Album Mode

Démar and Adriel discuss Brent Faiyaz's latest album 'Icon' his misaligned aesthetic and him losing the grip on his songwriting.

Timecodes: 
3:26 Top 10 Albums of the Year
:00 Past Brent Faiyaz Reviews
12:30 Beauty Behind the Madness
14:58 Two pop songs
21:25 The World is Yours  
28:25 Larger Than Life
31:55 Positions era Ariana Grande
39:40 Lyrics
43:43 Concept Album
49:15 What does icon mean for his career
55:55 What does Brent do next?
59:52 The Cover
1:04:42 The Score


=================================== 


Follow us:

TikTok: 
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant

===================================

Démar’s rating: 6 / 10 Adriel's rating: 6 / 10
The Love List: four season., wrong faces., other side.

Démar and Adriel discuss J.Cole's final(?) album, The Fall-Off, whether he accomplished what he wanted in his career and if "The Fall-Off is Inevitable" is one of the best songs in hip hop history.

Démar’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Adriel's rating: 8.5 / 10

The Love List: The Fall-Off is Inevitable, The Villest, Bunce Road Blues, Poor Thang

Timecodoes
3:10 How Drake vs Kendrick affected The Fall Off
10:49 The Fall Off lore
16:45 The Fall Off is inevitable
23:02 Disc 1 vs Disc 2
27:30 Future’s best features
33:10 Reasonable Doubt comparisons
37:15 Dreary Keys on the back half of Disc 2
39:37 I Love Her Again
48:14 Lyrics
54:26 Poor Thang
1:02:45 Double Disc Supremacy
1:04:05 The Cover
1:09:10 The Scores 


Follow us:

TikTok:

Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:

Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:

Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================



J. Cole - The Fall-Off / 2026 / Hip Hop, Rap

Démar and Adriel discuss Don Toliver's latest album "OCTANE", whether his lyrics matter and how his melodies and production are second to none.

Timecodes:
4:18 4th time reviewing Don Toliver
7:50 Best Feature
10:30 ATM
15:55 Falestto for Falsetto
25:25 Potential features
38:15 Where does he rank amongst his peers?
45:21 Covers
47:30 The Score

Follow us:

TikTok:

Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:

Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:

Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================
Démar’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Adriel's rating: 9 / 10
The Love List: Call Back, ATM, E85, Body, Rendezvous , K9

Don Toliver - Octane / 2026 / Hip Hop, R&B

Démar and Adriel discuss Ari Lennox's latest album "Vacancy", her toned down lyrics and what a label switch can do for her moving forward.



Follow us: TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod 
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================
Démar’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Adriel's rating: 8.5 / 10

The Love List: Under The Moon, Twin Flame, Dreaming, High Key Ari Lennox - Vacancy / 2026 / R&B

It's apparently "Drop January" as a plethora of artists have annouce they have new projects coming up Déma rand Adriel talk about what that means for music this year. Also J. Cole released his first single for his upcoming album, "The Fall Off", Adriel tries to dodge the question but Démar asks how he feels about the rappers alleged end coming up.



===================================

Follow us: TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod 
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram: 
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter: 

Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================

Démar and Adriel discuss A$AP Rocky's comeback album "Don't Be Dumb", whether he took too long to return and if his music is experimental anymore.

Timecodes:
2:00 The Kanye Zone
6:18 1st A$AP Rocky Review
11:55 Is LONG.LIVE.A$AP a classic album?
15:45 TESTING
24:04 Favourite Feature
31:20 Moshpit energy
39:46 A$AP Rocky vs The Discourse
53:15 The mature version
59: 00 Female Rappers with A$AP Rocky
1:08:25 Cozy Tapes 3
1:09:52 The Cover
1:13:27 The Score

TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod 
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram: 
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================
Démar’s rating: 7 / 10 Adriel's rating: 8 / 10

The Love List: STAY HERE 4 LIFE, WHISKEY, ROBBERY, STOLE YA FLOW
A$AP Rocky - Don't Be Dumb / 2026 / Alternative Hip Hop, Rap

Finally the episode you've all been waiting for, Album Mode's top 10 albums of 2025! Adriel and Démar list their best albums of the year. After years of reviewing music together the duo divergence has become more obvious and this year's year-end list is evidence.

P.S. Demar's Spotify listening age is 25, Adriel's is 45.

TIMECODES:

3:30 - A lot of albums that we did not review
4:10 - Don’t Tap The Glass
7:30 - West End Girl
9:48 - Miley Cyrus supremacy
15:55 - Yacht Rap
16:49 - An Ambient Demo but good
21:16 - What genre is this?
24:04 - Demar wants the Naomi Campbell album
29:06 - Chainz revival
38:00 - One of the best albums of the decade
43:10 - Comeback Album of the Year
48:12 - Feels like a racing game
52:25 - The Best of Wale
56:00 - One of the Greatest Rappers of all Time
01:01:39 - The Longest No Skips Album
01:06:05 - Two or Three listens a day for Demar’s Number One
1:11:01 - Honourable Mentions

Follow us:

YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@AlbumMode

TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant

Démar’s Top 10:

1. EsDeeKid - Rebel
2. The Weeknd - Hurry Up Tomorrow 
3. Little Simz - Lotus 
4. PinkPantheress - Fancy That 
5. Bad Bunny - Debi Tirar Mas Fotos 
6. Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out 
7. Amaarae - Black Star 
8. OkLou - Choke Enough 
9. Miley Cyrus - Something Beautiful
10. Tyler, The Creator - Don't Tap the Glass

Adriel's Top 10:

1. The Weeknd - Hurry Up TOmorrow
2. Little Simz - Lotus 
3. Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out 
4. Wale - Etherything is a lot 
5. Chance the Rapper - Star Line 
6. Destin Conrad - LOVE ON DIGITAL 
7. Larry June + Alchemist + 2 Chainz - Life is Beautiful 
8. Venna - MALIK 
9. Freddie Gibbs - ALFREDO 2 
10. Lily Allen - West End Girl

Démar and Adriel discuss who popped off in 2025 that we're looking forward to their work in 2026.

Timecodes
1:10 The Criteria
2:20 Esdeekid
6:50 Timothee Chalamet
11:38 Uzi mixed with Future
12:48 Odeal
18:25 Young Miko
20:26 Similar to early Don Toliver
24:36 Kwn
31:23 The Black performative male
32:10 Dijon
40:35 Rebecca Black
45:06 Not New/But Changing
51:48 Spotify Wrapped
54:17 The Dominance of Drake
56:37 Spotify Listening Age
1:00:03 Old year-end playlists

===================================

Follow us: TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod 
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram: 
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter: 

Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================

Démar and Adriel discuss Summer Walker third studio album "Finally Over It", whether Aaliyah is the GOAT and the strength of the album's feautres.


Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel's rating: 7 / 10

The Love List: Robbed You, No, Go Girl, Heart Of A Woman, Baller

Timecodes:

4:04 - Background on Summer Walker
8:55 - The Singles
9:49 - The influence of Aaliyah
11:50 - What a Summer Walker song sounds like
14:10 - Love for Doja Cat
21:51 - Give Me A Reason
30:13 - So Many Good Features
34:48 - 1-800-Heartbreak
38:58 - Savage the 21st
47:25 - Go Girl
50:20 - The Cover
59:04 - The Score

Follow us:

TikTok: 
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant

 ===================================

Summer Walker - Finally Over It / 2025 / R&B

Démar and Adriel discuss Rosalía's fourth studio album "LUX", its technical excellence and whether an album that's so orchestral can be considered pop.

Follow us: TikTok:
Album Mode: https://www.tiktok.com/@albummodepod
Adriel: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrielsmileydotcom
Démar: https://www.tiktok.com/@godkingdemi

Instagram:
Album Mode: https://www.instagram.com/albummodepod/
Adriel: https://www.instagram.com/adrielsmileydotcom/
Démar: https://www.instagram.com/demarjgrant/

Twitter:
Album Mode: https://twitter.com/AlbumModepod
Adriel: https://twitter.com/AdrielSmiley_
Démar: https://twitter.com/DemarJGrant
===================================

Démar’s rating: 5 / 10
Adriel's rating: 6 / 10
The Love List: Reliquia, Divinize, Berghain, Memória