How Cruel

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = How Cruel

| type = ep

| artist = Joan Armatrading

| cover =How Cruel.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 1979

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = {{hlist|Morgan (London)|A&M (Hollywood){{Citation|title=Joan Armatrading – How Cruel (1979, Vinyl)|url=https://www.discogs.com/Joan-Armatrading-How-Cruel/release/955493|language=en|access-date=2021-02-16}}}}

| genre = Pop, reggae

| length =

| label = A&M

| producer = Joan Armatrading, Henry Lewy

| prev_title = Steppin' Out

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = Me Myself I

| next_year = 1980

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000836408|first=William|last=Ruhlmann|accessdate=12 May 2017}}}}

How Cruel is a 12-inch one-sided EP by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, which was released in November 1979 on A&M. The title track had previously appeared on Armatrading's live album Steppin' Out, which was not released in the US. The EP was released in the US and elsewhere, but not in the UK.{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music|url=https://archive.org/details/virginencycloped00lark|url-access=registration|publisher=Virgin|year=1997|page=19|isbn=1852279478}} It made it to number 10 on the Dutch Album Top 100 and peaked at #19 on the Norwegian Albums Chart.{{cite web|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?search=Joan+Armatrading&cat=a |title=Joan Armatrading |work=Norwegiancharts.com |publisher=Hung Medien |accessdate=12 May 2017}} It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/grammy/rockfemale.htm|title=Grammy Awards: Best Rock Vocal Performance – Female|publisher=Rock on the Net|accessdate=12 May 2017}} The single from this EP was "Rosie"/"How Cruel" (1979/1980), which reached #49 in the UK and #52 in Australia.{{Discogs master|244614|Rosie / How Cruel|type=single}}{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher=Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 29}}{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St. Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|page=19|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} "Rosie" was included on Armatrading's first compilation album, 1983's Track Record,{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000192838|label=Track Record|first=Dave|last=Connolly|accessdate=12 May 2017}} as well as her 2004 live album Live: All the Way from America.{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000206713|label=Live: All the Way from America|first=Thom|last=Jurek|accessdate=12 May 2017}} All four tracks from this EP were placed at the start of the second CD of Armatrading's 2003 compilation album Love and Affection: Joan Armatrading Classics (1975–1983).{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000023409|label=Love and Affection: Joan Armatrading Classics (1975–1983)|first=Thom|last=Jurek|accessdate=12 May 2017}}