If you’re looking to listen to music with authentic feelings and raw emotions, look no further; I have just the right artist for you: Rod Wave. The Florida-raised artist raps melodically to tell the sad experiences and stories of his life. This has garnered a loyal fan base because of the authenticity and relatability of the music. Artists usually don’t speak on the negatives of their lives, but Rod Wave isn’t afraid to put his pain into his music. 

Last week, he released his sixth album, Last Lap. With a similar theme to his previous five albums, the declared king of pain rap adds another body of work to his rapping resume. Of the twenty-three songs on the album, six of them have stars on Apple Music. That’s honestly solid for an album of that length. The fourth song, “25”, specifically stood out to me as soon as I heard it. Sometimes understanding what a song is about can be difficult, but Rod’s intent of this song is very clear. 

Rod uses “25” to reflect on how he sees life differently as a 25 year old. The song begins with a piano playing in the background which really pulled me in. He then hops on the track letting a love interest know his intentions with her. He raps to her, 

“I wanna lock it in, baby, no weighin’ my options, wanna travel, see the world, gettin’ drunk on an island, wanna settle, start a family, so tell me about it , And you so perfect, baby, don’t give nobody that body”.

 Lyrics acquired by ©Genius

Later continues with, 

“So in a world full of weirdos, fools, and scrubs, tell me, what is it you’re willin’ to do for love? You know it’s true that the datin’ pool is fucked, Ain’t nobody out here, baby, it just be us.” His love confession leads to his reflection of the last few years of his life: 

“ I remember bein’ twenty-one when my life had just begun, 

Twenty-two, many things to see and do

Twenty-three, lookin’ forward to twenty-four Is it just me or it ain’t no love no more?

Twenty-five, what a time to be alive

Am I getting old? Why do I feel tired?

All the same old things, the same old games

Same old pain, think it’s time for a change ’cause

Certain shit ain’t like me no more Certain shit don’t excite me no more”

Lyrics acquired by ©Genius