| "Save the Day" | ||||
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| Single by SZA | ||||
| from the album Hoppers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
| Written | c. August 2025 | |||
| Released | February 20, 2026 | |||
| Recorded | c. August 2025 | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Walt Disney | |||
| Composers |
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| Lyricist | SZA | |||
| Producers |
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| SZA singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Save the Day" on YouTube | ||||
"Save the Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released on February 20, 2026, by Walt Disney Records. The song was written for Pixar's 2026 film Hoppers , appearing on the end credits.
Director Daniel Chong wanted the end credits of Pixar's Hoppers to feature an original song. Many of the placeholder tracks he used while waiting for it to get made were by SZA. These included the singles "Good Days" (2020) and "Saturn" (2024)". [1] [2] Chong explained in a press panel that he worked with those songs because they matched the mood of what he wanted the film's finale to evoke: a mix of melancholy and joy. [2] [3]
Chong's interest in SZA prompted him to contact her about possibly making a song for the film. She accepted the offer, writing and recording the track after she finished co-headlining the 2025 Grand National Tour. [3] [a] Chong said about their interaction: "I think there was an intuitiveness in talking with SZA that when she saw [Hoppers], I think she immediately knew what the movie needed. She understood [the protagonist] as a character". [5]
"Save the Day" has a melancholic and inspirational sound, similar to "Good Days" and "Saturn". [3] [6] It is built around a smooth, ornate piano melody by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons. [7] [8] The song also uses bass, guitar, synthesizers, and programmed drums, which is provided by Rob Bisel. [8] SZA is the sole lyricist; she composed the music with Lovett and Bisel, who were also the producers. [8]
The song explore themes of hope, reflecting the plot of Hoppers and the character arc of its protagonist Mabel. [9] [b] SZA questions, in the melancholic verses, about whether she is "a fool" for wanting to change the world and being nostalgic about the past. [3] [10] She reflects on being motivated to change and learn from her past mistakes: "Can we move on? It's all so heavy, need more strength to carry on." [2] [10] In the more joyous chorus, she sings about wanting to save the day and expressing her intense commitment to doing so. The lyrics read: "Caught in the friction, I'm on a mission / Here's to hopin' there's still a way". [2] [3] In the outro, she promises someone in dire need of rescue that she will come back for them: "I'll be back for you, babe / Hold it down to the grave / I'll be back for you." [8]
"Save the Day" was released on February 20, 2026, by Walt Disney Records. [9] [11] The entire song was previewed two days earlier on SiriusXM's Disney Hits channel; Pixar also posted a 16-second snippet of it on social media. [5] "Save the Day" will be released on 10-inch vinyl in March 2026. [12]
Adapted from the 10-inch vinyl's liner notes [8]
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard Japan ) [13] | 10 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [14] | 26 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | February 20, 2026 | Walt Disney | [15] | |
| March 20, 2026 | 10-inch vinyl | [12] |