After waiting almost a full year since his last drop, Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory, Rod Wave fans are extremely excited to receive his newest album Nostalgia, which was released September 15, 2023. Personally, I am a very big Rod Wave fan; I have been listening to him since early 2021 and have since gone back and listened to all of his old music made prior to 2021 as well. There is a very big notion that all of Rod Wave’s music is sad, but that is really only true about most of his mainstream songs. Sadness is all you hear unless you take the time to actively listen to his albums. His sound is very unique. His lyrics focus on his past and the things he’s gone through in order to help his own mental state as well as help other people who can relate to his music. Rod Wave makes music for people who have been through hard times and who can relate to and feel his music.

This album is about Rod Wave being nostalgic, reminiscing on his old life and his rise to fame. This is the main theme of most of the songs, but there are always a few sad songs. The first sad song is track number 3, “Call Your Friends.” The message Rod is trying to push with this one is that everybody goes through things and you should call your loved ones to check in because it could mean a lot to that person.

Track 5, “Come See Me,” and track 7, “Love For A Thug,” are the next two sad songs with a very similar meaning. Both of these tracks talk about attempts at relationships that failed, and now Rod Wave is either trying to rekindle or find somebody who is willing to stick by him.

The rest of the sad songs are track 11, “Boyz Don’t Cry,” track 13, “Great Gatsby,” and track 15, “Love Story/Interlude,” which are all about the want for love and also the failed attempts at love and how it affected him. Track 8, “Checkmate” is also a sad song, but I do not find this song on the same level as the rest of the songs in this group.

The rest of this album is more motivational as he talks about how if he could come from nothing and achieve the level of fame he has earned, then anyone can do it. This starts with track 1, “Nostalgia” and track 2, “Long Journey,” where he talks about his journey from rags to riches and how it feels now.

Track 4, “HG4,” track 6, “Crazy,” track 12, “Pass You By,” track 14, “Keep It G,” and track 18, “2018,” are all also about the same idea of him making it out and being at the top now.

Track 10, “Turks & Caicos,” track 16, “Rap Beef,” and track 17, “Back Lit” are the hype songs on the album where there is no really strong meaning or message, but these are all upbeat and catchy songs.

Track 9, “Fight The Feeling” is very unique and was actually dropped way before the album on March 31, 2023, but it was still included on the track list. This song is about a woman who is going out with her friends and trying to have fun while fighting the sad thoughts going through her head.

Based strictly on numbers, this is Rod Wave’s best album. People are starting to like his music more and more. I decided to go around and ask the opinions of a couple people, some whom are big fans of Rod, and some whom do not listen to him. The first person who I talked to was a good friend of mine and an avid Rod Wave listener, Juan Urrea. When asked his thoughts on the album, he said, “I think the album is good, but it isn’t on par with Soulfly or Beautiful Mind.” I then went on to ask him what his favorite song on the album was and why. He responded, saying, “Great Gatsby… The way the chorus hits is too good.”

The next person I interviewed was somebody I’ve talked to before who is known to very much dislike Rod Wave’s music, Marcas Gordan. I asked him why he did not like Rod Wave’s music and he said, “It all sounds the same and is just sad. I’m not trying to be sad all the time.”

During my first interview with Gordan, he had not yet listened to the new album. After he heard Nostalgia, I asked him what he thought, and he commented, “This is probably the best music I’ve heard from Rod Wave. But it’s still not something I’d listen to in my spare time.” I respect his opinion because a lot of people will hate it without even listening. Gordan at least took the time to give it a try.

Finally, I spoke with AIC student Jason James. I only asked him one question: what his favorite song was and why. He answered, “’2018′ is my favorite because I like the sample at the beginning of the song and Rod Wave sounds good over the beat.”

I believe Nostalgia is a very good album. If I were to give this album a rating out of 5 stars, it would be a 4.5. I would definitely say that Soulfly is a better album, but Nostalgia is in debate for Rod Wave’s second best album. My favorite songs from this album would be “Nostalgia,” “2018,” and “Boyz Don’t Cry,” although I like all the songs. I am hoping for a deluxe and hoping I can see him perform this album live.