"Good as Hell" is a song recorded by the American singer and rapper
Lizzo. Written by Lizzo and producer
Ricky Reed, it was released on March 8, 2016, by
Atlantic Records and
Nice Life Recording Company as the
lead single from her first
extended play, Coconut Oil, and subsequently was the namesake for her 2017 Good as Hell Tour. It was re-released in 2019 as a radio single, when it became a
sleeper hit like her first hit, "
Truth Hurts".[1] The song was later included as a bonus track on the super deluxe edition of her third studio album, Cuz I Love You (2019), alongside its remix.
Following her performance of "Good as Hell" at the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards, it entered the US
Billboard Hot 100, later reaching number three in November 2019 and the top ten in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand and the UK. Two music videos were released for the song; the first was set in a hair salon in 2016, and the second sees her playing in the marching band at
Southern University for
homecoming week in 2019. The single has received a
5× Platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The song was released to digital retailers and streaming platforms on March 8, 2016.[3] A four-track dance remix EP was released on June 17, 2016.[4]
An official remix featuring American singer
Ariana Grande was released on October 25, 2019.[5]
Music videos
The first music video was released on May 11, 2016.[6] It shows Lizzo and several women of color going to a
hair salon, having their hair and nails done while having fun with the occasion. The music video also ties into the movie Barbershop: The Next Cut.[7]
On December 9, 2019, in the wake of the song's growing popularity, a new "official music video" was premiered on YouTube.[8] This music video, directed by
Alan Ferguson, is set in
Southern University and features the Baton Rouge HBCU.[7] In it, the university's marching band students have trouble with some regular classes in between preparation for an upcoming performance, with one of the university's marching band dancers looking heartbroken over a prior relationship she had with another student. Lizzo then shows up during one of the rehearsals and appears with the group throughout the video, performing her song and having fun with the group throughout the video.[9]
Critical reception
In a review for
NPR, Hanif Abdurraqib praised the song's inspirational and motivational qualities, saying "[the song is] the anthem of both the night itself and of life in preparation for it: the saint that comes to you in the mirror when the lighting is bad, or the hair won't move the way you want it to, or when you've tried on all of the outfits and none of them seem right." Abdurraqib also called it "the rare song that can play at any point in a night out and resonate in each."[10]
In 2019, Billboard included "Good as Hell" on their list of the Top 10 Lizzo songs, saying "the song's message of self-love mixed with a melody that will worm its way inside your head make this track an absolute stunner."[11]
Chart performance
While "Good as Hell" never charted during Coconut Oil's release period, it began to gain traction in 2019 following Lizzo's continuing career trajectory and the chart climb of her 2017 hit "
Truth Hurts". Following Lizzo's performance of the song at the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards, it entered the
Billboard Hot 100 the following week at number 52, later peaking at number three, becoming Lizzo's second top 10 hit on the chart.[12][13]
Following the release of the remix featuring Ariana Grande, "Good as Hell" reached new top 10 peaks in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia, becoming Lizzo's first top 10 single in each of these countries.
Live performances
Lizzo performed a medley of "
Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" at the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards. Wearing a neon yellow leotard, she transitioned into "Good As Hell" after opening with "Truth Hurts", with digital clouds in the background.[15] During the performance, Lizzo took a shot of
tequila and gave a
self-acceptance speech. In Rolling Stone, Angie Martoccio opined that she "[took] the crowd to church" with a set that "[resembled] a hip-hop heaven".[16] In
NPR Music, Stephen Thompson opined that the performance "was a huge standout for the night—a win that'll do a lot more for her staying power than some statuette".[17]
Lizzo performed "Good as Hell" as her second song on December 21, 2019, on Saturday Night Live. Accompanied by dancers, the
Christmas-themed performance included trees, fake snow and
candy-cane-painted stripper poles.[18][19] She also performed a medley of "
Cuz I Love You", "Truth Hurts", "Good as Hell" and "
Juice" at the
2020 Brit Awards.[20]
^Jones, Alan (September 26, 2019).
"Charts analysis: Sheeran and Stormzy still on top". Music Week. Retrieved October 6, 2019. First released in 2016, Good As Hell became better known as the bed to a JD Williams TV commercial, and nibbled at the chart earlier this year.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202008 into search. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201944 into search. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202016 into search. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201944 into search. Retrieved November 5, 2019.