Pray 4 Love is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Rod Wave, released on April 3, 2020, through Alamo Records, Geffen Records, and Interscope Records.[4] The album features guest appearances from ATR Son Son, Yo Gotti and Lil Baby, alongside production from DrellOnTheTrack, JetsonMade, Karltin Bankz, LondnBlue, Tahj Money, TnTXD, Trillo Beatz, and several other producers. The album serves as a follow-up to Green's debut studio album, Ghetto Gospel (2019).[5] A deluxe edition of the album was released on August 7, 2020, with an additional eleven tracks.[6]
| Pray 4 Love | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 3, 2020 | |||
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| Length | 38:38 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Rod Wave chronology | ||||
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| Deluxe edition cover | ||||
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| Singles from Pray 4 Love | ||||
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Pray 4 Love received positive reviews from music critics who applauded Green's "raw melodies". The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, in which it earned 72,000 album-equivalent units, of which 2,000 were pure album sales. Seven of the fourteen album tracks debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.[7][8] The album was supported by eight official singles: "Dark Clouds", "Thug Motivation", "Thief in the Night", "Pray 4 Love", "The Greatest", "Girl of My Dreams", "Through the Wire", and "Freestyle".
Background and recording
editOn April 3, the day of the album's release, Rod Wave appeared in an interview with Complex's Jessica McKinney, in which he stated that the entirety of the album was recorded in the span of one month and that he was already working on its follow up—which we'd later recognize as the album's deluxe.[9] In the interview, after being asked why the album doesn't have many features, Green went in-depth about his recording process:[9]
Making music for me is personal. When I do my music, I don’t even go to the studio. It's just me and my engineer in a dark room somewhere, recording. [Linking] with others or doing other stuff, I ain't really trying to send the wrong message. I’ll root for anybody doing their thing with the music. I just like doing my own thing. I’ve been like that.
Later in the interview, he was asked about the creative atmosphere surrounding the creation of the album. Green stated that he'd just listen to beats and he'd come up with songs before he and his engineer would set up a studio in a hotel room and record tracks. He also stated that he refrains from doing "studio sessions" with producers and stays to himself with just his engineer. Green explained that his atmosphere is like this because music is personal to him, therefore when recording, he'd prefer the environment to be intimate:[9]
It really be personal for me. If I feel like it was too personal, I ain’t going to drop it. Music is a way of opening up. I don’t really talk about it. When I first started making music, that’s all it was. I never thought I would be on the phone with you right now. I never thought I would be on tour, or that people would want to talk about my album. It was never about that. I just wanted to make music because it’s how I get stuff off my chest. I want it to always feel like my escape. I don't want it to be nothing else, because once you turn it into something else then everything starts changing. I still want music to be my escape.
In an interview with Apple Music, the rapper explained the process of making music, saying that it "helps me talk about [my eating problems]. I don't regret going through none of it, because if it hadn't went down like that, 'Heart on Ice' wouldn't have even been a song. It would have been 'Wrist on Ice'".[10] Generally, he wanted the album listeners to feel like him instead of "pinpoint just one" message.[9]
Release and promotion
editOn November 21, 2019, Rod Wave released the album's lead single, "Dark Clouds".[11] The album's second single, "Thug Motivation" was released on January 13, 2020,[12] followed by "Thief in the Night" on February 28,[13] and "Pray 4 Love" on March 18.[14] Alongside the release of the track, Rod Wave also announced the release of the album for April 3, 2020.[15][16] On April 1, Rod Wave released "The Greatest" as the album's fifth single just two days prior to the release of the project.[17] Following the release of the album, on July 1, Pray 4 Love's twelfth cut, "Girl of My Dreams" was released as a single.[18] On July 12 and 31, the singles "Through the Wire" and "Freestyle" were released, respectively.[19][20] On August 6, Rod Wave released the music video for "Letter from Houston" exclusively on his YouTube channel.[21] The three tracks appeared on the deluxe edition of Pray 4 Love, released on August 7.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[3] |
| The New York Times | (positive)[2] |
| Tom Hull | B+ ( )[22] |
Pray 4 Love received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic's Fred Thomas wrote that the album is a "slightly darker continuation of his 2019 debut Ghetto Gospel". He stated that "Pray 4 Love stays in more or less one gear for its duration" and that "it's a lonely sound, and one Wave goes mostly alone". Concluding his review, he stated that the album "[offers] an even more complete picture of the pain and trauma that molded him as an artist".[1] Writing for Pitchfork Alphonse Pierre described the album as a "soulful record with constant mentions of faith" while noting that "it’s not exactly religious". He noted that at times the project can be "overwhelming" and that "occasionally it’s unnecessarily melodramatic". Pierre concluded his review by writing that "[the album's] straightforward and complicated; unpolished and imperfect" but that's what makes the pain and emotion in it feel "genuine".[3]
Jon Caramanica for The New York Times described the album as "wildly impressive", noting that Green "nails a refreshing blend of pure singing and melodic rapping", writing that "Wave is a true singer who also can rap". Caramanica wrote that "often we hear him singing and rapping all at once, overlaying one track of his vocals atop another, as if he’s healing himself in real time".[2] Tom Hull called it "a hip-hop lovers rock",[22] while Stereogum's Tom Breihan described the project as "a warm and emotionally intense collection of stressed-out laments" with "thoughtful and graceful melodies", while lyrically, he "mostly sing-raps about overcoming huge struggles and then facing more".[23]
Crack ranked the album as the 35th best album of 2020. Writing for Crack, Yemi Abiade stated that Green rapped with the passion of "four Marvin Gayes", describing the project as the "sound of a musician reaching the peak of his powers".[24] Exclaim! ranked the album as the 40th best album of 2020. Erin Lowers for Exclaim! wrote that the album is "enveloped by street tales and raw melodies bound together by the language of pain".[25] Jon Caramanica for The New York Times ranked the album as the third best project of the year, writing that Rod Wave is a "potent R&B crooner working with familiar hip-hop subject matter", however, "his blend is closer to mournful blues". He also stated that Wave's songs are "fresh-air triumphs of the downtrodden".[26]
Year-end lists
edit| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crack | The Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 35
|
|
| Exclaim! | The Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 40
|
|
| The New York Times (Jon Caramanica) | The Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 3
|
Commercial performance
editPray 4 Love debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 72,000 album-equivalent units (including 2,000 pure album sales) in its first week.[7] It was Rod Wave's highest position on the chart at the time, and is his second US top-10 album.[7] In its second week, the album dropped to number nine on the chart, earning an additional 34,000 units that week.[27] In its third week, the album remained at number nine on the chart, earning 32,000 more units.[28] As of December 2020, the album has earned over 1,035,000 album-equivalent units in the US.[29]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pray 4 Love" |
| Tre Gilliam | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Fuck the World" |
|
| 2:20 |
| 3. | "Thief in the Night" |
|
| 2:12 |
| 4. | "Thug Life" |
| Relly Made | 2:51 |
| 5. | "I Remember" |
|
| 3:23 |
| 6. | "Rags2Riches" (featuring ATR Son Son) |
|
| 2:47 |
| 7. | "No Weakness" |
|
| 3:04 |
| 8. | "Roaming" |
|
| 2:28 |
| 9. | "The Greatest" |
|
| 2:49 |
| 10. | "Ribbon in the Sky" |
| Drum dummie | 2:43 |
| 11. | "5% Tints" |
|
| 2:38 |
| 12. | "Girl of My Dreams" |
| Ace Lex | 2:40 |
| 13. | "Thug Motivation" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 14. | "Dark Clouds" |
|
| 2:49 |
| Total length: | 38:38 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Fire & Desire" |
| Ace Lex | 2:20 |
| 16. | "Letter from Houston" |
|
| 2:53 |
| 17. | "Freestyle" |
|
| 2:54 |
| 18. | "Sack Right" (featuring Yo Gotti) |
|
| 2:34 |
| 19. | "Rags2Riches 2" (featuring Lil Baby) |
|
| 3:55 |
| 20. | "To My Grave" |
|
| 3:03 |
| 21. | "Smile" |
|
| 3:02 |
| 22. | "Out My Business" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 23. | "Through the Wire" |
|
| 3:43 |
| 24. | "FrFr" |
| D Swish | 2:35 |
| 25. | "Ain't Mad at You" |
|
| 3:00 |
| Total length: | 68:55 | |||
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[40] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[41] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | April 3, 2020 | Standard | [4] | ||
| August 7, 2020 | Deluxe | [6] | |||
| United States | December 1, 2023 | LP | Standard | [42] | |
| November 1, 2024 | Alamo | [43] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Thomas, Fred (April 22, 2020). "Rod Wave: Pray 4 Love review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c Caramanica, Jon (April 9, 2020). "Rod Wave Sings Through the Pain". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c Pierre, Alphonse (April 8, 2020). "Rod Wave: Pray 4 Love Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Ivey, Justin (April 2, 2020). "Rod Wave 'Pray 4 Love' Album Stream, Cover Art & Tracklist". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Fu, Eddie (April 3, 2020). "Read All The Lyrics To Rod Wave's New Album 'Pray 4 Love'". Genius. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Mahadevan, Tara (August 7, 2020). "Rod Wave Shares 'Pray 4 Love' Deluxe Album f/ Lil Baby and Yo Gotti". Complex. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (April 12, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Scores Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (April 14, 2020). "Rod Wave Charts Eight Songs From 'Pray 4 Love' Album on Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d McKinney, Jessica (April 3, 2020). "Rod Wave Recorded Alone in Dark Rooms For a Month to Make Pray 4 Love". Complex. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ Marie, Erika (April 3, 2020). "Rod Wave Shares Up-Close-&-Personal "Pray 4 Love" Project". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ Wang, Clara (August 29, 2021). "We Came for the Feels... and Rod Wave Delivered". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (January 15, 2020). "Rod Wave Narrates His Come Up With Inspiring 'Thug Motivation' Video: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Findlay, Mitch (March 2, 2020). "Rod Wave Drops Off New Single "Thief In The Night"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Holmes, Charles (March 18, 2020). "Nearly One Billion Streams Later, Rod Wave Is Still Praying For Love". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (March 18, 2020). "Rod Wave Reveals Album Release Date, Shares New Song "Pray 4 Love": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Hamilton, Xavier (April 1, 2020). "Rod Wave Drops New Video for "The Greatest," Shares 'Pray 4 Love' Tracklist". Complex. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (April 2, 2020). "Rod Wave Knows What it Takes to Be 'The Greatest' in New Video, Shares 'Pray 4 Love' Track List". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Whitely, Ariel (May 9, 2020). "WATCH: Rod Wave Drops Official Visual For "Girl Of My Dreams"". Karen Civil. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Aron, A. (July 12, 2020). "Rod Wave Details Near-Fatal Crash On "Through The Wire"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (August 3, 2020). "Rod Wave Revels in His Riches in 'Freestyle' Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Mench, Chris (August 10, 2020). "Rod Wave's "Letter From Houston" Flips A 2009 Hit By R&B Duo Vistoso Bosses". Genius. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Hull, Tom (April 18, 2020). "2847 Music Week". Tomhull.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (April 3, 2020). "Stream Rod Wave's New Album Pray 4 Love". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Yemi, Abiade (December 3, 2020). "The Top 50 Albums of 2020". Crack. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Lowers, Erin (December 2, 2020). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Caramanica, Jon; Pareles, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2020). "Best Albums of 2020". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (April 19, 2020). "The Weeknd Makes It a Month at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Keith Caulfield (April 26, 2020). "DaBaby Arrives at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With 'Blame It on Baby". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2020". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "Rod Wave Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "Rod Wave Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "Rod Wave Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love". Music Canada. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love (LP) [Explicit]". Amoeba Music. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ "Rod Wave - Pray 4 Love LP". Shopify. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.