Good Days Explained

Good Days
Cover:SZA - Good Days.png
Type:single
Artist:SZA
Album:SOS
Written:December 2018
Recorded:December 2018
Studio:SZA's house (Malibu, California)
Genre:
  • Alternative R&B
  • alternative pop
Length:4:39
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Hit Different
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:Kiss Me More
Next Year:2021

"Good Days" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA on December 25, 2020, as the lead single from her second studio album, SOS (2022).[1] [2] SZA wrote the song alongside Jacob Collier, who provides background vocals, and with producers Carter Lang, Los Hendrix, and Nascent.[3]

"Good Days" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Global 200; it was SZA's first song to chart in the top 10 of the Global 200. The song was also a top-10 hit in Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States. "Good Days" was met with critical acclaim and was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and release

SZA first teased the song on July 15, 2020, via her Instagram stories.[4] "Good Days" was originally featured at the tail end of the music video for "Hit Different", released in September 2020, leading to speculation among listeners that it would serve as a B-side to that single.[5] On October 21, 2020, SZA explained that the song was "in clearance" for release.[6] A week before release, she confirmed the track to come out before 2021.[7] The song was eventually released as a surprise drop on Christmas Day 2020.[8]

Music and lyrics

From 2017 to the first half of 2019, recording for SZA's second album, SOS (2022) happened sporadically. She had been going on tour during those years, only finding the time to record when she felt like it.[9] In the two-year touring period, she recorded the lead single "Good Days" in 2018 with Lang at her Malibu house,[10] following a guitar and drums demo from Los Hendrix and Nascent one year prior.[11] SZA started writing the song during a session on Lang's birthday that year and "finished it randomly" in 2020.[12]

"Good Days" is an alternative R&B and alternative pop song.[13] Dubbed a "nostalgic track",[14] "Good Days" sees SZA singing about "former love, soul searching, and rejoicing carefreely" over "guitar-tinged riff plays",[15] [16] while she makes use of her "dreamy vocals".[17] Compared to its predecessor, the song "manages to hit much more of a melodic, narrative-driven tone that puts it more in line with her Ctrl output".[18]

The accending tone inserted at the end of the song is an easter egg of Jacob Collier's song "In Too Deep".[19]

Commercial performance

After its release in late–December 2020, "Good Days" peaked within the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200 in January. It was SZA's first song to chart in the top 10 on the chart, and it did so in January 2021, with 32.3 million international streams and 4000 digital copies.[20]

In the United States, "Good Days" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 38 dated on January 9, 2021.[21] The song later reached a new peak at number nine on the Hot 100; it became SZA's first top-10 entry in a lead credit and her third overall, following "What Lovers Do" and "All the Stars".[22] On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Good Days" marked SZA's second top-five entry, after "All the Stars".[23] On Billboard airplay charts, it entered on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic, and the pop-driven Mainstream Top 40, with peaks of 23, 16, and 33, respectively. In April 2023, after selling over five million units, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song quintuple platinum.

"Good Days" debuted on multiple singles charts worldwide. It peaked at number three in New Zealand, and number eight in Ireland and Singapore. The song reached the top 10 in Lithuania and was the eighth most streamed international song in Malaysia for a week. It became SZA's third top-10 entry in Australia and was certified quadruple platinum for selling over 280,000 units.

Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Good Days"
YearOrganizationAwardResultRef(s)
2021MTV Video Music AwardsBest R&B[25]
2022Grammy AwardsBest R&B Song[26]

Music videos

Two music videos were released for "Good Days". Both videos were directed by SZA.

Official fan video

On January 13, 2021, SZA tweeted a request for fans to submit videos of their "happiest, saddest, [and] YOUR UGLIEST moments" to an email address, with a deadline of Saturday at midnight.[27] The fan video was released on February 10, 2021, and featured a compilation of videos submitted by fans lip-syncing to the song as well as featuring the aforementioned moments intercut with behind-the-scenes footage of the official video.

Music video

On March 5, 2021, the official music video was released. The video takes place with SZA experiencing a mushroom-induced psychedelic experience. It features scenes of SZA dancing while buried waist up in an oversized Alice in Wonderland-inspired garden and pole-dancing in a library. Jacob Collier cameos in the video as the man within the green television.[28] In a similar fashion to the video for "Hit Different", the video ends with a teaser of "Shirt" and features SZA pole-dancing at an empty gas station while bathed in pink lighting.[29] [30] [31] [32]

Credits

Recording and management

Personnel

Note

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Finland Radio (Suomen virallinen radiolistasijoitus)19
Finland Streaming (Suomen virallinen striimilistasijoitus)[33] 3
Global 200 (Billboard)[34] 7
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[35] 14
Lithuania (AGATA)[36] 10
Malaysia (RIM)[37] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[38] 9
Singapore (RIAS)[39] 8
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[40] 56

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[41] 36
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[42] 67
Global 200 (Billboard)[43] 78
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[44] 42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[45] 24
Portugal (AFP)[46] 157
UK Singles (OCC)[47] 90
US Billboard Hot 100[48] 52
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[49] 21

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label
VariousDecember 25, 2020RCA
United StatesJanuary 12, 2021Urban adult contemporary[50]
ItalyJanuary 29, 2021Radio airplaySony[51]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Listen to SZA's dreamy new song 'Good Days'. Daly. Rhian. NME. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  2. Web site: SZA Shares New Single "Good Days": Stream. Young. Alex. Consequence of Sound. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  3. Web site: SZA – "Good Days". Rettig. James. Stereogum. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  4. Web site: SZA shares new single "Good Days". Cho. Regina. Revolt. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  5. Web site: SZA Shares New Song "Good Days": Listen. Bloom. Madison. Pitchfork. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  6. Web site: SZA says unreleased song at end of 'Hit Different' video is "in clearance" for release. Langford. Jackson. NME. October 22, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  7. Web site: SZA Hints That "Good Days" Single Will Arrive Before 2021. Higgins. Keenan. HotNewHipHop. December 18, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  8. Web site: SZA Drops Her New Single 'Good Days' to Enjoy on Your Christmas Days. Kiefer. Halle. Vulture. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  9. Hiatt . Brian . January 29, 2023 . The Making of SZA's SOS . limited . June 14, 2024 . . en-US . January 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230129211852/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sza-making-of-sos-podcast-1234670550/ . live.
  10. Web site: 2023-02-23 . Your favorite artist's favorite artist: How SZA went from cult star to pop superstar . June 14, 2024 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  11. Web site: Shannon . Delisa . 2022-03-30 . The Making of SZA's 'Good Days' . June 14, 2024 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  12. 1342685959045984260 . sza . I started it on @carterplaysbass birthday 12/11. all my music friends have sessions for their bdays always fun . finished it randomly recently . December 26, 2020 . December 27, 2020.
  13. Web site: TRACK REVIEW: SZA - Good Days. Music Musings & Such. December 27, 2020 .
  14. Web site: Listen to SZA's new song, 'Good Days'. Waite. Thom. Dazed Digital. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  15. Web site: New Music: SZA "Good Days". Duong. Paul "Big Homie". Rap Radar. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  16. Web site: SZA Still Believes in "Good Days" With New Single. Caraan. Sophie. Hypebeast. December 26, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  17. Web site: SZA Unveils New Song 'Good Days': Listen. Navjosh. HipHopNMore. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  18. Web site: SZA Just Dropped 'Good Days,' Her Second New Song Of 2020. White. Caitlin. Uproxx. December 25, 2020. December 27, 2020.
  19. Web site: Good Days by SZA . 2022-06-19 . Genius.
  20. Trust . Gary . 2021-01-19 . Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Launches Atop Both Billboard Global Charts . 2023-04-30 . Billboard . en-US.
  21. Good Days by SZA Billboard The Hot 100 Chart. January 13, 2021. Billboard.
  22. Morgan Wallen, SZA Hit Hot 100's Top 10, Chris Brown & Young Thug Rule Radio Songs. Trust. Gary. Billboard. January 19, 2021. January 19, 2021.
  23. Anderson . Trevor . 2022-11-09 . SZA's 'Shirt' Starts in Top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart . 2023-05-08 . Billboard . en-US.
  24. Web site: The 100 Best Songs of 2021. Pitchfork. Dani. Blum. December 6, 2021. December 6, 2021.
  25. 2021 MTV VMAs: Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo Lead Nominations. Rolling Stone. Martoccio. Angie. August 11, 2021. August 11, 2021.
  26. News: Horton . Adrian . 2022-04-03 . Grammy awards 2022: list of winners . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-17 . 0261-3077.
  27. Web site: January 14, 2021. SZA Asked Fans To Submit Clips For Her 'Good Days' Video. March 6, 2021. UPROXX. en-US.
  28. Web site: The unreal @sza just dropped the official video for 'Good Days'!! SZA sent me the demo for this song last year, to my definitive flabbergastedness, asking if I wanted to record any harmonies. I recorded these tracks and sent them back. The fact that this song now has 300,000,000 streams across all platforms blows my actual mind. I'm so proud of what it has become, and of SZA's incandescent vision. If you peer closely at the video she dropped yesterday, you'll find me within the green television . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CMGM9m0A53L . December 24, 2021 . registration. @jacobcollier. March 7, 2021. Instagram. March 10, 2021.
  29. Web site: SZA Shares Fantasy Dreamland Visuals for "Good Days" Video. March 6, 2021. Complex. en.
  30. SZA Takes a Mushroom-Fueled Trip to Wonderland in 'Good Days' Video. March 6, 2021. Billboard. en.
  31. Web site: Kiefer. Halle. March 5, 2021. Spring Has Sprung in SZA's 'Good Days' Music Video. March 6, 2021. Vulture. en-us.
  32. Web site: Kinnett. Tristan. SZA Trips Out in New Video for "Good Days". March 8, 2021. March 10, 2021. mxdwn.com. en.
  33. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 . 2021 . SZA. 252. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . Helsinki. June 18, 2022.
  34. Billboard Global 200 Chart . Billboard . January 9, 2021.
  35. Web site: Tónlistinn – Lög. The Music – Songs. is. Plötutíðindi. July 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210204062218/http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/. February 4, 2021.
  36. Web site: 2021 4-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). lt. AGATA. January 29, 2021. July 2, 2021.
  37. Web site: #RIMChart Top 20 Most Streamed International + Domestic song Week 4 (22/01/21- 28/01/21). https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CK6G0hLJGet . December 24, 2021 . registration. Instagram. February 5, 2021.
  38. Web site: Tipparade-lijst van week 8, 2021. Dutch Top 40. nl. April 25, 2023.
  39. Web site: en. RIAS Top Charts - Week 4 (22 - 28 Jan 2021). Recording Industry Association Singapore. February 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210202074756/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/. February 2, 2021.
  40. Web site: ČNS IFPI. IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 20215 into search.. April 5, 2021.
  41. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2021. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 11, 2022.
  42. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 2, 2021.
  43. Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  44. Web site: Tónlistinn – Lög – 2021. Plötutíðindi. is. August 31, 2023.
  45. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2021. Recorded Music NZ. January 24, 2022. January 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220124051226/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=5267. live.
  46. Web site: Top 1000 Singles + EPs Digitais: Semanas 01 a 52 de 2021 . pt. Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. May 12, 2022.
  47. Web site: End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2021. Official Charts Company. January 5, 2022.
  48. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  49. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  50. Web site: Urban/UAC Future Releases . All Access . January 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210111213112/https://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases . January 11, 2021 . en.
  51. Web site: SZA "Good Days" (Radio Date: 29/01/2021). Radiodate.it. it. Chiara. Pagura. February 20, 2022.

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