| "Good Life" | ||||
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| Single by Kanye West featuring T-Pain | ||||
| from the album Graduation | ||||
| B-side | "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Remix) | |||
| Released | October 2, 2007 | |||
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
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| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
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| T-Pain singles chronology | ||||
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| "Good Life" on YouTube | ||||
"Good Life" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring American singer T-Pain from the former's third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song includes background vocals from John Legend and Ne-Yo. West and Toomp handled the production, with additional production from Mike Dean. T-Pain thought of the concept when dining out with West, while he also recorded numerous hooks that the rapper used for his feature. On October 2, 2007, the song was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the album's third single. A pop number, it samples Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and features synths. Lyrically, the song sees West celebrating his success and being determined to succeed, and T-Pain also reflecting on his success.
"Good Life" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly noted its commercial appeal. Some praised the composition and the sample, while a few critics highlighted West's ability to blend musical elements. The song was listed amongst the best of 2007 by multiple publications, including PopMatters and Eye Weekly. It was awarded Best Collaboration and Best Rap Song at the BET Awards 2008 and the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, respectively. In the United States, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Hot Rap Songs chart. It reached the top 40 in seven other countries, including New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song has been certified triple platinum and gold in the US and the UK by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively.
An accompanying music video was released in September 2007, which uses an extended version of the song. In the video, West and T-Pain appear alongside colorful cartoon sketches and lyrics spelt out, set against a backdrop that changes from white to black. The visual won Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards, as well as Best Special Effects at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. West performed "Good Life" live at the Coachella and Glastonbury festivals in 2011 and 2015, respectively. He delivered a performance of it at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Pan American Games, throwing his microphone after experiencing technical issues. A mashup of the song and Daft Punk's "Doin' It Right" was released by the Hood Internet in May 2013, under the title of "Doin' It Good".