The single topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making it the band's third song to do so following "Gone Away" (1997) and "Coming for You" (2015).
[1] According to lead vocalist Dexter Holland, the song's lyrics recount the ongoing socio-political obstacles of the time when it was written.
The music video for "Let the Bad Times Roll" premiered on March 25, 2021, a month after the song was released as a single.
It shows an exaggerated view of life during the COVID-19 quarantine, with the video's characters experiencing bizarre and frightening situations while stuck at home.
[4] Tim Hoffman of Riff Magazine praised the song, describing it as having "a pop-rock aesthetic with a more upbeat and bouncy melody to contrast the cynical lyrics".