"Good Days"
Single by SZA
from the album SOS
WrittenDecember 11, 2019 (2019-12-11)–2020
ReleasedDecember 25, 2020 (2020-12-25)
RecordedApril 2020
StudioSZA's house (Malibu, California)
Genre
Length4:39
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
SZA singles chronology
"Hit Different"
(2020) 		"Good Days"
(2020) 		"Kiss Me More"
(2021)
Music video
"Good Days" on YouTube

"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] Upon release, the singer revealed that she started writing the song during a session on Carter Lang's birthday and "finished it randomly recently".[9]

Composition

"Good Days" is an alternative R&B and alternative pop song.[10] Dubbed a "nostalgic track",[11] "Good Days" sees SZA singing about "former love, soul searching, and rejoicing carefreely" over "guitar-tinged riff plays",[12][13] while she makes use of her "dreamy vocals".[14] 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".[15]

The accending tone inserted at the end of the song is an easter egg of Jacob Collier's song "In Too Deep".[16]

Commercial performance

After its release in late–December 2020, "Good Days" peaked[17] 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.[18]

In the United States, "Good Days" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 38 dated on January 9, 2021.[19] 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"[note 1] and "All the Stars".[note 2][20] On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Good Days" marked SZA's second top-five entry, after "All the Stars".[21] On Billboard airplay charts, it entered on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic, and the pop-driven Mainstream Top 40, with peaks of 23,[22] 16,[23] and 33,[24] respectively. In April 2023, after selling over five million units, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song quintuple platinum.[25]

"Good Days" debuted on multiple singles charts worldwide. It peaked at number three in New Zealand,[26] and number eight in Ireland[27] and Singapore.[28] The song reached the top 10 in Lithuania[29] and was the eighth most streamed international song in Malaysia for a week.[30] It became SZA's third top-10 entry in Australia[31] and was certified triple platinum for selling over 210,000 units.[32]

Accolades

Critical rankings for "Good Days"
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2021 20 [33]
Awards and nominations for "Good Days"
Year Organization Award Result Ref(s)
2021 MTV Video Music Awards Best R&B Nominated [34]
2022 Grammy Awards Best R&B Song Nominated [35]

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.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38][39][40][41]

Credits

Adapted from the liner notes of SOS[42] and the Los Angeles Times[43]

Recording and management

Personnel

Note

  1. ^ Contributed uncredited vocals

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Good Days"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[72] 3× Platinum 120,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[73] 5× Platinum 400,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[74] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[75] Gold 100,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[76] Platinum 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[77] Gold 25,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[78] Platinum 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[79] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[25] 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)[80] Gold 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates for "Good Days"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various December 25, 2020
RCA [1]
United States January 12, 2021 Urban adult contemporary [81]
Italy January 29, 2021 Radio airplay Sony [82]

Notes

  1. ^ 2017 collaboration with Maroon 5
  2. ^ 2018 collaboration with Kendrick Lamar

References

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  3. ^ Rettig, James (December 25, 2020). "SZA – "Good Days"". Stereogum. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Cho, Regina (December 25, 2020). "SZA shares new single "Good Days"". Revolt. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  5. ^ Bloom, Madison (December 25, 2020). "SZA Shares New Song "Good Days": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  6. ^ Langford, Jackson (October 22, 2020). "SZA says unreleased song at end of 'Hit Different' video is "in clearance" for release". NME. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Higgins, Keenan (December 18, 2020). "SZA Hints That "Good Days" Single Will Arrive Before 2021". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
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  9. ^ @sza (December 26, 2020). "I started it on @carterplaysbass birthday 12/11. all my music friends have sessions for their bdays always fun . finished it randomly recently" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2020 – via Twitter.
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