Good Days

On Christmas Day 2020, SZA dropped "Good Days" as the lead single from her second album SOS, catching fans off guard with a gift that had been years in the making. The song's origins trace back to 2014, with SZA piecing together lyrics and melodies over six years before finally finishing it at her home in Malibu, California. She co-wrote the track with Jacob Collier, whose background vocals add a warm, layered texture, alongside producers Carter Lang, Los Hendrix, and Nascent. The result is a genre-blending piece that moves through alternative R&B, folk, and neo-soul, anchored by SZA's airy, vulnerable delivery.

Commercially, "Good Days" became a sleeper hit. It climbed to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving SZA her first top-10 as a lead artist, and reached number 7 on the Billboard Global 200. The song also cracked the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore. By 2026, the RIAA had certified it 9x Platinum, a steady rise from its initial 5x Platinum certification in 2023. Critics praised its meditative production and emotional honesty, and the track earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

The music video, directed by SZA and produced by her frequent collaborator, features dreamy visuals of her wandering through a forest and along a beach, matching the song's reflective tone. It premiered on YouTube in early 2021 and has since amassed over 100 million views. "Good Days" remains a fan favorite and a defining moment in SZA's career, bridging the gap between her debut CTRL and the full-length SOS. [edit]