"A Cold Play" (stylised in all-caps) is a song by Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi, released on 5 September 2025 through Columbia Records. His fifth single of 2025, it serves as the lead single from his second studio album, Before I Forget (2026), after an initial version of the record was scrapped. The lyric reveal his "wishing he could fix someone" with fans speculating the song is about Tate McRae, with whom the artist split in July 2025. Three weeks later, McRae issued her response track titled "Tit for Tat".
"A Cold Play" was voted in at number 72 on the 2025 Triple J Hottest 100.
At the 2026 ARIA Music Awards, it was nominated for Song of the Year.
Music video The music video was directed by Alex Lill and premiered on 27 September 2025. It is a one-take video, slowly zooming out on a crying Kid Laroi. At the 2026 AACTA Awards, it was nominated for Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Music Video.
Reception Lauren McNamara from Rolling Stone Australia said the "single finds him at his most emotionally vulnerable yet, delivering heartfelt lyrics over another earworm hook".
Charts + Weekly chart performance for "A Cold Play" Chart (2025–2026) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 53 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 5
+ Year-end chart performance for "A Cold Play" Chart (2025) Position Australian Artist (ARIA) 39
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