Good as Hell


"Good as Hell" is a song recorded by American singer and rapper Lizzo. Written by Lizzo, Ricky Reed and produced by Reed, it was released on October 7, 2016, through Atlantic Records and Nice Life Recording Company as the lead single from her debut extended play Coconut Oil, but then re-released in 2019 as a radio single, where it became a sleeper hit like her first hit, "Truth Hurts". The song subsequently served as the namesake for her 2017 Good as Hell Tour. It reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Release

"Good as Hell" was originally recorded for of the 2016 film . It first made its premiere on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 Radio show.
The song was released to digital retailers and streaming platforms on March 8, 2016. A four-track dance remix EP was released on June 17, 2016.
An official remix featuring American singer Ariana Grande was released on October 25, 2019.

Music videos

The first music video was released on May 11, 2016. It features Lizzo and multiple women of color going to a hair salon, getting their hair and nails done while having fun with the occasion. The music video also ties into the movie .
On December 9, 2019, in the wake of the song's growing popularity, a new "official music video" was premiered on YouTube. This music video, directed by Alan Ferguson, is set in Southern University, and also features the Baton Rouge HBCU. 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.

Critical reception

In a review for NPR, Hanif Abdurraqib praised the song's inspirational and motivational qualities, saying " 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."
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."

Chart performance

While "Good as Hell" never charted during Coconut Oils 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.
The club mixes of "Good as Hell" gave Lizzo her first number one at Dance Club Songs and her second chart topper at Dance/Mix Show Airplay in December 2019.
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.

In other media

"Good as Hell" has been featured in the films ', A Bad Moms Christmas, I Feel Pretty, Blockers and Brittany Runs a Marathon, as well as successive adverts for JD Williams and '. It was also used in Season 10 of the television show RuPaul's Drag Race in "lip sync for your life" between Kameron Michaels and Monét X Change. Lizzo herself served as a guest judge in the episode.
Lizzo performed the song on Saturday Night Live on December 21, 2019.

Track listing

Digital download
  1. "Good as Hell" – 2:39
Spotify version
  1. "Good as Hell" – 2:39
  2. "Truth Hurts" – 2:53
Digital Remix EP
  1. "Good as Hell" – 3:33
  2. "Good as Hell" – 3:56
  3. "Good as Hell" – 3:43
  4. "Good as Hell" – 2:57

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Ariana Grande remix

A remix of the song featuring American singer Ariana Grande was released on October 25, 2019.

Track listing

Digital download
  1. "Good as Hell" – 2:39
Streaming
  1. "Good as Hell" - Remix – 2:39
  2. "Good as Hell" – 2:39

    Accolades

Charts

Release history