By Your Side (Rod Wave song) explained

By Your Side
Cover:	Rod Wave - By Your Side.png
Type:	single
Artist:	Rod Wave
Album:	Beautiful Mind
Released:	November 14, 2021
Length:	3:14
Label:	Alamo Sony
Producer:	TnTXD Harto Beats
Prev Year:	2021
Prev Title:	Time Heals
Year:	2021
Next Title:	Cold December
Next Year:	2022

"By Your Side" is a song by American rapper and singer Rod Wave. It was released on YouTube on November 14, 2021, before being uploaded to other platforms on November 22. It is the lead single to Wave's fourth studio album Beautiful Mind (2022). The song sees Rod Wave open a new chapter in life, while reflecting on life after the nine months since he released his third album, SoulFly. The chorus interpolates the Plain White T's' "Hey There Delilah" (2006).

Background and composition

In March 2021, Rod Wave released his second album, SoulFly, which has a track called "Gone Till November", on which he promises: "So I, I'll be gone 'til November, go in and mark your calendar". He fulfilled that promise by releasing "By Your Side" onto YouTube on November 14, and on other digital platforms on November 22. He opens the song by acknowledging that promise.^[1] Furthermore, the song contains pitched up vocals and "trunk-rattling" 808s, as Rod reflects on all the success he has achieved in the last year and his progression in the music industry, while also accepting his past.^{[2] [3]} The song contains only one verse, and towards the end of it, Rod references his 2019 track "Cuban Links", on which he raps that he will die wearing Cuban Link jewelry; on "By Your Side" though, he dismisses that notion, as he now prefers luxury brand Richard Mille, and has found a renewed interest in life ("I got inside my bag and got out my feelings"). In the chorus, Rod directly interpolates the first verse from Plain White T's's 2006 single "Hey There Delilah", except he changes "Hey there Delilah" to "Hey there everybody".^[4] Genius' Ken Partridge opined that "By Your Side' isn't a love letter to one person; it's a song for anyone who's stuck in their feelings and would like a little company".

Music video

The music video accompanied the song's release and shows behind-the-scenes footage of Rod Wave's SoulFly tour.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[5]	38

Release history

Region! scope="col"

Date	Format	Label
Various	November 14, 2021		Alamo	^[6]
United States	February 15, 2022	Rhythmic contemporary		^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rod Wave Interpolates Plain White T's On New Song "By Your Side". Genius. Partridge. Ken. November 23, 2021. December 7, 2021.
2. Web site: Rod Wave Shares New Song "By Your Side". HotNewHipHop. A.. Aron. November 15, 2021. December 7, 2021.
3. Web site: Rod Wave will be "By Your Side" in latest visual. Revolt. Cho. Regina. November 15, 2021. December 7, 2021.
4. Web site: 28 New Rap and R&B Songs Out This Week. Brooklyn Vegan. Sacher. Andrew. November 20, 2021. December 7, 2021.
5. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 2, 2022.
6. Web site: By Your Side - Single by Rod Wave. Apple Music. January 25, 2022.
7. Web site: Future Releases for Rhythmic Radio Stations. All Access. January 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220125014600/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases. January 25, 2022.