Toliver’s high ‘octane’ release reveals artist hitting on all cylinders
Adding to his collection of hit albums like Love Galore and Hardstone Psycho, Don Toliver’s OCTANE once again reminds listeners of his creativity and talent. Already having five of the 18 songs on the album reach Apple’s top 100 list, and others climbing, validates his standing in the rap and r&b community. Delivered through his unmistakable melodic delivery, OCTANE illustrates Toliver’s strength to keep things fresh and immersive, leaving a polished album that reinforces his signature style, while keeping his major growth in the fast lane.
Toliver masterfully combines his music styles into blends of hip hop, r&b, and psychedelic rap to put listeners into a loud, but mellifluous environment. Many bloggers and reviewers have compared OCTANE to the equivalent of a rally car meet, where blaring synths, beats, and strings create either a dizzying cacophony of noise, or a smooth, hype mixture of lyrics and talent that bring out the artist’s true style.
The album opens with “E-85” hyping up listeners with its arrangement of different strings and melodic trap, enticing listeners to want more. Toliver’s elastic vocals change the song’s texture, but the background music wraps all the chaos into a fluid track. Along with references to Dumber & Dumber, this opening song sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Toliver follows up with another banger, taking inspiration from Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.” “Body” flips Timberlake’s anthem into an electronic-trap melting pot in which listeners can’t help but bop their heads. Also layered into the lyrics, Toliver heavily mentions his girlfriend Kali Uchis, who is referenced all over OCTANE. “Body” truly displays Toliver’s creativity and plethora of melodies which even AI couldn’t mimic.
A few tracks later, “Tiramisu” makes listeners feel like they’re riding in a brand new maybach on a rainy day. Although “Tiramisu” was released on Sept. 5, 2025, it blends the main elements of R&B into a sweet and sugary desert, another reference to Kali Uchis, symbolizing that indulging in a relationship can be delicious, but overindulging can trigger nausea.
Right after “Tiramisu,” Toliver leans even more into his mellow R&B style with tracks “ATM” and “Rosary,” featuring Travis Scott. These two tracks give off very early 2000s vibes, feeling like callbacks to futuristic soundscapes. He uses his voice as a slow, shifting instrument, one that ping-pongs off punchier flows. In “Rosary” specifically, Toliver and Scott harmonize in softer tones, surprising from the feature, but overall creating a smooth, buttery track that takes listeners to their own mental club,
On the back half of the album, OCTANE switches back to that hard-stoned, hype music that was present in the first couple of songs of this release. The two most notable were “Excavator” and “Gemstone” which have rapidly climbed towards Apple’s top 100 hits, and been popularly used on famous Tik Tok’s. “Excavator” plays it safe, compared to other hits on this album, with not a whole lot of creativity but enough loud and heavy beats to keep the listener engaged. “Gemstone” fires out of the gate with a loud marching band type beat that heavily brings out the chaos of Toliver’s lyrics like “Geeker!” “Gemstone” also leans more towards a live concert vibe, where the artist brings his energy to the max.
A track later, in one of arguably the best songs on the album, “Opposite” draws heavily on hype and would make crowds go absolutely nuts if performed live. Toliver floats above futuristic production and goes on full rap mode, stamping lyrics and choruses into listeners’ brains to where they couldn’t forget if they tried. His nasally rap voice makes for one of the most hype tracks, one that blends his pure rap style, with his ability to craft wonderful beats full of snares and synths that create a flow of pure madness.
Don Toliver’s OCTANE testifies to his burgeoning fame and status as his creativity, use of different genres, and vocals all come together to create an album worthy of his long list of popular titles. Although parts of the album get slow and repetitive, the mix of hype, and mellow R&B will leave listeners wanting another album as fast as possible.
Grade: A
With OCTANE, Don Toliver doesn’t just chase a vibe, he floors the gas and lets his signature sound burn rubber across every track
by Logan Auxier
Published March 2, 2026
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue V