| “ | I’m so stoked because my song “good 4 u” is out now! It’s a super angsty song inspired by some of my favorite pop punk bands. It’s one of my favorite songs on the record and I really hope you love it. Oh, and there’s also a sick music video for it. My friend Petra Collins directed it. We wanted to pay homage to the iconic feminist camp horror movies we love. | ” |
– Rodrigo on Good 4 U | ||
"Good 4 U" (stylized in all lowercase) is the third single and sixth track from Olivia Rodrigo's debut studio album, SOUR. It was released on May 14, 2021 through Geffen Records.
Audio[]
Background[]
Rodrigo announced her debut studio album Sour on April 1, 2021. "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". Alongside the announcement, she also revealed the song's cover artwork. Rodrigo had previously teased the song in a promotional image for "Deja Vu".
Tracklist[]
Streaming[]
- Good 4 U
"Singles 4 You" Vinyl Single[]
- Good 4 U
- Enough For You (Piano Version)
Composition and lyrics[]
"Good 4 U" is a pop-punk pop rock, power pop, alternative pop, and indie rock song with electro, alternative rock, and emo inflections and other sounds. Its instrumentation is driven by a set of 1990s-inspired electric guitars and bass. It was written by Rodrigo and Dan Nigro, and produced by Nigro and Alexander 23. The song begins with a staccato bass line and Rodrigo's vocals delivered in a soft tone, which is then joined by an energetic guitar before dropping into the drums-driven chorus. The second verse returns to the original bass line with added "lilting" drum beats and backup harmonies, and slowly ascends to Rodrigo's "near-shout" vocal delivery. Lyrically, Rodrigo confronts a former love interest in the song who has moved on very quickly from their relationship, using plentiful sarcastic remarks. It marks a departure from Rodrigo's preceding singles, "Drivers License" and "Deja Vu", which presented a melancholic and slower emotion.
Critical reception[]
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone lauded Rodrigo's musical versatility, and noted influences from Taylor Swift in "Good 4 U". Variety critic Ellise Shaffer dubbed the song a "nostalgic heartbreak anthem" evoking a "fluttering, cathartic feeling reminiscent of late '90s Hole or early Paramore, but with a poppier flair". Teen Vogue's Claire Dodson said that "Good 4 U" gives "pure 2000s pop-punk" aside Rodrigo's "knockout songwriting". Dodson found Rodrigo's voice versatile, easily moving between styles similar to Swift's vocals in "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (2012), and that of Alanis Morissette and Hayley Williams, to become "something original". Sydney Bucksbaum, writing for Entertainment Weekly, called the single a "pop-punk breakup anthem" and an "immediate banger", underlining the song's similarities to Paramore's "Misery Business" (2007). In agreement, Halle Kiefer of Vulture also named the song an "angry track" evocative of "Misery Business" in "the best possible way" and writing for People, Tomás Mier has described the song as a "heartbreak track filled with an angsty pop-rock sound."
On May 15, 2021, actress and the star of Netflix's Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown posted on her Instagram story of her lip syncing to Rodrigo's single in front of a bathroom mirror with the caption thanking Rodrigo and stating she's a "legend."
Music video[]
An accompanying music video directed by Petra Collins was released alongside the song on May 14, 2021. The music video references horror films such as Audition (1999) and Jennifer's Body (2009). Rodrigo was styled by vlogger Devon Carlson for the video. In the video, Rodrigo appears in a variety of looks, including a cheerleading uniform seen in 2001 coming-of-age film The Princess Diaries (also seen in the cover artwork). She plays the role of a high schooler out for revenge, destroying the bedroom of her former boyfriend and lighting his belongings on fire.
Live performances[]
"Good 4 U" received its debut performance on May 15, 2021, on Saturday Night Live alongside "Drivers License". It was performed as the closing song of the Sour Tour and is performed as the penultimate song on the Guts Tour.
Chart performance[]
"Good 4 U" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week of May 29, 2021. "Good 4 U" peaked within the top 10 in more than 20 territories. The song received platinum or multi-platinum certifications globally and ranks among the top 100 most streamed songs of all-time on Spotify with over 1.6 billion streams as of October 2022.
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | SOUR | May 14, 2021 | Daniel Nigro | January 12, 2021 | 2:58 | |
| Demos | ||||||
| ▶ | Guitar Based Worktape | Unreleased | Leaked: March 5, 2023 | Daniel Nigro | 2021 | 1:00 |
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Ah
[Verse 1]
Well, good for you, I guess you moved on really easily
You found a new girl and it only took a couple weeks
Remember when you said that you wanted to give me the world?
(Ah-ah-ah-ah)
And good for you, I guess that you've been workin' on yourself
I guess that therapist I found for you, she really helped
Now you can be a better man for your brand new girl
[Chorus]
Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy
Not me, if you ever cared to ask
Good for you, you're doin' great out there without me
Baby, God, I wish that I could do that
I've lost my mind, I've spent the night cryin' on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you
[Verse 2]
Well, good for you, I guess you're gettin' everything you want
You bought a new car and your career's really takin' off
It's like we never even happened
Baby, what the fuck is up with that? (Huh?)
And good for you, it's like you never even met me
Remember when you swore to God I was the only person who ever got you?
Well, screw that, and screw you
You will never have to hurt the way you know that I do
[Chorus]
Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy
Not me, if you ever cared to ask
Good for you, you're doin' great out there without me
Baby, God, I wish that I could do that
I've lost my mind, I've spent the night cryin' on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you
[Break]
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
[Bridge]
Maybe I'm too emotional
But your apathy's like a wound in salt
Maybe I'm too emotional
Or maybe you never cared at all
Maybe I'm too emotional
Your apathy is like a wound in salt
Maybe I'm too emotional
Or maybe you never cared at all
[Chorus]
Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy
Not me, if you ever cared to ask
Good for you, you're doin' great out there without me
Baby, like a damn sociopath
I've lost my mind, I've spent the night cryin' on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you
[Outro]
Well, good for you, I guess you moved on really easily
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The lyric, "What the f**k is up with that?" is replaced with, "Tell me 'What is up with that?'" in clean releases to avoid cussing. This also happens on a Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Keegan-Michael Key.
[]
v • e  | |
|---|---|
| Featured Tracks | brutal • traitor • drivers license • 1 step forward, 3 steps back • deja vu • good 4 u • enough for you • happier • jealousy, jealousy • favorite crime • hope ur ok |
| Scrapped Tracks | 21st Century Girls • Apocalyptic Crush • Astronaut • Baby is You • Best Friend • Can't Move On • Crazy • Do Better • Differently • Fantasy • Favor • Forget Our Love • Freedom • Gross • Hate Me • I Can't Wait To Fall In Love Again • I Hate You, I Miss You • Miss You • Mom I Quit • Pay Grade • Prison For Life • Sober • Strange • Strangers Again • Teenage Dream • The Ones I Love • White Flowers • Wish You Cheated |
| Related tracks | Creature of Habit • Just Because • L-O-V-E • Miss This • Never Be Like Her • Teenage Drama Queen • Twilight Song • Victim |
| Producers | Olivia Rodrigo • Daniel Nigro • Alexander 23 • Jam City |
| Tour | Sour Tour |
| Extras | Merchandise • Driving Home 2 U |