Good Days

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Lore & Background

SZA first teased the song on July 15, 2020, via her Instagram stories. "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. On October 21, 2020, SZA explained that the song was "in clearance" for release. A week before release, she confirmed the track to come out before 2021. The song was eventually released as a surprise drop on Christmas Day 2020. SZA started writing the song during a session on Carter Lang's birthday in 2018 and "finished it randomly" in 2020. The ascending tone inserted at the end of the song is an easter egg of Jacob Collier's song "In Too Deep".

In Their Own Story

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. In the two-year touring period, she recorded the lead single "Good Days" in 2018 with Carter Lang at her Malibu house, following a guitar and drums demo from Los Hendrix and Nascent one year prior. The song is an alternative R&B and alternative pop song. Dubbed a "nostalgic track", "Good Days" sees SZA singing about "former love, soul searching, and rejoicing carefreely" over "guitar-tinged riff plays", while she makes use of her "dreamy vocals". 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".

Reader's Guide

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. In the United States, "Good Days" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 38 dated on January 9, 2021. The song later reached a new peak at number 9 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". On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Good Days" marked SZA's second top 5 entry, after "All the Stars". In July 2026, the song was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over ten million equivalent units. SZA included "Good Days" regularly during the SOS Tour, which ran from 2023 to 2024. It was performed for the concerts' encore. SZA concluded the shows on a diving board prop onstage, as the screen projected a scene of the sun either rising or setting. She also performed the song as part of the Grand National Tour, which she co-headlined with rapper Kendrick Lamar, starting in April 2025. Concerts were divided into nine acts; SZA performed "Good Days" during the seventh.

Did You Know?

• "Good Days" was released as a surprise drop on Christmas Day 2020.
• The ascending tone at the end of the song is an easter egg of Jacob Collier's song "In Too Deep".
• SZA wrote the song during a session on Carter Lang's birthday in 2018 and finished it randomly in 2020.
• The song was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA in 2023.
• SZA performed "Good Days" during the seventh act of the Grand National Tour, which she co-headlined with Kendrick Lamar starting in April 2025.

Development and Release History

SZA's second album, SOS, saw sporadic recording between 2017 and early 2019 due to extensive touring schedules. The lead single, "Good Days," was actually recorded in 2018 at her Malibu residence with producer Carter Lang. This session occurred after receiving a guitar and drums demo from Los Hendrix and Nascent the previous year. Although writing began on Lang's birthday that year, SZA did not finalize the track until randomly finishing it in 2020. Listeners first encountered snippets via Instagram stories in July 2020, followed by its appearance at the conclusion of the "Hit Different" music video later that September. Despite speculation about a B-side release, SZA confirmed clearance in October and executed a surprise Christmas Day drop on December 25, 2020, through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA.

Musical Composition and Themes

Classified as alternative R&B and pop, the track embraces a nostalgic atmosphere that aligns closely with SZA's previous output on Ctrl. Lyrically, she explores themes of former love and soul searching while simultaneously rejoicing carefreely over guitar-tinged riffs. Her dreamy vocals drive a melodic, narrative-driven tone distinct from her earlier work. The songwriting credits include Jacob Collier, who also contributes background vocals to the production alongside Carter Lang, Los Hendrix, and Nascent. A notable detail for attentive listeners is an easter egg hidden within the arrangement; the ascending tone inserted at the very end of the track references Collier's own song "In Too Deep." This collaborative effort resulted in a composition that critics widely acclaimed upon its arrival during the holiday season.

Commercial Success and Certifications

Upon its late December release, the single achieved significant global traction, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Global 200 in January 2021. This marked SZA's first entry into the top ten of that specific chart, driven by over thirty-two million international streams and four thousand digital copies sold during that period. In the United States, it debuted at thirty-eight before climbing to number nine on the Hot 100, becoming her first lead credit to reach the top ten overall. The track also secured a second top-five placement on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Longevity was evident in its certifications; by July 2026, the Recording Industry Association of America certified it diamond for exceeding ten million equivalent units. Internationally, it reached quadruple platinum status in Australia and entered the top ten across markets including New Zealand, Ireland, and Singapore.

Visuals and Live Performances

SZA directed two distinct visual projects for the single. The first was a fan video released in February 2021, compiling submissions where fans lip-synced during their happiest or saddest moments. The official music video followed in March, depicting a mushroom-induced psychedelic experience. Scenes include SZA buried waist-up in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired garden and pole-dancing within a library before ending at an empty gas station bathed in pink light. Jacob Collier makes a cameo as the man inside a green television set. Live interpretations varied across tours; during the SOS Tour from 2023 to 2024, she performed it as an encore on a diving board prop with sunrise or sunset projections. Later, starting April 2025, she included the track in the seventh act of nine during the Grand National Tour co-headlined with Kendrick Lamar.

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