Credit
Prince Williams / Contributor via Getty Images and Andreas Rentz/TAS24 / Contributor via Getty Images
Alt
Rod Wave and Taylor Swift
Size
Rod Wave recently released his new album, Last Lap, which captured the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, as reported on Monday (Oct. 21). He fell just one position short of Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken, making the Florida artist one of the few alongside Taylor Swift to have a project debut in the Top 10 every year since 2019.
As per Luminate data, Last Lap achieved 127,000 album-equivalent units in sales—of which 125,000 were amassed through on-demand streaming. Wave’s earlier works on the chart feature 2019’s Ghetto Gospel at No. 10, 2020’s Pray 4 Love at No. 2, and 2021’s SoulFly, followed by 2022’s Beautiful Mind and 2023’s Nostalgia at the top position.
Upon its release, Last Lap was accompanied by promotional singles like “Passport Junkie” and “Fall Fast in Love.” The album includes contributions from artists such as Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, and Rylo Rodriguez. The trailblazer of trap soul will embark on a tour titled “Last Lap Tour” to promote the album through mid-December.
“Being compared to Taylor Swift is something that’s hard to comprehend,” Wave expressed in 2023. “I recall being in ninth grade listening to ‘Blank Space’ on my school bus. Being part of this conversation doesn’t fully resonate with you. I was just a spectator before. Now, I’ve transitioned from the audience to a key player in the game with three championship rings.”
In other chart news for the October 26 issue, GloRilla’s GLORIOUS secured the No. 5 position. The Memphis rapper playfully noted the competition with Last Lap. “Rod has an incredible fanbase; I’m one of them. When Rod Wave releases a work, it’s as though the entire music scene pauses,” she remarked to Billboard. “I hoped no one would release anything on my release day. I wanted it to be my special moment, but it’s totally fine—we can coexist.”