Good News (Megan Thee Stallion album)

Good News
Studio album by Megan Thee Stallion
Released	November 20, 2020
Genre	Hip hop
Length	49:50
Label	1501 Certified 300
Producer	Avedon Buddah Bless Cool & Dre D.A Got That Dope Helluva IllaDaProducer J. White Did It Juicy J Tay Keith Benjamin Lasnier Lil Ju Mustard Pooyandeh J. R. Rotem Scott Storch Cody Tarpley
Megan Thee Stallion chronology
Suga (2020) Good News (2020)
Singles from Good News
"Girls in the Hood" Released: June 26, 2020 "Don't Stop" Released: October 2, 2020 "Body" Released: November 20, 2020

Good News is the debut studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on November 20, 2020, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. The album features guest appearances from DaBaby, City Girls, Lil Durk, SZA, Popcaan, Mustard, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Beyoncé, and Young Thug. It contains production from Mustard, LilJuMadeDaBeat, and D.A Got That Dope, among others.

Good News received critical acclaim upon its release, with most critics praising Megan's confidence and sex positivity. The album produced three singles: "Girls in the Hood", released on June 26, 2020, "Don't Stop", featuring Young Thug, released on October 2, 2020, and "Body", released alongside the album. It also contains a remix of the single "Savage" from Suga, featuring Beyoncé, which earned Megan her first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. A music video for "Cry Baby" featuring DaBaby was released in February 2021.

Commercially, Good News debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 after moving over 100,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. In addition to topping both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts, it also peaked in the top 50 of countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand.

Background

In October 2019, the rapper first discussed plans about dropping her debut studio album in 2020 while promoting her upcoming project Suga. She further stated that she was "ready to settle down with an album". Megan had first intended for her Suga to be her debut album, but following legal troubles between her and her label, 1501 Certified, it was instead released as an extended play (EP) on March 6, 2020.

Seven months later, in October 2020, she provided more insight into the album-making process, including posting pictures with frequent producer LilJuMadeDaBeat, and also first acknowledging that her album was under production, tweeting on October 17, 2020, "My album abt to go crazy". At that time, she was awaiting two more features to finalize the recording process. She also stated that she used the time during quarantine to write and record for her album. About the recording process, she said: "When I'm by myself, that's when my creativity comes to me. The whole album was basically written in the living room, the shower, the backyard–just visualise it with me." She officially announced the album through social media on November 12, followed by the reveal of its tracklist on November 17.

Composition and concept

On Good News, Megan Thee Stallion lyrically explores a variety of topics, such as the controversy surrounding herself and Tory Lanez, partying, sex, her personal life, and men who don't meet her standards. One critic noted that despite being filled with "sex positivity and club-ready anthems", the album also contains "glimpses of that [serious] tone was first introduced with 'Shots Fired'". "Shots Fired", the opening track, is built around a sample of the 1995 song "Who Shot Ya?" by The Notorious B.I.G. and has been described as a "traditional", "strong" and "scathing" indirect diss track with a "ringing, stark beat" aimed at fellow rapper Tory Lanez in response to his album Daystar, which itself was released in response to allegations that Lanez shot Megan in July 2020.

The second track, "Circles", was described as "one of [Megan's] signature bad b*tch anthems", and sees her rapping over a sample of Jazmine Sullivan's 2010 single "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)", with lyrics that exhibit Megan's resiliency. "Cry Baby" featuring DaBaby has been described as a "slow, tick-tock-ing" song with a "haunting backing track", revolving around Megan and DaBaby's active sex lives. "Sugar Baby" was described as "bluesy [and] brassy"; a track that sees Megan "transcend sweetness" with lyrics that see her "imploring her cheapskate lover to save his money for the future".

"Freaky Girls" featuring SZA was a highly-anticipated collaboration. It contains a sample of Adina Howard's 1995 debut single "Freak Like Me" and was described as "immaculate" and "a true highlight" that is "audibly rooted in 90s G-funk" with "catchy and sex-positive" lyrics. "Body", the third single from the album, was described as a "crisp three minutes of bouncy beats and self-confident lyrics", seeing Megan "celebrating body positivity". "What's New" was described as a "quintessential Megan record where she thrashes her haters for talking reckless about her", while "Work That" was called "a fun, club-friendly track" that samples rapper Juvenile's 2006 single "Rodeo" and saw Megan "continue to boast about her sexual prowess". "Intercourse" featuring Popcaan and Mustard was described as "island-tinged" and "syrupy" with "Megan [...] thriving on the dancehall sound" of the track, and "Go Crazy" featuring Big Sean and 2 Chainz was called "lithe" and sees Megan "standing tall when sparring with Big Sean and 2 Chainz [...] with two punchy verses".

"Don't Rock Me to Sleep" features Megan singing about "moving on from a relationship" while "taking a shot at pop success". "Outside" was described as a "fun, celebratory record" and a "sing-song tune in a nice contrast from [Megan's] harder-hitting tracks" that was backed by an "electronic piano motif" sampled from "Something in My Heart" from the 1989 eponymous album by R&B singer Michel'le. "Savage Remix", which features Beyoncé, goes through "minuscule instrumental changes" from the original, with the remix being called "essentially an entirely new song, with the exception of the chorus which has remained the same", lyrically. Beyoncé's verse was noted to include subtle references to women's empowerment. "Girls in the Hood" samples "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Eazy-E and has been described as a "minimal 80s gangsta rap". The album closes with "Don't Stop" featuring fellow rapper Young Thug, which is a hip hop track with a "punchy electronic beat", with sex-positive lyrics.

Singles

"Girls in the Hood", the first single from the album, was announced on June 24, 2020, and released two days later. The song received a lyric video and features a prominent sample of "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Eazy-E. The single debuted and peaked at number 28 on the Hot 100. Megan performed "Girls in the Hood" live during her debut live performance at the 20th BET Awards, in a medley with the "Savage Remix", and again during her first virtual live appearance, streamed live on Tidal on August 29, 2020.

"Don't Stop" featuring Young Thug, was released along with a music video directed by Colin Tilley on October 2, 2020, as the second single from the album. It charted at number 61 on the Billboard Global 200. Megan performed the track with Young Thug during her Saturday Night Live debut on the season premiere of the 46th season of the show.

"Body" was released as the third single alongside a music video directed by Colin Tilley on November 20, 2020, coinciding with the release of the album. It was written while Megan was in quarantine and is inspired by her figure, and its music video features cameos from various celebrities, including Taraji P. Henson, Blac Chyna, and Jordyn Woods, among others.

Other songs

"Savage Remix" featuring Beyoncé, was released on April 29, 2020. Commercially, the single has accumulated over 3 million units in the US. It became Megan's first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. A video for "Cry Baby" featuring DaBaby was released on February 3, 2021; the video features a cameo from Instagram comedian BlameItonKway and has a Toy Story 2 theme.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.2/10
Metacritic	85/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Clash	9/10
Consequence of Sound	B+
Earmilk
Exclaim!	8/10
Evening Standard
Gigwise
The Guardian
NME
Pitchfork	7.8/10
Rolling Stone

Good News received acclaim from music critics upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 85 based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Out of the total 175 albums reviewed by British newspaper The Guardian in 2020, Good News was one of only fifteen to be rated 5 out of 5 stars. It was also one of only six albums to be reviewed 10 out of 10 stars considering the total 173 albums reviewed by British music site Gigwise in 2020.

Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times deemed Good News the most impressive debut album of 2020 and described the rapper's voice as one of "the most authoritative voices in hip-hop," which ultimately "gives her music a rock-solid center that suits her fixed subject matter." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian noted that the album highlighted that Megan is "phenomenal at what she does," and further described her talents as "a moveable feast". Robin Murray of Clash wrote that "Good News is the sound of Megan Thee Stallion pushing against the boundaries and an album overwhelming in its creative intensity". Apart from hailing it a "late contender of the Album of the Year", Murray stated that "the album emphasises the riveting nature of her self-expression, and her canny ear as a cultural curator". At Evening Standard, David Smyth attributed the album as "money, sex, single entendres, graphic imagery and a bulletproof self-confidence", adding that Megan has "amassed tonnes of both, and shared every vivid detail of the process in her sparse, old school songs". A. D. Amorosi of Variety wrote that the album is "focused on fun while still being a proud statement on Black womanhood" and concluded that it finds Megan "moving confidently to the next level", though the writer noted "Outside" and other "uncluttered" tracks to be "more warm-blooded than most of Good News, one wishes there was more of that sound on her debut album."

In a review for AllMusic, Fred Thomas claimed that "Rather than coast on her established success, Good News finds the rapper firing off at full power, decimating her haters, and delivering track after track of sex-positive, voraciously vulgar, yet stunningly clever rhyme skills." Candice McDuffie's compliments also focused on similar elements in the review for Consequence of Sound; "Good News showcases Megan the Stallion’s creative depth, her euphonious inventiveness, and libidinous wordplay. She completely demolishes any track she appears on." Keith Harris at NME gave similar praise, stating "Megan's own flow is musical enough to offer its own hooks without outside ornamentation."

Accolades

Accolades for Good News

Publication	Accolade	Rank
Billboard	The 50 Best Albums of 2020	12
Complex	Top 50 Albums of 2020	30
Consequence of Sound	Top 50 Albums of 2020	49
Gigwise	Top 51 Albums of 2020	6
The Line of Best Fit	Top 50 Albums of 2020	21
Los Angeles Times	The Best Albums of 2020	10
Pitchfork	The 50 Best Albums of 2020	43
Rolling Stone	The 50 Best Albums of 2020	27
Uproxx	Top 50 Albums of 2020	33

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shots Fired"	Megan Pete Tyron Douglas Herb Magidson[a] Allie Wrubel[a]	2:50
2.	"Circles"	Pete Jorden Thorpe Marcello Valenzano Andre Lyon Ricknoleon Perez Jazmine Sullivan[a] Craig Brockman[a] Melissa Elliott[a] Cainon Lamb[a] Roy Hammond[a] Douglas Davis[a] Ricky Walters[a] Nasir Jones[a] Anthony Cruz[a] Cory McKay[a] Inga Marchand[a] Dave Atkinson[a] Samuel Barnes[a] Jean-Claude Olivier[a] Mary J. Blige[a] Sean Combs[a] Arlene DelValle[a] Curtis Mayfield[a] Gilbert Askey[a]	2:50
3.	"Cry Baby" (featuring DaBaby)	Pete Jonathan Kirk David Doman Katie Smith Daniel Levin	2:17
4.	"Do It on the Tip" (featuring City Girls)	Pete Caresha Brownlee Jatavia Johnson Julian Mason Nicholaus Williams	2:47
5.	"Sugar Baby"	Pete Martin McCurtis Jalen Patterson Jeremy Varnard[a] Webster Gradney[a]	2:26
6.	"Movie" (featuring Lil Durk)	Pete Durk Banks Brytavious Chambers	3:47
7.	"Freaky Girls" (featuring SZA)	Pete Solána Rowe Jordan Houston Eugene Hanes[a] Marc Valentine[a] Loren Hill[a] William Collins[a] George Clinton[a] Gary Cooper[a]	2:46
8.	"Body"	Pete Mason Christophe Petrel	2:51
9.	"What's New"	Pete Vincent van den Ende Donald Tarpley	2:35
10.	"Work That"	Pete Houston Juan Guerreri-Maril Derrick Milano Donny Flores Mark Morales[a] Darren Robinson[a] Damon Wimbley[a] Terius Gray[a] Jermany James[a] Lyon[a] Valenzano[a] Robert Kelly[a]	2:14
11.	"Intercourse" (featuring Popcaan and Mustard)	Pete Andrae Sutherland Dijon McFarlane Shah Khan	3:17
12.	"Go Crazy" (featuring Big Sean and 2 Chainz)	Pete Sean Anderson Tauheed Epps Jonathan Rotem Benjamin Lasnier Nicki Pooyandeh Vincent Brown[a] Anthony Criss[a] Keir Gist[a] Berry Gordy[a] Alphonso Mizell[a] Freddie Perren[a] Deke Richards[a]	3:45
13.	"Don't Rock Me to Sleep"	Pete Ende Lennard Vink	3:03
14.	"Outside"	Pete Houston Michel'le Toussant[a] Andre Bolton[a] Andre Young[a]	2:31
15.	"Savage" (Remix) (featuring Beyoncé)	Pete Bobby Session Jr. Anthony White Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Shawn Carter Terius Nash Brittany Hazzard Thorpe Milano	4:02
16.	"Girls in the Hood"	Pete Session Scott Storch Ilyah Fraser Eric Wright[a] O'Shea Jackson[a] Young[a]	2:34
17.	"Don't Stop" (featuring Young Thug)	Pete Jeffery Williams Ndiope	3:07
Total length:			49:42

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a sample credit.

Sample credits

• "Shots Fired" contains a sample from
  • "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over", performed by David Porter, written by Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel.

• "Circles" contains samples from
  • "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)", performed by Jazmine Sullivan, written by Jazmine Sullivan, Craig Brockman, Melissa Elliott and Cainon Lamb, which contains samples from
    • "Impeach the President", performed by the Honey Drippers and written by Roy Hammond.
    • "La Di Da Di", written and performed by Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D.
    • "Affirmative Action", performed by Nas, AZ, Cormega and Foxy Brown, written by Nas, AZ, Cormega, Foxy Brown, Dave Atkinson, Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier.
    • "Be Happy", performed by Mary J. Blige, written by Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Arlene DelValle and Jean-Claude Olivier, which contains samples from
      • "You're So Good to Me", performed by Curtis Mayfield, written by Curtis Mayfield and Gilbert Askey.

• "Sugar Baby" contains a sample from
  • "Bad Bitch", performed by Webbie, written by Webbie and Jeremy Varnard.

• "Freaky Girls" contains samples from
  • "Freak like Me", performed by Adina Howard, written by Eugene Hanes, Loren Hill and Marc Valentine, which contains samples from
    • "I'd Rather Be with You", performed by Bootsy's Rubber Band, written by Bootsy Collins, George Clinton and Gary Cooper.

• "Work That" contains samples from
  • "Human Beat Box", performed by the Fat Boys, written by Mark Morales, Darren Robinson and Damon Wimbley
  • "Rodeo", performed by Juvenile, written by Juvenile, Jermany James, Andre Lyon and Marcello Valenzano, which contains samples from
    • "Bump n' Grind" (Old School remix), written and performed by R. Kelly.

• "Go Crazy" contains a sample from
  • "O.P.P.", performed by Naughty by Nature, written by Vincent Brown, Anthony Criss and Keir Gist, which contains samples from
    • "ABC", performed by the Jackson 5, written by Berry Gordy, Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren and Deke Richards.

• "Outside" contains a sample from
  • "Something in My Heart", performed by Michel'le, written by Michel'le, Andre Bolton and Andre Young

• "Girls in the Hood" contains a sample from
  • "Boyz-n-the-Hood", performed by Eazy-E, written by Eazy-E, O'Shea Jackson and Andre Young

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

Performance

• Megan Thee Stallion – primary artist (all tracks)
• DaBaby – featured artist (track 3)
• City Girls – featured artist (track 4)
• Lil Durk – featured artist (track 6)
• SZA – featured artist (track 7)
• Mustard – featured artist (track 11)
• Popcaan – featured artist (track 11)
• 2 Chainz – featured artist (track 12)
• Big Sean – featured artist (track 12)
• Beyoncé – featured artist (track 15)
• Young Thug – featured artist (track 17)

Musicians

• Cody Tarpley – bass (track 9), drums (track 9), keyboards (track 9)
• Vincent Van Den Ende – bass (track 9), drums (track 9), keyboards (track 9)

Production

• Buddah Bless – production (tracks 1 and 17)
• Cool & Dre – production (track 2)

• Neky Freq – production (track 17)

• D.A. Doman – production (track 3)
• Lil Ju – production (tracks 4 and 8)
• Helluva (producer) – production (track 5)
• Tay Keith – production (track 6)
• Juicy J – production (tracks 7, 10, and 14)
• Avendon – production (tracks 9 and 13)
• Cody Tarpley – production (track 9)
• Z3N – production (track 10)
• Mustard – production (track 11)
• J. R. Rotem – production (track 12)
• J. White Did It – production (track 15)
• Illdaproducer – production (track 16)
• Scott Storch – production (track 16)
• Suntman – additional production (track 5)
• Rickstarr Didit – co-production (track 2)
• Gyltryp – co-production (track 11)
• Benjamin Lasneier – co-production (track 12)
• Pooyandeh – co-production (track 12)
• Vynk – co-production (track 12)

Technical

• Mike Dean – mastering (tracks 1–14), mixing (tracks 1, 3–7, and 11–12)
• Colin Leonard – mastering (tracks 15–17)
• MixedByAli – mixing (track 2)
• Jaycen Joshua – mixing (tracks 8–10 and 13–17)
• KY – mixing (track 12)
• Stuart Price – mixing (track 15), recording (track 15)
• Ricky Reed – vocal mixing (track 7)
• Sage Skolfield – mixing assistance (tracks 1–7, 11, and 12)
• Sean Solymar – mixing assistance (tracks 1–7, 11, and 12)
• Jacob Richards – mixing assistance (track 17)
• Mike Seaberg – mixing assistance (track 17)
• Source – recording (tracks 1–16), engineering (track 17)
• Coach Brodie – recording (track 3)
• Joshua Samuel – recording (track 6)
• Rob Bisel – recording (track 7)
• Nolan Presley – recording (track 12)
• eMix – recording (track 15)
• Bainz – engineering (track 17), vocal recording engineering (track 17)
• Aresh Banaji ― engineering assistance (track 17)

Notes

• "Recording" and "Recording engineering" are grouped together as "Recording".

Charts

Chart performance of Good News

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)	91
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	141
Canadian Albums (Billboard)	9
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	77
French Albums (SNEP)	107
Irish Albums (OCC)	22
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)	55
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	22
UK Albums (OCC)	46
UK R&B Albums (OCC)	6
US Billboard 200	2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.