SoulFly (Rod Wave album)

Last updated

SoulFly
Rod Wave - SoulFly.png
Studio album by
Rod Wave
ReleasedMarch 26, 2021
Length53:33
Label Alamo
Producer
  • Basobeats
  • Drum Dummie
  • Eighty 8
  • Evrgrn
  • Fritz
  • Harto
  • JBFlyBoi
  • KimJ
  • Shaad K. Rounds
  • Tahj Money
  • TNTXD
  • Will-A-Fool
Rod Wave chronology
Pray 4 Love
(2020)		SoulFly
(2021)		 Beautiful Mind
(2022)
Singles from SoulFly
  1. "Street Runner"
    Released: March 10, 2021
  2. "Tombstone"
    Released: March 23, 2021
  3. "Richer"
    Released: March 26, 2021
  4. "Time Heals"
    Released: August 18, 2021

SoulFly is the third studio album by American rapper Rod Wave. It was released on March 26, 2021, through Alamo Records. The album features a sole guest appearance from Polo G. The deluxe edition of the album was released on August 20, 2021. It features additional guest appearances from Kodak Black and Lil Durk. The album continues Rod Wave's signature "tenacity for poignant and evocative storytelling". [1]

Contents

Background

In August 2020, during an interview with Billboard, Rod Wave said he would release his third album that same month. However, a deluxe edition of Pray 4 Love was released instead. [2] In late January 2021, he took to Instagram, revealing the album's cover art, while calling out his label for reportedly not paying him, and stated he would not release new music until they do so. [3] Days later, he returned to Instagram, apologizing to his label, assuring fans "we just figured it out everything cool", and revealed that the album would be released in a couple of weeks. [4]

Concept

The album continues Rod Wave's candid emotional subject matters about his life and upbringing; "a story of a man scarred from his experiences with his family's struggles and racial disparities". [5] [6] The Fader 's Jordan Darville noted: "SoulFly is something like an intense conversation, with Wave's passion and ear for beats makes the listener connect their own life with what Wave is sharing. Whether that's turmoil or flexing, Wave makes his heart's concerns sound universal". [7] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz deemed the album Rod Wave's "most authoritative project to date, a collection of passionate stories coiled around melodies that are croaked out, rapped and crooned". [8] Rod Wave initially did not plan to have any features on the album. However, he changed his mind after meeting Polo G at a jewelry store; Polo had told him he is a fan of his work, much to Rod's surprise. [9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]

Uproxx's Aaron Williams praised Rod Wave's vocals for being the foundation of his music: "It's impressive that there are still artists who can do it with just a voice. While there's not a tremendous amount of true introspection or innovation on SoulFly, there is, however, a supreme level of self-assurance and technical craftsmanship. What Rod lacks in wit he makes up in emotion, and where his stories lack detail, he imbues them with a powerful sincerity that makes them read just as truthfully, resonating as deeply as an impressionist portrait". [11] Kazi Magazine found the album consistent: "Beautiful composed beats assist Rod's voice like a pass from LeBron James. It's a case of modern production not overpowering the vocals of the artist. Not only that it was no skips but it was meaningful content". [5]

Chart performance

SoulFly was the most pre-saved album on Apple Music for two weeks. [12]

On release, SoulFly debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 130,000 album-equivalent units (including 4,000 pure album sales) in its first week. It is Wave's first album to top the Billboard 200. [13]

Track listing

SoulFly track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."SoulFly (Intro)"
  • TNTXD
  • Tahj Money
  • Shaad K Rounds
  • Harto
3:08
2."Gone Till November"
  • Ro. Green
  • Tevin Revell
  • Jaehyun Kim
  • Drum Dummie
  • KimJ
2:41
3."Blame On You"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Amman Nurani
  • Adam Fritzer
  • TNTXD
  • Evrgrn
  • Fritz
2:45
4."Don't Forget"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Basil von Stietencron
  • TNTXD
  • Basobeats
4:09
5."Tombstone"
  • Ro. Green
  • Jaylon Howard
  • Eric Foley Jr.
  • Jaidyn Hullum
  • Saucii
  • Eighty 8
  • Jai Beats
2:40
6."All I Got"
  • Ro. Green
  • Nikola Pejovic
  • John Balan
  • Brayon Nelson
  • Dzimi
  • LowLowTurnMeUp
  • Mook Got The Keys
3:13
7."Richer" (featuring Polo G)
  • Pluto Brazy
  • Flynn
3:10
8."Street Runner"
  • Ro. Green
  • Ruth Berhe
  • Horton
  • Lukas Payne
  • Sterling Reynolds
  • TNTXD
  • London Blue
  • Karltin Bankz
4:12
9."Pills & Billz"
  • Ro. Green
  • Cameron Hubler
  • Hannah
  • Foley
  • Uncle Cameron
  • Pluto Brazy
  • Eighty 8
2:35
10."How the Game Go"
2:13
11."Shock da World"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Hullum
  • Hubler
  • TNTXD
  • Jai Beats
  • Uncle Cameron
3:24
12."What's Love??"
  • Ro. Green
  • Nicholas Lira
  • Lucas Grob
  • Bizounce
  • Luci G
2:58
13."OMDB"
  • Yung Tago
  • AStod
3:05
14."Invisible Scar"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Vaughn
  • Ra. Green
  • Luke Walker
  • TNTXD
  • Tahj Money
  • Shaad K Rounds
  • Lukecmon
2:48
15."Calling"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Pejovic
  • Hullum
  • TNTXD
  • Dzimi
  • Jai Beats
2:26
16."Sneaky Links"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • David McDowell
  • Payne
  • Reynolds
  • TNTXD
  • Dmac
  • London Blue
  • Karltin Bankz
2:58
17."Believe Me"
  • Ro. Green
  • Foley
  • Hubler
  • Hubert Rokosz
  • Eighty 8
  • Uncle Cameron
  • Rokit
2:39
18."Moving On"
  • Ro. Green
  • Tyrell Taylor
  • Kendrell Mattox
  • Coby Green
  • Frank Gilliam III
  • Joel Bolds
  • Taylor Made
  • DrellOnTheTrack
  • Tre Gilliam
  • DJ Fizzum Fade
2:49
19."Changing"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Hagan Lange
  • Patrick Yeboah
  • TNTXD
  • Hagan
  • KeyzMusic
3:00
Total length:55:33
Deluxe edition bonus tracks [14]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
20."2019"
  • Ro. Green
  • William Byrd
Will-A-Fool3:25
21."Escape"
  • Ro. Green
  • Evenson Clauseille
  • Ebon Thomas
  • Saad Ghallab
  • ThatBossEvan
  • Ebon
  • Coco
2:42
22."What's Wrong"
  • Ro. Green
  • Gerail Harvey
  • Marvin Venable
  • RellyMade
  • MightyMarv
2:35
23."Take the Blame"
  • Ro. Green
  • Sam Cohen
  • Chason Howard
  • Sam Thraxx
  • Popstar Benny
2:34
24."Get Ready" (featuring Kodak Black)
  • Ro. Green
  • Bill Kapri
  • Joshua Bates
  • Silas Benediktson
  • Travis Harrington
  • JBFlyBoi
  • Boat Note
  • Harrington
3:51
25."Already Won" (featuring Lil Durk)
Will-A-Fool3:32
26."Time Heals"
  • Ro. Green
  • David Cabral
  • Javon Reynolds
  • Josh Joseph
  • Malik Bynoe-Fisher
  • Dkeyz
  • MarsGawd
  • The Superiors & Co.
  • MalikOTB
3:13
27."Losing My Cool"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Hullum
  • Hubler
  • TNTXD
  • Jai Beats
  • Uncle Cameron
3:29
28."Ion Wanna Hear It (Outro)"
  • Ro. Green
  • Horton
  • Justin Bradbury
  • Kadaivon Dixon
  • TNTXD
  • JB
  • KD6
2:43

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for SoulFly
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Forest, Eleanor (March 24, 2021). "Rod Wave Releases Somber Tombstone' Visual". UDiscover. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Lamarre, Carl (July 28, 2020). "Why Rod Wave Might Be Writing Movie Scripts One Day". Billboard . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  3. ↑ Williams, Aaron (February 1, 2021). "Rod Wave Says He Won't Release His Album Until His Record Label Pays Up". Uproxx . Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  4. ↑ Okon, Wongo (February 4, 2021). "Rod Wave Apologizes For Calling Out His Label And Says Everything Is 'Cool' Now". Uproxx . Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. 1 2 LivenGoodLivin (April 2, 2021). "'SoulFly' Hits High Marks For Rod Wave". Kazi Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  6. ↑ Marie, Erika (March 26, 2021). "Rod Wave Lays It All Out On "SoulFly" Album Ft. Polo G". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  7. ↑ Darville, Jordan (March 26, 2021). "Listen to Rod Wave s new album SoulFly". The Fader . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  8. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (March 26, 2021). "First Stream: New Music From Taylor Swift & Maren Morris, Lil Nas X, Rod Wave and More". Billboard . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ Espinoza, Joshua (March 28, 2021). "Here Are the First Week Projections for Rod Wave's 'SoulFly'". Complex . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "SoulFly – Rod Wave". AllMusic . Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. ↑ Williams, Aaron (April 1, 2021). "Rod Wave's Voice Allows The Moody 'SoulFly' To Soar". Uproxx . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ Blake, Emily (March 29, 2021). "Rod Wave's 'SoulFly' Continues to Lead Apple Music Pre-Add Chart". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Rod Wave Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'SoulFly'". Billboard. April 4, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ Navjosh (August 18, 2021). "Rod Wave Announces 'Soulfly' Deluxe Edition Feat. 9 New Tracks". HipHop-N-More. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Rod Wave Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  16. ↑ "IRMA - Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Rod Wave Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Rod Wave Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard . Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard . Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  25. ↑ "American album certifications – Rod Wave – SoulFly". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
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