Rod Wave’s ‘Don’t Look Down’: All 24 Tracks Ranked

On Friday (August 28), Rod Wave released his seventh studio album featuring Luv Von, Aimee Carty, Hazlett and more artists. 8/28/2026 Rod Wave's 'Don't Look Down' album artwork. Courtesy of Alamo Records This era’s lovelorn romantic is back to stir up emotions. For years, Rod Wave has had a hold on his fans that is hard to understand if you aren’t fully tapped into the music. His ability to be so poetic over modern trap beats is almost unparalleled, and the impact shows in his ravenous sold-out arenas and constant high-charting performances. Don’t Look Down comes just under two years after his October 2024 LP Last Lap, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and will likely be RIAA platinum-certified before 2026 concludes. It would only make sense, as his previous five studio albums have all hit that mark. Don’t Look Down is almost entirely a solo effort, aside from two appearances by singer-songwriter Hazlett, and one apiece by fellow guest artists Luv Von, Aimee Carty, and Summer Joy. By commanding this 24-track project largely on his own, he delves into stories of his come-up, varied experiences with special women in his life, a tribute to his mother, and shows off his deep appreciation for the R&B, pop, alternative and hip-hop genres. He also tastefully samples some classic records from the 2000s and 2010s — with some unexpected, yet very welcome, choices of lifts. So, with 68 minutes of music, minimal features, and all the makings of another enjoyable project for his fanbase, what songs will stand out and resonate with his core fanbase? Billboard’s got you covered. Check out our rankings of all 24 tracks on Don’t Look Down below, and see if your favorite songs end up in the same places as ours. “War Wounds” We don’t want to take anything away from the traumatic stories Rod wants to tell, but this song just sounds like too many others early on in the tracklist. On top of that, there’s a clash here between his main melody, the second vocal track and whoever the woman is that is singing in the background. It’s like he tried to do something different, but ultimately did too much. “War Wounds” makes for a confusing listen. “Feed the Streets” A common theme on this album: the St. Petersburg artist is his least interesting when he makes records about himself, or when they have nothing to do with women. It feels like his subject matter, or rather his ability to speak about these topics, is limited. And then when the beats aren’t very unique from the other songs along this vein? It gets boring fast. “Hustle” “Hustle” is a fine song on its own. It’s a common message in music, referencing his work ethic and sacrifices he makes. The issue is that sonically it doesn’t differ much from other records on the album. The trap beat is repetitive and the cadences are recycled. He deserves credit for some of the flow switches, though. Overall, it’s hard to put this above the better versions of it that are on this LP. “LaCosa Nostra” “LaCosa Nostra” stands out from its siblings on this project due to the artist’s exceptional performance vocally. If it wasn’t for that, this would get an eye roll and get sent to the bottom few songs in the album’s hierarchy. The concepts and sonics are just uninspiring. “All I Ever Had” This is another middling record. Solid production and good vocals carry another song covering matters of the heart. There is just a lack of spark, no real X-factor. It’s OK, but hard to imagine we’ll be going back to this a lot when he does it so much better elsewhere. “Overrated” This is probably the best midpoint between the trap elements of the album and Rod’s knack for ballads. It takes a while to get here because the voicemail in the intro plays for a long time, almost to the point where it should’ve been its own track. The song clocks in at 2:39, but it feels like we barely got an actual song in the experience. Nonetheless, it is good for what it is. “Not New To It” This a fine mid-tempo ballad. The synths put this track over the top. Wave’s message isn’t too unique here. A very middle-of-the-pack record. “Dope Girl” This is another middle-of-the-pack song. He sounds good, the chorus is nice, and the production is softer than a lot of the album. The issue is it doesn’t have any flair. It feels pretty standard, but it works because it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It would be what the kids call “mid,” but in the nicest way possible. “Keep Dancing” (feat. Hazlett) “Keep Dancing” was elevated by its instrumentation. It was a pretty standard ballad through its first two minutes, but that saxophone at the end took it to another level. His ear for music is so good, which makes it disappointing at times when he settles for common trap beats of today. Fortunately, he took chances here and it worked. “TP” “TP” falls in the lower end of the crop of better songs on this album. The production has a nice groove to it, but he doesn’t bring it lyrically in the same way he did on “Piece Of Your Love” or “Mainstay.” It’s good enough to not be toward the bottom of the list, but it somewhat feels like he phoned this in. “Toast” This is a really good album closer. The backpack-esque production coupled with the soul sample is a very fresh take for Rod Wave. It almost makes us wish he chose production like this more often. He doesn’t necessarily do anything special lyrically, but hey, who doesn’t appreciate someone who keeps a toast short and sweet? It makes sense, even as the expense of being an amazing song. “Take Care” With this title, it felt like only a matter of time before he’d reference Drake. Sure enough, he makes references to “Karaoke,” “Practice,” “Hate Sleeping Alone,” “Doing It Wrong,” “Over My Dead Body,” and “Shot For Me.” Now, outside of that, it is actually a very moving record. He employs all of the flipped Drizzy lines to convey his emotions over a very barebones beat. It is one of the most emotionally convicted records on the album, appropriately so. “One More Time” Rod Wave does it for the ‘99 and the ’00s on “One More Time.” He snatches several lines from Lil Wayne’s legendary opening verse on Young Money’s “Every Girl,” which made our ears perk up. He couples that with an incredible backup singer carrying the end of the record. These are the things he can do to make his tracks feel more special, and it works every time when he does. “Venusian” Feat. Hazlett “Venusian” finds Wave in a very vulnerable place in the arena of love. He’s discussing walking down the aisle with the object of his affection, and trying to make sure some of the things he dreams of aren’t corny to her. That’s real; he doesn’t want to do too much or mess up. Beautiful song. “I Am” Who doesn’t love affirmations? Rod Wave runs through his resume, whether it be the numbers he has brought in from his shows or dodging the police. This all plays out over a mid-tempo trap beat with spacey synths. It has a nice energy to it. “Summer Joy Intro” (feat. Summer Joy) The album’s intro is short, but Summer Joy can sing the lights out. It’s a very old-school choice to have someone else open the LP, and it works. This likely will not find itself into people’s leisure music listening rotation, but it will be pleasing to hear each time they spin the album in full. “The Inspo” This song is beautiful. It feels more pop-esque than trap soul, which is great; Rod is too talented vocally to limit himself to the confines of trap records. There’s an awe to the production, almost like something that plays in the climax of a film. He allows the beat to shine, slightly lowering the volume of his vocal delivery so it doesn’t punch as hard. This is just overall a very well put-together and executed track. “Mainstay” (feat. Luv Von) Rod and Luv Von sound incredible together. The production is a lot more stripped down, which allows the emotion and vocals to take center stage. Even when the drums kick in, they’re much softer than the other songs on the project. Respect to the guys for saying chivalry isn’t dead and that they’re tough to deal with — the women will love those admissions. Von carries the song’s outro, as the beat switches to something very ’90s. His vocals feel of that era, especially with the harmonies in the background. Selfishly, we wish they extended that. “Look at Me Momma” It’s hard to hate on a song dedicated to one’s mother. Wave reflects on the difficulties he had with his parent growing up, and how it was all worth it because now he’s global and missing her phone calls because he’s working overseas in Italy. Most notably, he boasts about finally being sober, which every mother would love to hear. An endearing record. “Florida Boy” “Florida Boy” is one-of-one in comparison to the rest of the songs on this project. There is an island influence to this record; one of the handful of songs on this project we can envision people dancing to. He is at his best when he’s singing to women, and he sticks the landing here by sampling The-Dream’s “Yamaha.” Another grand victory. “Lost and Insecure” Rod did it for the Z100 kids. He flipped The Fray’s classic “You Found Me,” looping a chipmunk rendition of their chorus in the beginning, and jumping in to take over toward the end of it. It is the ideal launchpad for him to bring the listeners into his psyche and tell his story, as he has done throughout the album. This lead-in makes it much more palatable, coupled with the fact it isn’t so trap-heavy. This is another winner. “Kiss Me Interlude” Rod Wave knows ball. First, “Kiss Me Interlude” is a full on-production. It is cool seeing this much care put into an interlude. However, it hit a whole different level when we realized he was flipping Ed Sheeran’s early 2010s gem “Kiss Me.” He recaptured the warm vibe of that track, but put his own nice spin on it. For those who enjoyed Sheeran’s version, this will really hit home. The best part is he didn’t turn it into a trunk rattling jam; he stayed true to the essence of the song, and it lands extremely well. “Piece of Your Love” Here’s the loverboy we know Rod to be. “Piece of Your Love” is speaking directly to the women, and he calls on DMX’s classic “How’s It Goin’ Down” chorus to drive the message home. The best part? He lays out his emotions over a bop, as opposed to a ballad. The record will thrive as a singalong at his shows. “2017 (Streamer U)” (feat. Aimee Carty) Chef’s kiss. From Aimee Carty’s celestial opening, to Rod getting so in-depth in his first verse, to the production being mostly drum-less, but still captivating. This song isn’t just a home run; it’s a grand slam in the back half of a nine-inning baseball game. There is literally nothing wrong with it. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up