This past Friday, SZA dropped her long-awaited music video for “Good Days,” the latest single off of her yet-to-be-titled, upcoming third studio album. The popular R&B singer-songwriter rose to mainstream stardom in 2017 with the release of her sophomore project Cntrl. The songstress originally teased fans with a visual snippet for “Good Days” toward the very end of her video for “Hit Different” last September. The new, self-directed visual stirred up much excitement among fans all weekend long, becoming a trending topic on Twitter and currently sitting at the number five spot in YouTube’s trending music category.
SZA Good Days will live in my head Rent Free for the rest of my life pic.twitter.com/byWYqWbLOZ
— mcdan (@wiz_thcreator) March 6, 2021
THE TRANSITION TO ‘SHIRT’ IN THE GOOD DAYS MUSIC VIDEO IS INSANE. SZA IS A GENIUS. pic.twitter.com/f1cVWc9iGl
— ɯǝǝɹɐʞ (@reemrunitup) March 5, 2021
As opposed to the video’s original teaser, the full length visual for “Good Days” takes on an entirely new concept. The video opens with SZA sprawled out on her bedroom floor, having taken magic mushrooms while journaling one quiet evening. Audiences are then transported directly into the singer’s dream state, where she vibes out among colorfully animated mushrooms and masters the art of reading while pole dancing.
In true SZA fashion, she brings the video home with a visual snippet of yet another untitled, unreleased track that fans are collectively referring to as “Shirt.” Now stationed at a local rest stop, we see SZA pumping gas and effortlessly twirling upside down on her pole. “Bloodstains on my shirt, new [chick] on my nerves,” she croons, completely shrouded in sensual, purple lighting. The entire video meshes well with each song, providing an escapist fantasy for viewers to get completely lost in. Overall, if only for five minutes and forty seconds, SZA visually manages to capture the spirit of a carefree Black girl.
“I’ve never been more scared and proud to be myself?” she remarked on Instagram before listing the video’s key personnel, the first of which was herself as director. In today’s R&B landscape, SZA is one of a number of artists among the likes of Kehlani and Teyana Taylor who’ve taken to the director’s chair, delivering both great music and top-quality visuals.
This upcoming studio album will be SZA’s first full body of work since 2017. In a now-deleted tweet she posted last August, the singer openly criticized her music label president “Punch” Henderson for holding up her unreleased project, citing their “hostile” business relationship. Currently though, it seems the issue has been resolved and, after four long years, it’s exciting to see SZA sharing her new music with the world bit by bit. There’s no doubt that more “good days” are sure to come with this album’s ongoing rollout.
Top Image: Screenshot from Good Days by SZA
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