Boyz Don't Cry

Album: Nostalgia (2023)
Charted: 25
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Songfacts®:

  • "Boyz Don't Cry" is country vibes meets trap beats with one big verse and a single chorus at the end. Rod Wave released the song via Alamo records as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, Nostalgia. The preceding three singles ("Fight The Feeling," "Call Your Friends," "Come See Me") follow the same single verse/single chorus format.
  • Rod Wave spills his guts in this track, digging deep into his feels and past scars that fuel his music. It kicks off with Wave in his feelings, on the road, straight-up wrecked from a rough breakup:

    Rollin' on this tour bus, rain pourin', head a mess
    My thoughts be so damn deep, can't even get some rest
    Sometimes I float alone in my own space, gotta confess
    I love you, but I'm full of rage, our history's a heavy test


    His crew probably has no clue what's eating at him. Rod's way of opening up? His music, just like this song.
  • Wave also dives into that fear of showing his true self. Lines like "I keep my problems to myself" show he's afraid of seeming weak if he reaches out. That's a real tug-of-war with his inner demons, set against the world's judgments, like internet trolls who don't get it.

    But don't get it twisted, Rod counts his blessings. He's hurting, but at least he's got fans who relate to his music and shout his lyrics back at him:

    Yeah, mama, I made it from them streets, I hope you feelin' proud
    Youngin' with that K, broad day, shootin' in the crowd
    Now he's on that stage, hear 'em sing his music loud, sing it out so loud
  • The chorus that wraps it all up is a plea to stay true despite the fame and success. It's a struggle, smiling on the outside while battling demons within. Wave would like to trade it all for some peace, but since that's a long shot, he's going to pour his soul into the mic for us to feel.
  • On the surface the song might seem unrelated to The Cure's 1979 similarly titled hit, but they share a certain emotional honesty. Both "Boyz Don't Cry" and "Boys Don't Cry" are about the challenges and vulnerabilities of being male in society. Rod Wave's track is a raw and honest account of his own struggles with heartbreak and depression. The Cure's tune conveys a sense of the pain and loneliness in a world that often expects men to be tough and emotionless.
  • Rod Wave wrote "Call Your Friends" himself. BeatsByTrain, EgonBeUp, AYOKXNZO and JLH produced the track.

    Maryland producer BeatsbyTrain co-produced 10 out of the 18 Nostalgia tracks, including its hit singles, "Fight The Feeling" and "Call Your Friends."
  • Alongside the regular version of "Boyz Don't Cry," there's also an acoustic version.

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