"Good Luck, Babe!" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan. It was released as a single on April 5, 2024, through Amusement Records and Island Records. She wrote the song along with Justin Tranter and its producer Dan Nigro. A synth-pop and baroque pop track, the song's lyrics reference compulsory heterosexuality, describing a woman trying to deny her romantic feelings for Roan and women in general.
"Good Luck, Babe!" received critical acclaim from music critics, who included it on several mid-year rankings of the best songs of 2024. Praised by Billboard as a "well-deserved breakthrough", the track became Roan's breakout song and a sleeper hit, steadily rising the charts following various live performances including Coachella and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in June 2024. With the track, Roan earned her fastest song to hit 100 million streams on Spotify. "Good Luck, Babe!" has topped the charts in Ireland and reached the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Global 200 as well as the top 20 in Austria, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Release
In April 2024, Roan sent an email to fans stating that her new single "Good Luck, Babe!" would be released on April 5, 2024, writing that the song is "about wishing good luck to someone who is denying fate."[1] She added that it would be the "first song of the next chapter," following the release of her debut studio album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in September 2023.[2][3] Amusement Records and Island Records released the single through streaming and digital download on April 5, 2024.[4] An accompanying lyric video for "Good Luck, Babe!" was released on that day.[5] Inspired by early Internet culture imagery, the video includes extensive use of the Comic Sans typeface.[6] The song was later released as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl on June 28, 2024.[7]
Roan wrote "Good Luck, Babe!" with Justin Tranter and Dan Nigro, stating that she "was just wanting to write a big anthemic pop song", and that it "was a bitch to write".[8] The song originated in November 2022, during the making of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, as a "scratch idea" titled "Good Luck, Jane!", consisting of just a verse and a chorus.[9][10] Roan and Nigro recorded a demo of the song, but Nigro said that it "felt like it wasn't right" at the time.[9] The two revisited the song a few months later and adjusted the chorus so that Roan sang some of the words in full voice.[9] Nigro said that Roan wrote the bridge herself "in like two minutes".[9]
Lyrically, the song speaks about compulsory heterosexuality, with Roan describing a relationship with a woman who tries to deny her romantic feelings for Roan and women in general.[11] Musically, "Good Luck, Babe!" has been described as a synth-pop[12][13] and baroque pop song.[14][15] The song is composed in the key of D major and has a tempo of 118 beats per minute. Roan's vocal range spans from the low note A3 to the high note of F#5.[16]
Critical reception
"Good Luck, Babe!" received acclaim upon release,[17][18][19] with many declaring it a breakthrough hit. Critics were particularly enthused by Roan's powerful vocal showcase, observing that it was symbolic of her concurrent ascent in popularity.[20][21] Sydney Brasil of Exclaim! opined that the song was "a more realized version of her baroque pop vision, both airy and devastating in its delivery.”[14] Stephen Daw from Billboard praised the combination of Nigro's production with Roan's vocal performance, writing, "The maximalist production—featuring chunky '80s synths and a multi-piece string section—fuels Roan's octave-jumping voice... As frustration, flirtation and self-confidence ooze from every syllable of Roan's impeccable delivery, it's no wonder why audiences are clamoring for more of the superstar's exceptional artistry".[20] Several commentators drew comparisons of Chappell Roan to the likes of prominent musicians of the 1980s, such as Kate Bush, Wham!, and Cyndi Lauper.[22] Shaad D'Souza of The New York Times compared Roan's vocals to those of singer Liza Minnelli, positing that the song highlights a theatrical element to how she delivers her narrative lyrics.[23]
Speaking for NPR, Sheldon Pearce chose the track as the best pop song of the year, writing of the refrain: "'You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling' is such a monumental read that feels like a gut punch. It's the kind of direct emotional attack that you can't escape even as a bystander".[24] Mary Kate Carr of The A.V. Club similarly praised the songwriting as an improvement from her debut album and "brimming with righteous anger".[25] Other critics praised the vivid storytelling of the bridge;[26] Jason P. Frank of Vulture praised it as a strong case against a current trend of artists omitting a bridge to shorten tracks.[27]Pitchfork named it one of the best songs of the first half of the 2020s.[28]
Upon release, "Good Luck, Babe!" debuted at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending April 20, 2024, becoming Roan's first entry on the chart and an eventual sleeper hit. The song peaked at number four on the chart dated September 28, 2024.[32] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 29, 2024, for sales exceeding 500,000 units.[33] It also peaked at number one on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart and nine on the Adult Pop Airplay chart.
Upon charting on the Billboard Hot 100, Hannah Jocelyn, writing for the publication, posited that the song's overt LGBT themes represented a breakthrough for not just Roan's career, but also a wider movement of young LGBT pop artists.[22] Other observers agreed, arguing that chart-topping "queer anthems" are imbued with subtext, blurring the lines between homosexual and heterosexual relationships at the expense of LGBT themes. Many argued that Roan's inclusion of such themes spoke to her authenticity as an artist.[34] Juliana Tanner of The Michigan Daily echoed such optimism, commending Roan for not leaving any room for ambiguity in her homosexuality despite facing cynicism in the past, and avoiding fetishization of lesbian relationships for male audiences.[35]
Live performances and cover versions
Roan debuted "Good Luck, Babe!" at SOMA San Diego on February 22, 2024,[36] and a few months later it was added to the set list of the Midwest Princess Tour, performing it at her first Coachella set in April 2024.[37] Her first televised performance of the song was in June 2024, when she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[38] On September 11, Roan performed the song at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. The medieval-themed costuming and production design attracted considerable praise.[39][40]
^ abCills, Hazel; Pearce, Sheldon; Hilton, Robin (June 18, 2024). "The best songs of 2024 (so far)". NPR.com (Podcast). NPR. Event occurs at 02:30. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 36. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 36. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved September 10, 2024.