good 4 u
A furious pop-punk explosion turning heartbreak into a weapon of mass distraction.
"Good 4 U" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on May 14, 2021, through Geffen and Interscope Records, as the third single from Rodrigo's debut studio album, Sour (2021). The song was written by Rodrigo and its producer, Dan Nigro, who co-produced it with Alexander 23. Three months after the track's release, Hayley Williams and Josh Farro were retrospectively given co-writing credits due to influence from Paramore's "Misery Business" (2007). Musically, "Good 4 U" has been described as an upbeat rock and pop song encompassing pop-punk, grunge, alternative rock, pop rock, and power pop. It consists of a staccato bassline, energetic electric guitars, and explosive drumming, with lyrics addressing a former lover who moved on very quickly after a breakup.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Album
- Sour
- B-side
- "Enough for You" (piano version)
- Written
- 2020
- Released
- May 14, 2021
- Studio
- Amusement (Los Angeles)
- Genre
- Pop-punk
- grunge
- alternative rock
- pop rock
- power pop
- Length
- 2:58
Lore & Background
Rodrigo announced her debut studio album, Sour, on April 1, 2021, with "Good 4 U" placed sixth on the track listing. On May 10, Rodrigo announced via her social media accounts that "Good 4 U" would become the third single from Sour on May 14, following "Drivers License" and "Deja Vu". In her August 2021 Variety cover story, Rodrigo stated she came up with the song's hook in the shower. She added she did not want the entirety of Sour to be "sad piano songs", but also did not want to write a happy, "I'm in love" pop song, because "that was so far from how [she] was truly feeling at the time". Rodrigo concluded that "Good 4 U" was "really satisfying" due to its upbeat energy and danceability without sacrificing honesty and authenticity in her lyrics. In August 2021, Paramore members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro received writing credits, as the chorus was inspired by Paramore's 2007 song "Misery Business". It was later reported by Variety that Rodrigo's camp had been in contact with Williams and Farro prior to the song's release and they were eventually paid between $700k and $1.2m in royalties.
Reader's Guide
The accompanying music video features Rodrigo as a high-school cheerleader exacting revenge, visually alluding to the films Audition, The Princess Diaries, and Jennifer's Body. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, "Good 4 U" received a nomination for Best Music Video. The single reached number one in 23 countries, including Australia, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States; it was the second chart-topping single from Sour in many of those countries, following Rodrigo's debut single, "Drivers License" (2021). "Good 4 U" peaked within the top 10 in more than 20 territories. The song received Platinum or multi-Platinum certifications globally, as well as Diamond in France and Mexico, and ranks among the top 100 most streamed songs of all-time on Spotify with over 2.3 billion streams as of November 2024. In the United States, "Good 4 U" debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rodrigo her second number-one song in the country, following her eight-week chart-topper "Drivers License". Sour became the first debut album in history to have two of its songs debut at number one on the Hot 100. "Good 4 U" has been certified seven-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the United Kingdom, the song topped the chart, becoming Rodrigo's second number-one single after "Drivers License". It topped the charts for five consecutive weeks, in the fourth of which it became the first rock song to reach such a feat since Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" (2003). "Good 4 U" spent a total of 61 weeks in the UK Top 100 and has since been certified quintuple Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which album features the song good 4 u?
This track appears on Olivia Rodrigo's debut studio record, SOUR. It serves as a major highlight within that specific collection of songs.
What genre does this song belong to?
Good 4 u is categorized primarily as pop-punk and alternative rock music. It draws heavy inspiration from the sound of the early 2000s revival era.
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