Anna Straker and Gabrielle Aplin weave a spellbinding affirmation of self-love and healing in “Good Days Bad Days,” a stunningly intimate electro-pop outpouring.
“Good Days Bad Days” – Anna Straker & Gabrielle Aplin
I want to remind people of their best moments to help them through their worst ones.
This is a song for everyone who needs to know that things are going to be okay in the end.
It’s a song of hope and sadness, reflection and renewal; of dwelling in the deep end of our emotions while knowing there’s more to life than this. Together, British artists Anna Straker and Gabrielle Aplin weave a spellbinding affirmation of self-love and healing in “Good Days Bad Days,” a stunningly intimate electro-pop outpouring.
I’m hungover again
I went out with my friends
They said I’d be fine
To get out of my mind
Now I’m stuck in my bed
Gonna bail on my plans
So I can sit here and cry
And think of the time, in 2009
When I said the wrong thing
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Good Days Bad Days,” the massive second single off Anna Straker’s forthcoming EP Growing Pains (out November 2020 via Never Fade Records). Following July’s achingly bittersweet lead single “London Knows,” “Good Days Bad Days” finds the emerging UK pop provocateur paired up with her record label’s founder Aplin, who herself is no stranger to emotional introspection.
Speaking to Atwood last year, Aplin expressed her love for pop music and capturing big feelings in song: “I love big sounds that you can move to and are cinematic. I definitely don’t try to stick myself to a genre or sound. I worry more about my lyrics or structure and then think about production, and I guess I’m just inspired by these sounds at the moment!”
This kind of special attention to melody and meaning is certainly present in “Good Days Bad Days,” where Straker takes the lead in meeting internal upheaval with thoughtful appreciation and understanding for her position. Waking up to what some may call a “mental health day,” Straker recognizes her mind and body’s need to check out and take time for herself; nevertheless, she refuses to surrender fully to this void, rising up in a chorus full of poignant positive energy:
But I
Remind myself that it’s ok
Can’t feel the love without the pain
Here’s to the good days, to the bad days
To the break ups and the birthdays
Here’s to the best days, to the worst days
Cuz I know that, I’ll be okay
Here’s to the good days, to the bad days
To the mistakes and the first dates
Here’s to the best days, to the worst days
Cuz I know that, I’ll be okay
It’s a special kind of uplifting positivity that recognizes you can’t truly know the “good” without the “bad,” and that’s exactly what “Good Days Bad Days” is all about; how can we fully embrace life’s upswings without experiencing their absence? As the artist so poetically sings it, “You can’t feel the love without the pain.”
For Straker, “Good Days Bad Days” is an especially important part of her story and her healing.
“I wrote ‘Good Days Bad Days’ during the recovery from my sexual assault,” Straker tells Atwood Magazine. “It is a kind of positive affirmation to help centre and ground yourself on days when your mental health gets the better of you. I want to remind people of their best moments to help them through their worst ones.”
Straker’s desire to appeal to that core part of our shared humanity makes this song especially endearing. “I actually recorded the vocal for this on the day I was fired from my job!” she says. “I want this EP to really showcase the issues surrounding mental health with honesty and sincerity, as I know so many people that suffer. I hope it helps to know that we all experience these ‘growing pains’. And shout outs to Gabby for sounding like such an angel on this record!”
Alt-pop polish doesn’t stop Anna Straker from coming off raw and fierce in her new music.
In interviewing a then-teenaged Straker back in 2017, Atwood referred to the artist as a “musical jack of all trades,” offering strong praise for her control over all parts of the creative process. Straker’s talents have only tightened over the past three years, as is exhibited on the somber upheaval in “London Knows” and the especially nuanced reflections in this duet.
“I’ve always admired Anna as both a producer and writer, as well as an artist,” Gabrielle Aplin says, “and I’m really happy to be featuring on ‘Good Days Bad Days’. I loved the song as soon as I heard it!” Aplin recently released Dear Happy Deluxe, an extended version of her third studio album that came out this past January.
As for Anna Straker, it’s clear that neither COVID-19 nor growing pains, nor her own inner frustrations are going to stop her ascent. Her perseverant attitude and driven spirit can be felt throughout every second of “Good Days Bad Days.” The song’s music video is especially vivid, bringing the song’s heartfelt attitude and strong resolve to the fore with a stunning compilation of home video moments from both artists’ archives. It’s a delicate and intimate visual into Straker’s world that strengthens her new music’s message and memorability.
We all have good days and bad days – that’s life; we might as well embrace every moment. Celebrate life’s full spectrum with Anna Straker and Gabrielle Aplin intimate and evocative “Good Days Bad Days,” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
When I look on my phone
I can feel so alone
Start convincing myself
That everyone else
Is doing better me
Cuz I turned 23
Still don’t have a Grammy
All that I got
Doesn’t feel like a lot
When I’m not happy
I tell myself that it’s ok
Can’t feel the sun without the rain
Darker nights make brighter days
You can’t feel the love without the pain
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“Good Days Bad Days” – Anna Straker & Gabrielle Aplin
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