Acclaimed Canadian singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Rose Cousins celebrates the extremes of the Nova Scotian winter with her new single – a shimmering version of Annie Lennox’ Cold.

CHANNELING ANNIE LENNOX

Think it’s been chilly here in the good ol’ UK these past few weeks? Then spare a thought for the inhabitants of Halifax, Nova Scotia – acclaimed singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rose Cousins, for instance. Over there, it’s been a classic winter and unbelievably cold, with freshly-fallen snow and ice shimmering all around. And those winter scenes got Rose thinking about the musical touchstones of her youth, including Cold, a song by Annie Lennox that featured on Annie’s 1992 album, Diva.

So, piano at the ready, Rose decided that she’d generate a bit of warmth – by recording her own, lush, version of Cold.

“Annie Lennox is so brilliant and it’s been a cold winter,” explains Rose. “She’s epic and so this is a nostalgic song from 1992, and my youth. Who doesn’t love longing and winter combined? Undeniable.”

ROSE COUSINS

Rose Cousins has an enviable CV. Her trophy cabinet is packed with awards and accolades, including two Canadian Folk Music Awards, eleven East Coast Music Awards and one Grammy nomination. And, over the years, she’s shared stages with the likes of Patty Griffin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bruce Cockburn, Anais Mitchell and many others. She has six full-length albums under her belt from a recording career that began back in 2006 – most recently, her 2025 JUNO Award-nominated offering, Conditions Of Love – Vol.1.

A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION

But, returning to the matter in hand…

For Cold, Rose plays her beloved piano and sings with a clear, bluesy, passion, particularly as she hits key lines like: “Dying is easy; it’s living that scares me today.” There’s the hint of choir behind her as she sings the “Cold is the colour of crystal snow as it falls from the heavenly sky” refrain, and that choir definitely enhances the song’s wintry imagery. It’s abundantly clear that Cold is a song that means a great deal to Rose Cousins. And the feeling and belief that she gives to the song add a whole new dimension.

Hear Rose Cousins perform her version of Cold below:

Rose Cousins: Website

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