Good 4 U

Album

SOUR

Label

Geffen Records

Genre

Pop punk

Composer(s)

Olivia RodrigoDan NigroHayley WilliamsJosh Farro

Entered Chart

May 29, 2021

Peak Date

May 29, 2021

Released

May 14, 2021

Recorded

2020 Studio Amusement (Los Angeles)

Catalog #

Geffen Records

"Good 4 U" is a messy breakup song where Olivia Rodrigo addresses her former boyfriend. He has quickly moved on with a new partner while Olivia is still "cryin' on the floor of my bathroom." She can't comprehend why he doesn't care for her anymore and is acting as if their relationship never happened. Things are going sickeningly well for him since their split, to which Olivia responds: "I guess good for you." Olivia Rodrigo wrote the song with Daniel Nigro, who also produced the track. Nigro, who's also worked with the likes of Sky Ferreira and Conan Gray, is Olivia's regular collaborator and co-wrote "Drivers License." Rodrigo recorded the glossy song for her debut album, Sour, which she has described in various interviews as a mix of pop, folk, and rock. For "Good 4 U" the singer and Nigro set out to do a 2021 take on an early 2000s pop-punk song. "I love pop-punk music; I love grunge music; I love country music and folk music, she told NME. "I think, honestly, you can see little influences of all of those genres in my album. And I didn't want to make an entire record that sounded like 'Drivers License.' There's no fun in that for me - and probably not for listeners, either." Chicago producer and songwriter Alexander 23 (birth name Alexander Glantz) helped Nigro produce the track. Glantz teamed up with Selena Gomez in 2020 to remix her song "Rare." The Canadian photographer and fashion designer Petra Collins directed the video, which pays homage to the 2009 cult horror comedy movie Jennifer's Body. Collins has also filmed clips for Carly Rae Jepsen ("Boy Problems"), Selena Gomez ("Fetish"), and Cardi B ("Bartier Cardi"). Rodrigo performed this song and "Drivers License" when she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, May 15, 2021. The song climbed to #1 on its second week on the UK singles chart simultaneously with Sour debuting at the top of the album tally. In doing so, the 18-year-old Rodrigo became the youngest solo act to reach the summit on both the UK singles and albums chart in the same week. "Good 4 U" topped the UK chart for five consecutive weeks. In its fourth frame, it became the longest-reigning rock-influenced UK #1 since 2003, when Evanescence spent four weeks on the summit with "Bring Me To Life." Olivia Rodrigo came up with the song's hook in the shower. "I didn't want the entire record to be sad piano songs," Rodrigo told Variety. "But then again, I didn't want to write a poppy, happy, 'I'm in love' song, because that was so far from how I was truly feeling at the time. So writing 'Good 4 U' was really satisfying because the song is upbeat and high energy and people can dance to it, but I didn't have to sacrifice being honest and authentic in order to write it." Many music critics and fans noted similarities between this song and Paramore's 2007 hit "Misery Business." After a a mashup of the two tunes got millions of views on YouTube, Rodrigo added two members of Paramore - singer Hayley Williams and ex-guitarist Josh Farro – to the writing credits of "Good 4 U." This is not the first time Rodrigo has added to the writing credits since the debut of Sour. She previously amended the credits for "Deja Vu," adding Taylor Swift and co-writers Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, because of similarities to Swift's 2019 Lover song "Cruel Summer." Olivia Rodrigo performed the song at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. The pop singer received five nominations at the ceremony, winning Best New Artist plus Song Of The Year and Push Performance Of The Year for "Drivers Licence." NME named "Good 4 U" their Best Song of 2021. They said: "It's a masterclass in songwriting, matching a real rock earworm with Rodrigo's brilliant, pithy lyrics. Where the song could have become a pastiche, 'Good 4 U' feels remarkably modern; a euphoric example of Rodrigo's sheer talent, and a song that perfectly captures the spirit and energy of a year where we were finally able to cut loose and feel free." The pop-punk putdown topped the 2021 BBC News poll of polls for best song. The list combines the results of 30 critics' end-of-year surveys. Sour came in third place in BBC's poll of polls for best album. Throughout Rodrigo's Disney+ documentary Driving Home 2 U (A Sour Film), she delivers renditions of her songs in desert locations. Rodrigo performs "Good 4 U" performance against the backdrop of California's Red Rock Canyon State Park as she turns the angsty song into a cinematic power ballad accompanied by an entire string section.

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

And good for you, I guess that you've been working 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

Well good for you
You look happy and healthy, not me
If you ever cared to ask
Good for you
You're doing great out there without me, baby
God, I wish that I could do that

I've lost my mind
I've spent the night
Crying on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you

Well good for you, I guess you're getting everything you want
You bought a new car and your career's really taking off
It's like we never even happened, baby
What the fuck is up with that?

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

Well good for you
You look happy and healthy, not me
If you ever cared to ask
Good for you
You're doing great out there without me, baby
God, I wish that I could do that

I've lost my mind
I've spent the night
Crying on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you

Ah, ah

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's like a wound in salt
Maybe I'm too emotional
Or maybe you never cared at all

Well good for you
You look happy and healthy, not me
If you ever cared to ask
Good for you
You're doing great out there without me, baby
Like a damn sociopath

I've lost my mind
I've spent the night
Crying on the floor of my bathroom
But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it
But I guess good for you

Well good for you, I guess you moved on really easily