SoulFly
2021“His fullest, most affecting take on soul-trap heartbreak”
SoulFly is where Rod Wave's songwriting and his audience peaked together. "Tombstone" became his highest-charting song to that point and "Street Runner" also made the Hot 100 top twenty, "Richer" with Polo G gave him a rap-forward single, and the title track sets a mournful, gospel-tinged tone that holds across nineteen songs. AllMusic praised the sincerity of the writing, and HipHopDX called it his most introspective work while calling the instrumentals trite.
Why it ranks here
SoulFly is where Rod Wave's songwriting and his audience peaked together. "Tombstone" became his highest-charting song to that point and "Street Runner" also made the Hot 100 top twenty, "Richer" with Polo G gave him a rap-forward single, and the title track sets a mournful, gospel-tinged tone that holds across nineteen songs. AllMusic praised the sincerity of the writing, and HipHopDX called it his most introspective work while calling the instrumentals trite.
Context
His third studio album, released March 26, 2021 by Alamo, Geffen and Interscope. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 130,000 album-equivalent units, his first chart-topper.
Highlights
- SoulFly
- Tombstone
- Street Runner
- Richer
- Gone Till November
Weak Spots
- Nineteen tracks blur in the back half
- Instrumentals rarely vary
Production
TnTXD · Eighty 8 · Jai Beats · Uncle Cameron · Tahj Money
Read our full SoulFly review →
Influence
Confirmed that pain-focused, sung rap could top the charts without radio-style features.
Replay Value
High — the strongest run of hooks in his catalog.