Better Days (Baker Boy, Dallas Woods and Sampa the Great song)

"Better Days"
Single by Baker Boy, Dallas Woods and Sampa the Great
Language
Released23 September 2020
Recorded2019[1]
Genre
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Dennis Dowlut
  • Maxwell Bidstrup
Baker Boy singles chronology
"Move"
(2020) 		"Better Days"
(2020)
Dallas Woods singles chronology
"If It Glitters It's Gold"
(2020) 		"Better Days"
(2020)
Sampa the Great singles chronology
"Time's Up"
(2020) 		"Better Days"
(2020)
Music video
Official lyric video on YouTube

"Better Days" is a song by Indigenous Australian rappers Baker Boy & Dallas Woods and Australian-based Zambian rapper Sampa the Great. It was released on 23 September 2020.[2]

Background

"Better Days" follows his March single "Move", and is Baker's second single release for 2020.[2] The song is the second collaboration Baker and Woods have released (after Woods featured on 2018's "Black Magic"), but is the first time either Baker or Woods have collaborated with Sampa the Great.[3]

The track was premiered on Triple J's Drive with Hobba and Hing on 22 September 2020.[3]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Better Days" is a hip hop,[4] and neo soul song.[5] The song contains lyrics in three languages: English, Yolngu Matha and Bemba.[3]

The lyrics discuss "oppression, the pressures of meeting the expectations of your culture, and imposter syndrome [sic]."[6]

Promotion

Baker began teasing the collaboration on Instagram on 16 September, sharing a photo of the three artists together.[7] The following day, he confirmed the artists had worked together, announcing the single on social media.[2] Baker additionally posted videos of himself on TikTok, showing him dancing amongst various Bendigo landmarks.[2]

Critical reception

Triple J's Sose Fuamoli felt that the song "shows a new side of the artist's musicality and proves that he can explore honest territory with emotional depth.[3]

Beat Magazine's Kate Streader thought the song was "new thematic territory" for Baker and felt the song offered "an ultimately uplifting message of resilience and perseverance".[6]

Stack Magazine's Amy Flower described the song as "piping hot" and called its release "timely".[1]

Track listings

Digital download[8]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Better Days"
  • Danzal Baker
  • Dallas Woods
  • Sampa Tembo
3:21
2."Better Days" (Airwolf Remix)
  • Baker
  • Woods
  • Tembo
2:36
  • On 21 September 2020, two days prior to the song's release, the song's Airwolf remix was used to soundtrack TikTok's first local campaign in Australia.[9]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Spotify.[10]

Performing artists

  • Baker Boy – vocals
  • Dallas Woods – vocals
  • Sampa the Great – vocals
  • Airwolf – production (remix)

Additional personnel

  • Dallas Woods – writing
  • Danny Duque Perez – writing
  • Danzal Baker – writing
  • Dennis Dowlut – writing
  • Kasey Heerah – writing
  • Maxwell Bidstrup – writing
  • Mike Scala – writing
  • Sampa Tembo – writing
  • Dennis Dowlut – production
  • Maxwell Bidstrup – production

References

  1. ^ a b Flower, Amy (23 September 2020). "Baker Boy cooks up Better Days". Stack Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Brereton, Greta (23 September 2020). "Baker Boy drops new single 'Better Days' featuring Dallas Woods and Sampa The Great". NME. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Fuamoli, Sose (23 September 2020). "First Spin: Baker Boy recruits Sampa The Great and Dallas Woods on uplifting new track 'Better Days'". Triple J. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  4. ^ Mack, Emmy (23 September 2020). "Hear Baker Boy's powerful new collab with Sampa the Great & Dallas Woods, 'Better Days'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  5. ^ Davino, Bianca (23 September 2020). "Baker Boy's new track ft. Sampa the Great & Dallas Woods is the motivational bop we need RN". Pedestrian.TV. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Streader, Kate (23 September 2020). "Baker Boy teams up with Sampa The Great and Dallas Woods on new single, 'Better Days'". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Baker Boy on Instagram: "👀👀👀"". 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2020 – via Instagram.
  8. ^ "Better Days (feat. Sampa the Great) – Single by Baker Boy & Dallas Woods". Apple Music AU. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  9. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (21 September 2020). "Sync Watch: TikTok features Baker Boy, Dallas Woods & Sampa The Great in local ads". The Music Network. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Better Days – Single by Baker Boy & Dallas Woods on Spotify". 23 September 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via open.spotify.com.