Rod Wave released his sixth album, Last Lap, the follow-up to his 2023 album, Nostalgia. Everyone gave the album positive reviews, and Rod Wave acknowledges the pain he felt writing it, which comes through effortlessly in every song. He has always been able to express his emotions through his music, and his fans feel that connection. The album takes you on an emotional journey with its melodic poetry and trap-soul/gospel vibe. It is a unique listen and will quickly pull you into your feelings! Let’s move on to talk about Rod and his new album together and dive into his emotion-filled music.
Who is Rod Wave?
Rod Wave, born Rodarius Marcell Green on August 27, 1998, is one of the most important names in modern hip-hop. He first became noticed in 2019 with his single “Heart On Ice,” which went viral on TikTok and peaked at 25 on the Billboard charts. Later in the same year, he released his debut album, Ghetto Gospel, and instantly stood out for his unique sound. Rod Wave is a singer/songwriter and rapper credited with pioneering trap soul. This is a unique and particular field of music, and Rod has continuously been making his name known in this area of music. If you have not listened to him, I think you should!
Last Lap The Album
Let’s take a look at Wave’s new album, the Last Lap, together. The recently released sixth album, Last Lap, is a heart-wrenching, personal with soulful lyrics. He released the single “Numb” and teased the album on his Instagram. The album, which features artists like Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Wild Rivers, and others, dropped on October 11th. Critics and fans immediately praised it. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard and became his seventh top ten on the chart, garnering a total of 173.35 million on-demand streams. Rod Wave joins Taylor Swift as the only two artists to have an album peak within the top ten between 2019 and 2024.
Thoughts?
Rod Wave holds onto the authenticity of hip-hop with this project. The album opens with the track Turtle Race, a raw song that deals with the aftermath of losing a friend and the slow life of grinding towards something stable and maybe peaceful. He speaks about wanting to change while being stuck. The song is pure and comes from a deep place. It sets the tone for the album. His song, Last Lap, sees him speaking to his late relative. He touches on his life, positivity, and the pain he’s silently going through. He opens up about all the losses and turmoil. This song is raw and takes you into his life: “Cleaner clothes and sprinter vans make me shed a tear.”
If you have not had the chance to listen to any of Wave’s music before, this the Last Lap is a great experience! The simple fact that this album is filled with a massive amount of feelings in this album will make you feel more of an experience than previous ones. If you are a person who enjoys not only listening to music but genuinely feeling your hair rise on your arms from the lyrics, Wave is a great choice for you. He puts a unique twist to gospel with his style, and you may even find yourself looking more into his music and similar artists!
Conclusion
Heartfelt and hard-hitting lyrics aren’t strange to hip-hop, but the shallow content has overshadowed it being pushed out. Last Lap, Rod’s album, reminds us of lyrical depth, music that makes you sit, think, feel, and reflect. It’s one of those albums that is hard to listen to because it’s so relatable, and it also gives us that can’t relate a peek behind the curtain that comes with this life. Each song is special and important; he had no time for fluff songs as he crafted this deep, meaningful album. He has come so far now, but the pain is still there. This album will take you on an emotional experience you won’t forget!
