Good News

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. Prior to Good News, Megan had released the mixtape Fever (2019) and three EPs: Make It Hot (2017), Tina Snow (2018) and Suga (2020), through either one or both of the record labels that released the album.
The rapper expressed her interest in dropping an album in October 2019, before teasing some of the several features a year later. The album was announced eight days prior to release, with the tracklist revealed five days later. It features guest appearances from SZA, City Girls, Lil Durk, and DaBaby among others, and Megan has worked with several producers on the album, including frequent collaborator LilJuMadeDaBeat, Mustard, and D.A Got That Dope.
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 the US Billboard Hot 100.
Background
In October 2019, the rapper first discussed plans about dropping her debut studio album in 2020 while promoting her EP, Suga. She further stated that she was "ready to settle down with an album". A year later, in October 2020, she provided more insight into the album-making process, including posting pictures with frequent producer Lil Ju. 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  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  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  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 sampled 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 saw 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  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.