Nostalgia (Rod Wave album)

Nostalgia
Studio album by Rod Wave
Released	September 15, 2023 (2023-09-15)
Genre	Hip hop R&B[1]
Length	55:25
Label	Alamo
Producer	Adé Aldaz Amineskkrt ATonOnMyMind Ayo Bleu AyoKxnzo BeatsByJuko BeatsByTrain Bsquared Camm Desirez Beats DKeyz Dubba K Beats Dvosk Eelmatic EgonBeUp Fasbeats FlexOnDaTrack Fraxille Gabe Lucas Geo Vocals JLH Keyman Landers LayZBeats LondnBlue McCoy Reach High Eli Ronny J Ryan Bevolo SephGotTheWaves ThatBossEvan TnTXD TrillGotJuice Will-A-Fool Xyn
Rod Wave chronology
Jupiter's Diary: 7 Day Theory (2022) Nostalgia (2023) Last Lap (2024)
Singles from Nostalgia
"Fight the Feeling" Released: March 31, 2023 "Call Your Friends" Released: August 18, 2023 "Come See Me" Released: September 1, 2023 "Boyz Don't Cry" Released: September 13, 2023 "Checkmate" Released: September 14, 2023

Nostalgia is the fifth studio album by American rapper and singer Rod Wave, released on September 15, 2023, through Alamo Records.^[2] The album features guest appearances from 21 Savage, Sadie Jean, and Wet, while the production was handled by Ayo Bleu, FlexOnDaTrack, LayZBeats, LondnBlue, Ronny J, SephGotTheWaves, and TnTXD, alongside several others.^[3] The album serves as a follow-up to Green's fourth studio album, Beautiful Mind (2022), and his EP, Jupiter's Diary: 7 Day Theory (2022).^[4]

Nostalgia received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the album's lyrical vulnerability and melodic flows. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart for selling 137,000 album-equivalent units, 1,500 of which were pure album sales.^[5] Serving as Green's third consecutive number one on the chart,^[6] each of the album's eighteen tracks entered the Billboard Hot 100.^[7] In its second week, the album stayed atop the chart, moving an additional 88,000 units.^[8] In May 2024, Nostalgia was listed amongst Sony Music's highest grossing albums of the fiscal year.^[9] It was supported by five singles: "Fight the Feeling", "Call Your Friends", "Come See Me", "Boyz Don't Cry", and "Checkmate".

Background and recording

Upon the album's release, Green appeared in an interview with Nick and Eddie from Apple Music 1's Rap Life Radio.^[10] During the interview, Green revealed how on the album, he was able to express himself to his fullest: "I feel like on this album, I was able to spread my emotions around. I have more time just to touch bases on different kind of points of views, on different subjects", describing music as "therapy" for him. When asked about the album's title, Green went in-depth and revealed the background behind the title:^[10]

Over the years, you know what I’m saying? I done let, I done let, I done let lot of it out, you know what I’m saying? And just, it was just therapy for me, you know what I’m saying? But this album, the reason why I even named it Nostalgia is, you know what I’m saying? Just ‘cause I always remember where I was at. Every interview I did, every person, every face I met, every song, every video I shot, I remember where I was at, how I was feeling, what I was doing, so, I just had to realize, this is nostalgic. Everything I put out in the world, in the universe, I'ma be able to look back at it, like, “Damn, I remember that time, I remember this,” you know what I’m saying? It’s all special to me. So, yeah, this album, man, I just feel different, you know what I’m saying?

During his interview with Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267 of Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Green spoke about his song selection process, stating that he'd pick a certain amount of songs to "gain new fans" some tracks for his new fans, and some tracks for his core fanbase.^[11]

Release and promotion

See also: Nostalgia Tour

Rod Wave released the lead single of the album, "Fight the Feeling", on March 31, 2023.^[12] The song provoked negative feedback with people opining that his music became "too emotional".^[13] However, he claimed that he wrote the song with his haters on his mind.^[14][15] On August 16, 2023, Rod announced the album and released the second single "Call Your Friends" two days later.^[16][17] He also addressed allegations of having moved the release date several times before, saying that this was his first time mentioning any date while sharing the album's official artwork.^[18][19] On September 1, Rod Wave released the album's third single, "Come See Me".^[20][21][22] On September 11, Rod announced the Nostalgia Tour, a North American tour for the album that is set to take place from October to December 2023.^[23] The 35-date tour through North America will be backed by special guests Ari Lennox, Toosii, G Herbo, and Eelmatic.^[24] On September 13, the album's fourth single, "Boyz Don't Cry" was released as an Amazon Music acoustic exclusive.^[25] The album's fifth and final single, "Checkmate" was released on September 14, just a day prior to the album's release.^[26][27]

Following the release of the album, Green's late uncle and manager, Dereck "Dee" Lane appeared in an interview with Billboard in which he spoke about pushing Green to promote the album more than his previous records:^[28]

The key to Rod’s success is his team. We’re grass rooted. Yes, Nostalgia is our standout album, but we didn’t change the approach that we take when it comes to the music. [...] You’re in the industry so I’m sure you know that Rod doesn’t do a lot of album promo. The whole team felt that this album was definitely a special one. With that being said, I pushed him to do as much promo as possible to make sure we got the word out while also continuing to maintain and stay true to himself.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
HipHopDX	[29]

Nostalgia received mediocre reviews from critics. Writing for AllMusic, TiVo Staff stated that his "emotional delivery, melodic flows, gospel underpinnings, and pop-friendly approach to trap" have a similar delivery to that of his previous studio album, Beautiful Mind (2022). He stated that "there's a unified feeling throughout the almost-hour-long project, and it reaches its highest points right around the middle of the journey".^[1] HipHopDX's Isaac Fontes stated that "[Rod Wave's] soulful reflections over Trap beats laced with booming 808s accompanied by either a twinkling piano loop or a drawling guitar riff, is a contrast that works because of the depths of his lyrics." He noted that "authenticity and deeply introspective lyrics" play a major factor in why "his movement [is] so powerful".^[29]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Nostalgia

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Los Angeles Times	The 20 Best Albums of 2023	14	[30]

Controversy

On November 18, 2023, Boosie Badazz took to social media to state that he planned to file a lawsuit against Rod Wave over an uncleared sample on "Long Journey" from Boosie's track of the same title, featuring Webbie.^[31] Boosie claimed that Rod Wave stile his lyrics and that he just wants his "split" and his "cut".^[31] On the same day, Boosie "unleashed" on Rod Wave, alleging that Rod was stealing from Boosie's children by not properly clearing the track.^[32] Just hours later, Rod Wave responded to Boosie's allegations stating that he'd pay him and a lawsuit wasn't required,^[33][34] however, just a day later, Boosie teased a diss track seemingly aimed at Rod: "For years I let you n****s slide, hoping that I get that phone call like n**** you can't get 25%, but I never got it / Not keeping it real so let's keep it real".^[35][36] Following the diss track tease, Rod Wave took to his Twitter to state that he'd never steal a song from another artist while taking aim at Boosie and stating that he was planning to retire from music.^[37] Days later, during an Instagram live, Boosie confirmed that Rod Wave failed to pay him and that he plans to go forward with the lawsuit.^[38][39] The following month, Boosie went on a "rant" on Instagram live alleging that Row would rather pay a lawyer than him.^[40]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Nostalgia debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning 137,000 album-equivalent units (including 1,500 in pure sales) in its first week. It became Wave's third number-one on the chart and sixth top-ten. The album also accumulated a total of 187.51 million on-demand streams of its songs.^[5] In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, moving an additional 88,000 units, a 500-unit margin above closest challenger Olivia Rodrigo's Guts.^[8][41] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 17, 2023.^[42] As of December 2023, Beautiful Mind was the 44th best-selling album in the United States, moving over 757,000 album-equivalent units in the year, consisting of 3,300 pure sales, 20,000 song sales, 952,422,000 audio streams, and 148,228,000 video streams.^[43] On May 14, 2024, Sony Music reported a 17% increase in revenue in the fiscal year. Green's Nostalgia was listed among the top-earning projects released through the label.^[9] On September 16, the album was certified platinum, signifying a million units sold.^[42]

Track listing

Nostalgia track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Nostalgia" (with Wet)	Rodarius Green Kelly Zutrau Joe Valle Lee Spight III	Eelmatic	2:43
2.	"Long Journey"	Green Bryan Beachley Daniel Voskoboynik Cameron Holmes Fedor Sommerfeld	BeatsByTrain Dvosk Camm FasBeats ATonOnMyMind	3:05
3.	"Call Your Friends"	Green Beachley Ryan Bevolo Evan McCoy	BeatsByTrain Bevolo Landers McCoy	2:33
4.	"HG4"	Green Beachley David Cabral Braylen Rembert	BeatsByTrain DKeyz Ayo Bleu	2:00
5.	"Come See Me"	Green Gabriel Lucas	Gabe Lucas Desirez Beats	3:10
6.	"Crazy"	Green Ryan Harroud Beachley Anthony Villena Hayley Williams Taylor York	Xyn BeatsByTrain Keyman	2:10
7.	"Love for a Thug"	Green Beachley Konsta Korhonen	BeatsByTrain Dubba K Beats	3:04
8.	"Checkmate"	Green Beachley Holmes Jonas Gumdal	BeatsByTrain Camm Fraxille	3:17
9.	"Fight the Feeling"	Green Beachley Souiyate Amine Daniel Yenuen Aldaz Leander Evenson Clauseille	BeatsByTrain Amineskkrt Aldaz ThatBossEvan	2:40
10.	"Turks & Caicos" (featuring 21 Savage)	Green Shéyaa Abraham-Joseph Philip Adetumbi Justin Smith Tom Brock Robert Relf Barry Bailey Charles Fleming George Belton Larry Miller Reginald Payne	Adé	3:23
11.	"Boyz Don't Cry"	Green Beachley Eric Todd-Williams	BeatsByTrain EgonBeUp AyoKxnzo JLH	2:46
12.	"Pass You By"	Green Willie Byrd Ben Bull	Will-A-Fool Bsquared	3:12
13.	"Great Gatsby"	Green Thomas Horton Antonio Ramos Joseph Boyden Felix Govaerts Georgia Boyden	TnTXD TrillGotJuice SephGotTheWaves FlexOnDaTrack Geo Vocals Reach High Eli	2:26
14.	"Keep It G"	Green Horton Ramos Sterling van Reynolds	TnTXD TrillGotJuice LondnBlue	4:00
15.	"Love Story/Interlude"	Green Beachley Byrd Holmes Benjamin Hubble Bull	BeatsByTrain Will-A-Fool Camm LayZBeats Bsquared	5:16
16.	"Rap Beef"	Green Bull Byrd	Bsquared Will-A-Fool	3:28
17.	"Back Lit"	Green Ronald Spence Jr. Jacob Sclaver	Ronny J BeatsByJuko	2:58
18.	"2018" (with Sadie Jean)	Green Sadie Wilcox Spight	Eelmatic	3:14
Total length:				55:25

Sample credits

• "Nostalgia" contains samples of "Where Did the Day Go", written by Kelly Zutrau, Joe Valle, and Marty Sulko, as performed by Wet.
• "Long Journey" contains an interpolation of "Long Journey", written by Torence Ivy Hatch Jr. and Webster Gradney Jr., as performed by Boosie Badazz and Webbie.
• "Crazy" contains samples and an interpolation of "Ain't It Fun", written by Hayley Williams and Taylor York, as performed by Paramore.
• "Turks & Caicos" contains an interpolation of "Girls, Girls, Girls", written by Shawn Carter, Tom Brock, and Justin Smith, as performed by Jay-Z.
• "Keep It G" contains samples of "Back to Blue", written and performed by Dora Pereli.
• "Love Story/Interlude" contains samples of "Song to a Seagull", written and performed by Joni Mitchell.
• "2018" contains samples of "WYD Now?", written by Sadie Wilcox, David Alexander, and Grace Enger, as performed by Sadie Jean.

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Nostalgia Chart (2023) Peak position Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[44] 6 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[45] 29 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[46] 18 UK Albums (OCC)[47] 46 US Billboard 200[48] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[49] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Nostalgia Chart (2023) Position US Billboard 200[50] 156 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[51] 45

Certifications

Certifications for Nostalgia

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[52]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Nostalgia

Region	Date	Label(s)	Format(s)	Edition(s)	Ref.
Various	September 15, 2023	Alamo	Digital download streaming	Standard	[2]
United States	January 26, 2024		LP		[53]
Europe
United States	November 1, 2024				[54]

See also

• 2023 in hip hop music
• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2023

References

1. Staff, TiVo (September 15, 2023). "Nostalgia Review by TiVo Staff". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
2. Powell, Jon (September 18, 2023). "Rod Wave takes us through his 'Nostalgia' on new album". Revolt TV. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
3. Partridge, Ken (September 15, 2023). "Read All The Lyrics To Rod Wave's New Album Nostalgia". Genius. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
4. Horvath, Zachary (September 15, 2023). "Rod Wave Brings The Fans "Nostalgia" On His Latest Record". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
5. Caulfield, Keith (September 24, 2023). "Rod Wave Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'Nostalgia'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
6. Sisario, Ben (September 25, 2023). "Rod Wave, Stealth Rap Star, Has a Third No. 1 Album in Three Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
7. Zellner, Xander (September 26, 2023). "All 18 Songs From Rod Wave's No. 1 Album 'Nostalgia' Chart on Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
8. Caulfield, Keith (October 2, 2023). "Rod Wave's 'Nostalgia' Notches Second Week Atop Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
9. Peoples, Glenn (May 14, 2024). "Sony Music Revenue Up 17% in Fiscal Year, Tops Guidance". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
10. Grant, Shawn (September 21, 2023). "Rod Wave Says His Album 'Nostalgia' is a Form of Therapy: 'I Went Through a Lot of Real Life Stuff'". The Source. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
11. Bras Nevares, Gabriel (September 11, 2023). "Rod Wave Tells Gillie & Wallo That Drake Is Dream Collab, They Call His Team To Link". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
12. Cole, Alexander (March 31, 2023). "Rod Wave Flexes His Vocal Chops On "Fight The Feeling"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
13. Gonzalez, Alex (March 31, 2023). "Rod Wave Shares A Story Of Heartbreak And Healing On His New Single, 'Fight The Feeling'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
14. McKinney, Jessica (March 31, 2023). "The Best New Music This Week: Tyler, The Creator, Quavo, DJ Drama, & More". Complex. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
15. Cho, Regina (March 31, 2023). "Rod Wave is trying to "Fight The Feeling" in latest single". Revolt. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
16. Cole, Alexander (August 18, 2023). "Rod Wave Pours His Heart Out On Gorgeous New Track "Call Your Friends"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
17. Degrazia, Leah (August 18, 2023). "Rod Wave Reassesses His Priorities On New Song "Call Your Friends"". Genius. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
18. Trapp, Malcolm (August 17, 2023). "Rod Wave Announces Release Date For New Album 'Nostalgia'". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
19. Alexandria, Lavender (August 17, 2023). "Rod Wave Reveals Artwork And Release Date For New Album". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
20. Cole, Alexander (September 1, 2023). "Rod Wave Delivers Emotionally-Charged Track "Come See Me"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
21. Kearns, Sarah (September 1, 2023). "Rod Wave Is in His Bag on New Single "Come See Me"". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
22. Powell, Jon (September 1, 2023). "Rod Wave drops off new video for "Come See Me"". Revolt. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
23. Pearis, Bill (September 11, 2023). "Tour news: Rod Wave, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, The Mars Volta, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept, more". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
24. Trapp, Malcolm (September 11, 2023). "Rod Wave Announces "Nostalgia Tour" With Ari Lennox, G Herbo, And Toosii". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
25. Partridge, Ken (September 13, 2023). "Rod Wave Sings Through His Pain On New Song "Boyz Don't Cry"". Genius. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
26. Cole, Alexander (September 14, 2023). "Rod Wave Delivers Incredible Vocals On New Single "Checkmate"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
27. Powell, Jon (September 18, 2023). "Listen to Rod Wave's new album 'Nostalgia'". Revolt. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
28. Rys, Dan (September 29, 2023). "How Rod Wave's Minimalist Approach Led to a Career Best With Nostalgia". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
29. Fontes, Isaac (September 27, 2023). "Rod Wave 'Nostalgia' Is A Polished Yet Pensive Offering". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
30. Wood, Mikael (December 6, 2023). "The 20 Best Albums of 2023". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 2165-1736. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
31. Fisher, Caroline (November 19, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Planning Rod Wave Lawsuit Over Allegedly Copied Song". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
32. Bras Nevares, Gabriel (November 19, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Unleashes On Rod Wave Even Further For Sample Clearance Issues". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
33. Brown, Preezy (November 21, 2023). "Rod Wave Offers To Pay Boosie Badazz To Avoid Sampling Lawsuit". Vibe. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
34. Bras Nevares, Gabriel (November 20, 2023). "Rod Wave Responds To Boosie Badazz Blasting Him For Uncleared Sample: Watch". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
35. Vaishnavi, Arya (November 20, 2023). "Boosie Badazz threatens to sue artists over song usage, Rod Wave responds". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
36. Zachary, Horvath (November 21, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Teases New Supposed Diss Track Toward Rod Wave". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
37. Zachary, Horvath (November 21, 2023). "Rod Wave Seemingly Quits Music In Latest Social Media Rants Amid Beef With Boosie Badazz". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
38. Fisher, Caroline (November 29, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Announces Rod Wave Lawsuit Amid Sample Beef: "It's Too Late"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
39. Hawkins, Ruth (December 1, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Demands Rod Wave Pay For 'Emotional Damages' Amid $200K Sample Spot". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
40. Fisher, Caroline (December 15, 2023). "Boosie Badazz Rants About Rod Wave On IG Live". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
41. Sisario, Ben (October 3, 2023). "Rod Wave Tops Olivia Rodrigo in Tight Race on Album Chart". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
42. "American certifications – Rod Wave". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
43. "YTD Albums". Hitsdailydouble.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
44. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1752. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 2, 2023. p. 25.
45. "Rod Wave Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
46. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
47. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
48. "Rod Wave Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
49. "Rod Wave Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
50. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
51. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
52. "American album certifications – Rod Wave – Nostalgia". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
53. "Nostalgia (LP) [Explicit] - Rod Wave". Amoeba Music. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
54. "Rod Wave - Nostalgia 2LP". Shopify. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.