SoulFly (Rod Wave album) explained

SoulFly
Type:studio
Artist:Rod Wave
Cover:Rod Wave - SoulFly.png
Released:March 26, 2021
Genre:
Length:53:33
Label:
Producer:
  • A-Dawg
  • A$tod
  • Basobeats
  • Bizounce
  • Boat Note
  • CocoBeatSzn
  • DJ Fizzum Fade
  • DKeyz
  • Dmac
  • DrellOnTheTrack
  • Drum Dummie
  • Dzimi
  • Ebon
  • Eighty8
  • EvrGrn
  • Flynn Cranston
  • Fraaz
  • FritzOnDaTrack
  • Hagan
  • Harto Beats
  • Jai Beats
  • JB
  • JBFlyBoi
  • Joel Bolds
  • Karltin Bankz
  • KD6
  • KeyzMusic
  • KjMj
  • LondnBlue
  • LowLowTurnThatUp
  • LuciG
  • Luke Walker
  • MalikOTB
  • MarsGawd
  • Mighty Mar
  • Mook On The Beats
  • PlutoBrazy
  • Popstar Benny
  • RellyMade
  • Roki
  • Ryder Johnson
  • Sam Thraxx
  • Saucii
  • Shaad K'Rounds
  • Taz Taylor
  • Tahj Money
  • ThatBossEvan
  • TnTXD
  • Travis Harrington
  • Tre Gilliam
  • Uncle Cameron
  • Will A Fool
  • Yung Tago
Prev Title:Pray 4 Love
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:Beautiful Mind
Next Year:2022

SoulFly is the third studio album by American rapper and singer Rod Wave, released on March 26, 2021, through Alamo Records, Geffen Records, and Interscope Records.[1] The album features guest appearances from Kodak Black, Lil Durk, and Polo G, alongside production from Dmac, DrellOnTheTrack, Drum Dummie, Karltin Bankz, LondnBlue, Taz Taylor, Tahj Money, TnTXD, Travis Harrington, Tre Gilliam, and several other producers. The album serves as a follow-up to Green's second studio album, Pray 4 Love (2020).[2] [3] A deluxe edition of the album was released on August 20, 2021, with an additional nine tracks.[4]

SoulFly received positive reviews from music critics who praised Green's vocals and the project's lyrical sincerity. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, marking Green's first number one on the chart.[5] It earned 130,000 album-equivalent units, of which 4,000 were pure album sales, and fourteen of the nineteen album tracks debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] [7] Following the release of the album, Rod Wave topped the Rolling Stone Artists 500 chart for the first time in his career.[8] The album was supported by four official singles: "Street Runner", "Tombstone", "Richer" featuring Polo G, and "Time Heals".

Background and recording

During Green's interview with The Breakfast Club, he revealed that he 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 was a fan of his work, much to Rod's surprise.[9] He also revealed that the recording process of the album was similar to Pray 4 Love, stating that it was just him and his engineer:[9]

Release and promotion

In August 2020, during an interview with Billboard, Green said he planned to release his third album on August 27, however, he released a deluxe edition of Pray 4 Love instead.[10] In January 2021, Green shared the album's cover art on his Instagram while calling out Alamo Records, stating that he won't release the album unless they decide to pay him.[11] Days later, he returned to Instagram, apologizing to his label, assuring fans "we just figured it out everything cool", revealing that the album would be released in a couple of weeks.[12] On March 6, Green announced the release of the album while revealing its tracklist.[13] On March 10, Green released the album's lead single, "Street Runner".[14] On March 23, he released the album's second single, "Tombstone".[15] Upon the album's release, the project's seventh cut, "Richer" featuring Polo G was released as a single.[16] On April 8, Green performed "Tombstone" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[17] On August 18, the single "Time Heals" was released.[18] It appeared on the deluxe edition of SoulFly which was released on August 20.[19] [4]

In support of the album, Green would embark on a thirty-six-stop tour throughout the United States, presented by Rolling Loud and Live Nation as the first tour under the new joint venture.[20] The tour began on August 27, 2021, in Houston, Texas, and concluded on October 23 in Seattle, Washington.[20]

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".[21] [22] The Faders 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".[1] Billboards 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".[23]

Critical reception

Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman wrote that similarly to Green's previous projects, he "continues to write with sincerity". He concluded his review writing that "Rod's falsetto lilt as he imagines his send-off is as close to heartbreaking as trap-soul—make that music—gets". David Aaron Brake for HipHopDX wrote that Green "eloquently croons about the bittersweet feeling of the come-up", noting that it's a common theme on SoulFly. Describing Green as a "generational talent", Brake concluded his review noting that the album presents him at "his most introspective and lyrically mature" while the "trite instrumentals put a ceiling on the album’s potential".

Uproxxs 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".[24] 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".

The Atlantic ranked SoulFly as the seventh best album of the year. Spencer Kornhaber for The Atlantic wrote that Green's "weary tales arrive with churchly trills, nu-metal groans, quiet-storm beats, and zero concern for coolness" while describing the album's lead single, "Street Runner" as a "tearjerker". Complexs Trey Alston ranked the album at number 41, writing that "Rod Wave’s knack for portraying past trauma so effectively is what makes him one of the most intriguing new artists in music".

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
The AtlanticThe Atlantics 10 Best Albums of 2021
ComplexComplexs Best Albums of 2021

Commercial performance

SoulFly debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 130,000 album-equivalent units (including 4,000 pure album sales) in its first week.[6] This became Rod Wave's third chart entry and third top-ten album while being his first US number-one album. The album also accumulated a total of 189.2 million on-demand streams of the album's 19 tracks, marking the largest streaming week of 2021 for an R&B/hip-hop album, at the time of its release.[6]

Upon the release of the album, Rod Wave topped the Rolling Stone Artists 500 chart for the first time in his career.[8] Furthermore, SoulFly was the most pre-saved album on Apple Music for two weeks.[5]

Track listing

Sample credits

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Irish Albums (IRMA)[25] 68

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[26] 21
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] 10
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[28] 42
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29] 20
Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[30] 85
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] 50

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateLabel(s)Format(s)Edition(s)Ref.
VariousMarch 26, 2021Standard
August 20, 2021Deluxe

See also

Notes and References

  1. Darville. Jordan. Listen to Rod Wave’s new album SoulFly. The Fader. March 26, 2021. September 20, 2024. May 19, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240519173420/https://www.thefader.com/2021/03/26/rod-wave-soulfly-stream-album. en-US. live.
  2. Grant. Shawn. Rod Wave Releases New Album ‘SoulFly’. The Source. March 26, 2021. September 20, 2024. December 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231203112418/https://thesource.com/2021/03/26/rod-wave-releases-new-album-soulfly/. en-US. live.
  3. Mahadevan. Tara. Listen to Rod Wave's 'SoulFly' Album f/ Polo G. Complex. March 26, 2021. September 20, 2024. September 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230910141101/https://www.complex.com/music/a/cmplxtara-mahadevan/rod-wave-soulfly. en-US. live.
  4. Yaregal. Bizu. August 20, 2021. Rod Wave Drops Deluxe Edition of ‘SoulFly’ Album. GRM Daily. September 20, 2024. January 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220126123101/https://grmdaily.com/rod-wave-soulfly-deluxe/. en-US. live.
  5. Leight. Elias. April 5, 2021. RS Charts: Rod Wave Scores First Number One on RS 200 With ‘SoulFly’. September 20, 2024. Rolling Stone. January 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129102145/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rs-charts-top-200-rod-wave-soulfly-1151294/. en-US. live. subscription.
  6. Caulfield. Keith. April 4, 2021. Rod Wave Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'SoulFly'. September 20, 2024. Billboard. April 6, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240406092457/https://www.billboard.com/pro/rod-wave-soulfly-tops-billboard-200/. en-US. live.
  7. McIntyre. Hugh. April 7, 2021. Rod Wave Charts 14 Songs On The Hot 100 As His New Album Hits No. 1. September 21, 2024. Forbes. April 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210407143905/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2021/04/07/rod-wave-charts-14-songs-on-the-hot-100-as-his-new-album-hits-no-1/. en-US. live.
  8. April 6, 2021. Rod Wave Tops Artists 500 Chart for the First Time. September 20, 2024. Rolling Stone. September 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240916192932/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rod-wave-artists-500-chart-number-one-soulfly-1151471/. en-US. live. subscription.
  9. Espinoza. Joshua. Here Are the First Week Projections for Rod Wave's 'SoulFly'. Complex. March 28, 2021. April 4, 2021. October 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211017221551/https://www.complex.com/music/first-week-sales-projections-rod-wave-soulfly. en-US. live.
  10. Why Rod Wave Might Be Writing Movie Scripts One Day. Billboard. Lamarre. Carl. July 28, 2020. July 30, 2020. October 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018223348/https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/9425659/rod-wave-interview. en-US. live.
  11. Web site: Rod Wave Says He Won't Release His Album Until His Record Label Pays Up. Uproxx. Williams. Aaron. February 1, 2021. April 3, 2021. May 20, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240520064550/https://uproxx.com/music/rod-wave-album-delay/. en-US. live.
  12. Web site: Rod Wave Apologizes For Calling Out His Label And Says Everything Is 'Cool' Now. Uproxx. Okon. Wongo. February 4, 2021. April 3, 2021. February 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228195548/https://uproxx.com/music/rod-wave-apologizes-calling-out-label-everything-cool/. en-US. live.
  13. Web site: Rod Wave Announces His ‘Soulfly’ Project And Shares A Tracklist And Release Date. Uproxx. Okon. Wongo. March 6, 2021. September 20, 2024. October 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231015000306/https://uproxx.com/music/rod-wave-announces-soulfly-tracklist-release-date/. en-US. live.
  14. Web site: Rod Wave Is All About His Business On "Street Runner" Single. HotNewHipHop. Marie. Erika. January 8, 2021. September 20, 2024. April 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230405141800/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/315971-rod-wave-is-all-about-his-business-on-street-runner-single-new-song. en-US. live.
  15. Elder. Sajae. Rod Wave shares the powerful visuals for “Tombstone”. The Fader. March 24, 2021. September 20, 2024. May 19, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240519173226/https://www.thefader.com/2021/03/24/rod-wave-shares-the-powerful-visuals-for-tombstone. en-US. live.
  16. Web site: Bloom. Madison. March 26, 2021. Listen to Rod Wave and Polo G's New Song "Richer". Pitchfork. September 20, 2024. January 21, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240121161512/https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-rod-wave-and-polo-gs-new-song-richer/. en-US. live.
  17. Rod Wave Gets Soulful With ‘Tombstone’ on ‘Fallon’. Rolling Stone. Zemler. Emily. April 8, 2021. September 20, 2024. December 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225060055/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rod-wave-tombstone-fallon-1152731/. en-US. live. subscription.
  18. Web site: Robinson. Joshua. Rod Wave Dishes Out The Feels With "Time Heals". HotNewHipHop. August 18, 2021. September 20, 2024. January 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230119041940/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/346156-rod-wave-dishes-out-the-feels-with-time-heals-new-song. en-US. live.
  19. Web site: Bustard. Andy. Rod Wave Announces 'SoulFly' Deluxe with 'Time Heals' Video. HipHopDX. August 18, 2021. September 20, 2024. December 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231203170727/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.63979/title.rod-wave-announces-soulfly-deluxe-with-time-heals-video. en-US. live.
  20. Brooks. Dave. Rod Wave Tour Kicking Off Rolling Loud’s National Touring Company. Billboard. June 14, 2021. September 23, 2024. May 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220529003102/https://www.billboard.com/pro/rolling-loud-presents-national-touring-company-rod-wave/. en-US. live.
  21. Web site: 'SoulFly' Hits High Marks For Rod Wave. Kazi Magazine. LivenGoodLivin. April 2, 2021. April 4, 2021. October 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211027194246/https://kazimagazine.com/music/reviews/soulfly-hits-high-marks-for-rod-wave/amp/. en-US. live.
  22. Web site: Rod Wave Lays It All Out On "SoulFly" Album Ft. Polo G. HotNewHipHop. Marie. Erika. March 26, 2021. April 4, 2021. January 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230119042000/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/315440-rod-wave-lays-it-all-out-on-soulfly-album-ft-polo-g-new-mixtape. en-US. live.
  23. First Stream: New Music From Taylor Swift & Maren Morris, Lil Nas X, Rod Wave and More. Billboard. Lipshutz. Jason. March 26, 2021. April 4, 2021. April 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415100226/https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/columns/pop/9546988/first-stream-taylor-swift-maren-morris-lil-nas-x-rod-wave. en-US. live.
  24. Web site: Rod Wave's Voice Allows The Moody 'SoulFly' To Soar. Uproxx. Williams. Aaron. April 1, 2021. April 4, 2021. April 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240416074219/https://uproxx.com/music/rod-wave-soulfly-review/. en-US. live.
  25. Web site: IRMA - Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. April 4, 2021.
  26. Web site: Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  27. Web site: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  28. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 2, 2022.
  29. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 2, 2022.
  30. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.
  31. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.

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