If “Good Days” seem elusive and you’re feeling that “heavy on my empty-mind shit,” now you can call up SZA and cry about it. The singer-songwriter understands her fans are feeling lonely and anxious, this being the dead of winter with a pandemic still raging and everything. Since “life be scary,” SZA created “a space for everyone” she’s dubbed the #goodline. It’s free and everything. Just dial 888-808-0CRY.
Within six hours of launching her hotline, SZA tweeted she’d gotten over 60,000 calls. The deluge of people hoping to “cry n laugh n talk” with her crashed the system, actually. SZA told her fandom she’d be back helming the phone lines in-person sometime on Friday. But for now, hitting up the hotline gets you a menu where you can listen to meditations and affirmations, access support services, and hear a couple versions of her track “Good Days.”
It’s unsurprising that tens of thousands of people jumped at the chance to shed tears with SZA. Her hotline is the perfect storm of stan culture and pandemic malaise. Last year the demand for remote therapy skyrocketed, both because people couldn’t see counselors in-person anymore and because so many folks are struggling with their mental health. The idea of talking about our troubles with the poet-musician who soundtracked our heartbreaks sounds divine — provided we can get her on the line.
The video promoting SZA's #goodline was directed by the singer herself and filmed by Blair Caldwell, with editing and visual effects by Fahmeed Abdullah. It's inspired by old hotline commercials, which dominated late-night in the 1980s and '90s. These were mostly for sex and psychics, but there was also a line where you could chat with Corey Haim and Corey Feldman at the same time.
Last winter, SZA was transparent about her need to step away from the limelight for her mental health. "Not doing any videos Interviews or photos for the rest of my life lol don’t ask," the singer tweeted last February. That might've been hyperbole, but it sets a powerful example for her fans: it's important to make space for your emotional wellbeing, whether you're a pop star or someone else.
