Rod Wave has been steadily gaining momentum for years with the success of three consecutive Hunger Games mixtapes, but it’s his Ghetto Gospel project in 2019 that earned him his biggest looks yet and foreshadowed an exciting new chapter to come. With barely any previous chart success, the project landed at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, and his name shot up to the top of the trending list on YouTube. With popular tracks like “Heart on Ice” and “Dark Clouds,” both of which racking up tens of millions views on YouTube alone, Rod has established his sound as a Florida artist who delivers vulnerable hood tracks with a strong ear for melody. Ghetto Gospel set the bar for his next project rather high, but it’s already clear that 20-year-old has the chops to build on his momentum in 2020. —Jessica McKinney