Florida Rapper Rod Wave Expected to Hit No. 1 Next Week with ‘Nostalgia’ Album

September 18, 2023, 5:25pm

This past weekend, pop punk sensation Olivia Rodrigo earned her second consecutive No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 with the debut of her sophomore album GUTS. Selling over 300,000 units in its first week, GUTS will now look to match or exceed the five weeks at No. 1 that Rodrigo’s debut LP, Sour, did in 2021. However, one of hip-hop’s most underrated acts could be looking to spoil the party.

On Monday (September 18), HitsDailyDouble reported that Nostalgia, a new project from Florida rapper Rod Wave, is expected to debut at No. 1 on next week’s Billboard 200. Projected to sell somewhere between 130,000 and 140,000 units, Nostalgia will likely beat out GUTS‘ projection at just over 100,000.

Videos by American Songwriter

Coming as a surprise to everyone but Rod Wave, this would be the 25-year-old’s third straight No. 1 debut for a full-length release, following up SoulFly in 2021 and Beautiful Mind in 2022. His fifth overall studio album, continuing a trend of releasing one tape per year since 2019, Nostalgia includes even more of the piano-backed, passionately crooned raps from Rod that his silent majority fanbase has grown to love.

“Dear God I Thank You [for] Everything You Gave [to] Us,” he wrote in an Instagram post following Nostalgia‘s arrival. “Kept Dem Devils Away From Us, Finally Made A Way.”

Upon release, Nostalgia topped Apple Music’s Top Albums chart, as well as seeing its eleventh track “Boyz Don’t Cry” reach No. 1 on the Top Songs chart. Consisting of 18 songs total, including promotional singles like “Come See Me,” “Call Your Friends,” and “Fight The Feeling,” along with a feature verse from 21 Savage, Rod’s latest effort is just another beloved addition in a now-expansive catalog for the youngster.

Check out the music video for “Checkmate” below, released simultaneously with Nostalgia.