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Prince Williams / Contributor via Getty s and Andreas Rentz/TAS24 / Contributor via Getty s
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Rod Wave and Taylor Swift
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Rod Wave’s new studio release, Last Lap, secured the No. 2 position on the Billboard 200 chart, as reported on Monday (Oct. 21). Just one rank below Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken, the Florida artist made history alongside Taylor Swift as the only musicians to have a project debut in the Top 10 every single year since 2019.
According to Luminate data, Last Lap moved 127,000 album-equivalent units—of which 125,000 were generated from on-demand streaming. Wave’s past entries on the chart include 2019’s Ghetto Gospel at No. 10, 2020’s Pray 4 Love at No. 2, and 2021’s SoulFly, along with 2022’s Beautiful Mind and 2023’s Nostalgia, both reaching No. 1.
The album Last Lap was released alongside singles like “Passport Junkie” and “Fall Fast in Love.” Notable features include Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, and Rylo Rodriguez. The trailblazer in trap soul will be touring in support of this album with his “Last Lap Tour” until mid-December.
“Being compared to Taylor Swift, it’s unimaginable to grasp that kind of significance,” Wave expressed in 2023. “I vividly recall listening to ‘Blank Space’ on my school bus back in the ninth grade. Engaging in these discussions, it doesn’t truly dawn on you. I was merely an observer. Now, I’m fully part of the game. I rose from being a distant fan to becoming the franchise player with three championships.”
In another note on the 200 chart dated Oct. 26, GloRilla’s GLORIOUS landed at No. 5. The Memphis artist humorously mentioned the daunting task of competing against Last Lap. “He [has] an immense fan base. I’m one of them, so I understand that when Rod Wave releases something, it feels like the entire music scene pauses,” she shared with Billboard. “I wished for no one to release anything on my special day. It was supposed to feel unique, but it’s alright; we can share the spotlight.”