a high-energy anthem. Instead, they leaned into this hollow, percussive sound that left plenty of room for Future’s distinctive, gravelly flow.
Future doesn't just phone it in either. He talks about spending "half a mill on a chandelier" only for the girl to cut him off "like a light switch." It’s classic Future—extravagant but deeply cynical. This cynicism is what anchors the song. Without him, it’s just another Adam Levine falsetto track. With him, it feels like a genuine conversation between two guys who are just done with the games.
The Music Video: A Hallucinogenic Trip for Milk
If you haven't watched the music video lately, you’ve probably forgotten how bizarre it is. Directed by Rich Lee, the plot is simple but the execution is anything but.
Adam Levine is driving to Future’s house to hear his verse. Normal enough. His wife, Behati Prinsloo, calls and tells him to pick up milk on the way home. Again, very suburban, very relatable.
Then he gets to the party.
Someone spikes his drink, and the entire video devolves into a neon-soaked fever dream. We're talking:
- Guitarist James Valentine getting hit on by a woman in a chicken costume.
- Police officers morphing into cartoon strippers.
- Underwater weddings.
- Future turning into a literal bear.
It’s a massive contrast to the "cold" and clinical sound of the song. By the time Adam gets home—milk in hand—and tries to explain the night to Behati, he sounds like a crazy person. It’s a clever meta-commentary on the rockstar lifestyle versus the reality of being a husband and father. It showed a sense of humor that the band doesn't always get credit for.
Why "Cold" Still Matters in the Maroon 5 Catalog
There’s a lot of debate among old-school fans about when Maroon 5 "stopped being a band." You know the ones. They want Songs About Jane back. They want the raw guitars and the funk.
Cold is basically the final nail in that coffin, but in a good way.
It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is solid, though it didn't hit the heights of Sugar or Girls Like You. However, its longevity on radio was massive. It proved that Maroon 5 could pivot away from the "group" sound and into something that lived comfortably on Spotify's "Today's Top Hits" playlists.
The song uses a "tribal" beat—something reviewers at the time compared to Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You—but it stays darker. The lyrics "I can't take the in-between / Asking me for space here in my house" hit on a specific type of relationship anxiety that isn't about the breakup itself, but the agonizing silence before the breakup.
Chart Performance and Reach
The song wasn't just a US hit. It went top 10 in countries like Portugal and Brazil.
- US Billboard Hot 100: Peak #16
- US Adult Top 40: Peak #5
- Canadian Hot 100: Peak #12
It was a slow burner. It didn't explode out of the gate, but it stayed in rotation for months because it fit every vibe: gym playlists, late-night drives, and (ironically) breakup recovery.
The Theory: Is it Actually About the Fans?
There is a fascinating, if slightly "conspiracy theory" vibe, interpretation of this song floating around in music forums. Some argue that "Cold" isn't about a girl at all. It's about the fans.
Think about the lyrics: "It feels like I don't know you anymore / I don't understand why you're so cold to me." By 2017, the backlash against the band’s shift to pure pop was at an all-time high. Longtime fans were vocal about their disappointment. Some see this song as the band’s response—expressing confusion at why the people who supported them for decades were suddenly turning "cold" just because their sound evolved.
Whether that’s true or just a deep-reach interpretation, it adds a layer of weight to a song that many dismissed as "just another radio hit."
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers
If you're revisiting this track or looking for similar vibes, here's how to actually appreciate what's happening in the "Cold" era of pop:
- Listen for the space: Notice how little is actually happening in the production. The silence between the beats is what makes the "cold" metaphor work.
- Watch the director's cut: Look for Rich Lee's other work (he’s worked with Eminem and Lana Del Rey) to see how he uses "visual distortion" to tell stories.
- Compare the collaborations: Listen to Cold back-to-back with Don't Wanna Know. You'll notice Cold is much more "hip-hop adjacent" in its rhythm, showing how Maroon 5 was testing different ways to integrate rappers into their sound.
- Check the "Red Pill Blues" Deluxe Edition: If you only know the radio edit, the album version flows better into the rest of their mid-2010s experimental phase.
The song might be nearly a decade old, but it remains one of the most interesting moments in the band's transition from pop-rockers to total chart chameleons. It's not just a song about a chilly ex; it's a masterclass in how to stay relevant when the musical climate is shifting under your feet.