Good Day for Living (album)

Good Day for Living is the tenth studio album by American country music artist Joe Nichols. It was released on February 11, 2022, via Quartz Hill. Three singles have been released from the album, including its title track, which became Nichols' first top 20 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart since 2014.

Content
The 13-track album was co-produced by longtime collaborators Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, who previously worked with Nichols on his 2013 album, Crickets. Good Day for Living was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed Nichols to take his time with the record while on a break from touring: "For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel any pressure. I'm the type of person who's always striving for more, but I've reached a place where I'm grateful for everything I've accomplished so far. It's been such a good run. I feel at peace, and that has freed me up to make new music that's very honest". It marked his first release under Quartz Hill Records, and Nichols credited label head Benny Brown for his intuition on some of the song selection for the record.

"Home Run" was released as the album's lead single on May 10, 2021, and was a major influence in Nichols' initial decision to sign to Quartz Hill. "Good Day for Living" and "Brokenhearted" were issued as the album's second and third singles, respectively, and both charted on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, with the former becoming a top 20 hit.

The album includes a collaboration with Blake Shelton on "I Got Friends That Do". It also features several songs previously recorded by other artists: "She Was" by Mark Chesnutt for his 2002 self-titled album, "Hawaii on Me" by Chris Janson for his 2019 album, Real Friends, and "Reckon" and "Why Can't She" by Adam Craig in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Nichols toured in support of the album on the Good Day for Living 2022 Tour, which commenced on February 12 in Jackson, Mississippi, and ended in September after 26 dates.

Critical reception
Matt Bjorke of Roughstock spoke favorably of the album's melodies and production choices, and highlighted the diversity in material across the project, while comparing Nichols' vocals at times to Ronnie Milsap and Gene Watson.