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.

[1] Toomp remembered that a lot of the GOOD Music crew were in the studio when creating the song and said "it felt like a party up in there while working on that record".

[2] West sent the sample sounds over to his keyboard to work with, before he sang the melody and brought in the bassline as he added more to the beat, followed by a few players contributing the synthesizers.

"[3] The producer said that they "wanted a professional keyboardist to bless that shit" and considered "about four different artists" for the hook, also including R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo in the recording sessions, until T-Pain was decided on as the performer and going through this process taught him about "taking your time and not settling with what you [first] hear".

Speaking on his 'At: Guitar Center' podcast in 2011, T-Pain said that he thought of the song's concept when dining at a restaurant with West, focusing on him ordering lobster and Cristal.

[4] According to record producer Jeff Bhasker, West said on his Glow in the Dark Tour that singing T-Pain's parts of the song through Auto-Tune live inspired his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008.

Member Richard Dodd and John Krovoza performed cello, and additional drum programming was done by record producer Timbaland.

[18] West spins lyrics from fellow rapper 50 Cent's 2003 single "In da Club" that originally were about Lloyd Banks giving him advice, declaring that he suggested to him to change his style.

[25] Simultaneously, the labels released it as a digital download in the United Kingdom, with a Young Jeezy-featuring remix of fellow Graduation single "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as the B-side.

[11] Hot Press author John Walshe held a similar opinion, labeling it an example of the "shimmering summertime pop" on the record.

[30] Louis Pattison of NME thought the song may be the "most luxurious, opulent-feeling production" on Graduation, predicting it to become the biggest hit due to the sample of "P.Y.T.

[13] Similarly, Pitchfork's Mark Pytlik identified the song as an album highlight and potential hit, asserting that T-Pain's auto-tuned hooks are placed "against a bed of summery, squealing synths".

[17] Spin journalist Charles Aaron highlighted its "yacht-rockin' capitalist sun splash", while Jesse Mann of Prefix Mag pointed out the sample as admirable.

For Slant Magazine, Eric Henderson praised the sample for West bringing the pitch down "to T-Pain's wholly synthetic level" and how the rapper layers synths reminiscent of Sale of the Century around him, as this shows his ability "to bury ones weaker arguments within their showier claims" that every student should learn, though complained the "vocal Gizmodgery makes me want to throw a shawt one" at the singer.

[14] Alex Fletcher was rather mixed in Digital Spy, affirming that the song checks the boxes of a "classic but slightly obscure sample", bravado lyricism, and "squelching Timbaland-style beats", yet doubted the commercial ability.

[34] He elaborated that West disappointed him with a "plodding, predictable trundle" and despite the appeal of the rapper repeatedly proclaiming his greatness, "with tunes like this, he'll end up looking rather daft".

[35] Amazon.com editors selected "Good Life" as the ninth best song of 2007, whereas PopMatters named it the year's 10th best, with Dan Nishimoto praising the "feel-good-anthem" for its production and lyrics.

[40] "Good Life" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 14, standing as the highest entry in the same week as fellow Graduation single "Stronger" topped the chart.

[53] It peaked at the seventh position of the Hot 100 on November 10, 2007, becoming West's second consecutive top-10 single from the album, as well as T-Pain's sixth track to reach this ranking.

[61][62][63] By September 2020, "Good Life" was certified triple platinum for amassing 3,000,000 equivalent units in the US, standing among West's 39 certifications for the year's third quarter.

[73] The rapper opened the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards by performing "Good Life" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing", wearing a Louis Vuitton rainbow scarf.

[78] On September 11, 2009, West delivered a performance of the song for fellow rapper Jay-Z's Answer the Call concert at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City (NYC).

[82][83] The rapper delivered a shortened version of it for a songs medley at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief in MSG on December 12, 2012, as he wore a Pyrex hoodie and leather kilt.

[87] On November 20, 2013, West performed the song for his concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on The Yeezus Tour (2013–14), accompanied by fireworks at the start.

[89][90] The incident created negative media attention, with some sources falsely reporting that West berated the fans for being disabled and others criticizing him for asking they provide proof.

[92] During his headlining set at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival, West performed the song in a cherry picker that rose above the stage, engaging in a call-and-response with the audience.

The rapper continued to deliver the hook for about a minute as his vocals dropped out randomly and the backing track sang "I'm good" before going silent; he ended his appearance by throwing the microphone high into the air and then walking off the stage.

Pan American Games Senior Vice President of Communications and Media Relations Neala Barton issued a statement decrying this, explaining West performed for his schedule timeframe and fulfilled his commitment to a high standard, despite technical difficulty "due to circumstances beyond anyone's control".

[97][98] The statement also denounced anyone who believed West cut his performance short or was unprofessional as incorrect, voicing Pan American Games' satisfaction with his appearance.

[97][98] On August 25, 2016, he performed the song on his new flying stage setup for the Saint Pablo Tour's kickoff show at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.