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Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts...
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Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts dive in-depth about the project and the artist’s path to its release.
show less
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
Explicit
27 APR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Wiz Khalifa's latest mixtape Kush + Orange Juice 2 how he was one of the kings of the blog era and how his trademark sound is one step away from becoming cutting edge.
Timecode:
2:34 Freestyles leading up to the project
3:17 Most influential rappers of the last 15 years
4:16 Wiz day to day vlogs
5:46 OKAY Wiz Khalifa Voice
6:46 The cargo shorts
9:12 Say Yeah
9:32 Mixtape buzz
11:41 Kush & Orange Juice
12:28 Flight School
13:24 Demar Kids comparison
17:35 Mixtapes have died
18:07 Feel like he’s trying to capture his old sound
21:40 Ashbeck
25:29 Has Wiz been on a UK track
27:10 I might be
30:29 Max b interlude
35:05 Did Wiz get it right with the singles?
36:03 Could benefit from getting in the jazz drill space
38:15 Fits in with UK rappers
42:55 Wiz will never rap about something new
50:45 Juicy J
57:09 The cover
01:00:45 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: 7 / 10
The Love List: What's Hannin, Just To See You Smile, Jet Taylor, Crime Bud and Women
21 APR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Bon Iver's fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE how it nears greatness before ultimately shying away and how it feels longer than its 41 minute runtime implies.
Démar’s rating: 4 / 10
Adriel's rating: 4 / 10
The Love List: THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS, S P E Y S I D E, I'll Be There
Timecodes:
1:29 - Thought it was one dude
2:36 - Sampha comparison
04:43 - Adriel’s Doppelganger
6:16 - Best Feature
8:26 - First disc songs were released on a separate EP
11:13 - Loneliness when it comes to folk
15:30 - If you’re going to do a long intro
21:48 - Frank Ocean vibes
23:14 - A 2025 song
24:33 - Mustafa comparison
26:53 - ‘From’ traditional format – boat rock
30:29 - Undanceable
31:11 - Missing the black part of the music
41:05 - As a full project, it’s a different kind of listen
42:05 - The production is hiding the lyrics in a bad way
42:25 - What it means for their career
49:15 - The cover
51:40 - 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
===================================
Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE / 2025 / indie rock, folk, rock
13 APR 2025 · Cue the filler music! Adriel and Démar are taking a look back into the annals of Album Mode history and to find the best debut projects they've ever reviewed. When you've been podcasting for nearly 5 years, you can do that. We're talking Unknown T, Olivia Rodrigo and of course the goddess, PinkPantheress and more!
Timecodes:
5:36 - Framework of the context of the artist
6:28 - The album that is the furthest in their career
7:39 - Arlo Parks
15:34 - Has a lane can work with more of the street artists
16:07 - Folk artist but gritty
16:56 - The Last Dinner Party
22:37 - Silk Sonic
25:59 - Too retro?
26:16 - Credible but not eligible
30:55 - Music is more popular than she is
32:44 - In a sweet spot of being more then 12 songs but no too long
35:24 - (Sour) Taylor Swift meets Paramore / Avril Lavigne
42:02 - Lil Nas X
46:28 - Picking and choosing what’s a debut album
47:00 - Destroy Lonely
48:28 - Rise above hate – first review
55:04 - Glorilla
55:55 - Tommy Richman
59:03 - Best way to go about dropping a debut album
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
===================================
4 APR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Lucy Dacus' fourth studio album “Forever is a Feeling” how the album is a tone setter for her post Boygenuius and how her lyrical longingness escapes being cheesy.
Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel's rating: 6.5 / 10
The Love List: Ankles, Limerence, Talk, Most Wanted Man
Timecodes:
3:25 - Songwriter-type music
5:23 - The reset button and how that affects their career
8:42 - The origins of this album
9:24 - Longing vibes
12:46 - Romanticizing her past
13:28 - For keeps
17:15 - Vacation boo
20:51 - Sex and the City Comparison
28:21 - Imagery is very explicit
37:35 - Accentuate the loneliness
38:21 - How do these songs live on their own?
43:06 - What she said about writing Modigilani
47:35 - The cover
49:20 - No skips - too flat production-wise
50:43 - 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
===================================
Lucy Dacus - Forever is a Feeling / 2025 / indie rock, folk, rock
1 APR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Men I Trust's latest studio album “Equus Asinus” how the band's production has shifted in this latest release and how you can get drop a Men I Trust lyric in your relationship to sound poetic.
P.S. Where's the Clairo feature??
Démar’s rating: 8 / 10
Adriel's rating: 8 / 10
The Love List: I Come With Mud, Bethlehem, Paul's Theme, Frost Bite, Girl (2025)
Timecodes:
5:11 - Soft enough for the bedroom but not so we are going to sleep
9:06 - could be on Zach Bryan’s album
13:43 - There is a country element
16:33 - Paul’s theme sample
19:13 - The production on here is not homogenous
24:35 - The way the songs have been sung has not changed
29:23 - Songs with an immersive cinematic feel
33:57 - Let yourself feel
37:31 - Going to the lyrics help you like the song more
39:48 - What it means for their career
49:16 - The score
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
Men I Trust - Equus Asinus / 2025 / indie rock, bedroom pop, indie
20 MAR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Playboi Carti’s third studio album “Music”, his new deep voice, the album’s incredible production, and how Carti’s aura and influence is pivotal to his fandom.
P.S. SWAMP IZZO!!!!
Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel's rating: 4.5 / 10
The Love List: POP OUT, RATHER LIE, MOJO JOJO, WAKE UP F1LTHY, OLYMPIAN, OPM BABI, LIKE WEEZY
Timecodes:
6:00 - Hip-hop Christmas song
9:16 - Features / narrative wise
12:42 - Most famous but hasn’t released an album in 4 years
15:15 - His fan base is so loud
17:40 - Super fan and musicians think he’s amazing
18:22 - His fans create the conversation around his music
20:35 - Production is the star
23:01 - Has legit vision
23:50 - Progression of his sound
26:11 - Real artistic vision
27:05 - Does the production a disservice
29:23 - This whole album is “if so and so is on this”
30:30 - Underrated in their production
33:00 - Deep voice
36:01 - Don’t know if he found the thing in the experiment
36:25 - Choir vocals
40:10 - Song structure we developed
40:44 - Demar is doing the things fans do
41:25 - Kendrick combo
42:07 - Roles flipped with adlibs and verse
44:49 - Drake declined to be on the project
49:12 - Interested in seeing where this is going
49:52 - Pitbull comparison
53:10 - Rod wave comparison
55:41 - His lyrics sound like when you freestyle in college
1:05:25 - His music isn’t as good, but his aura is higher
1:12:18 - What is important to his genre is not the same as the rest if hip-hop
1:19:42 - His career
1:22:10 - SGA is a taller Allen Iverson
1:23:40 - Has hip-hop split
1:27:08 - The cover
1:31:50 - The score
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
Playboi Carti - Music / 2025 / Hip hop, rap, rage, trap
16 MAR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Lady Gaga's latest studio album 'Mayhem', how she's navigated her fame throughout her career and why this entire project sounds like it got pulled straight out of the 1980s.
P.S. heavy Siouxsie and the Banshees vibes on Abracadabra
Démar’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Adriel's rating: 7.5 / 10
The Love List: Disease, Die With a Smile, Perfect Celebrity, Vanish into You
Timecodes:
2:26 - Bruno Mars
4:13 - A star is born
8:00 - Rarely an artist is in their own lane like this
9:23 - Madonna 2.0
12:00 - Putting out music consistently and just ignoring it
14:07 - Démar likes pop songs
15:16 - Frame how we view Lady Gaga
16:30 - Missing a Charlie xcx feature
19:58 - She doesn’t have the vision
23:41 - Miley Cyrus comparison
27:05 - 80’s inspired
29:20 - Blade of Grass
33:52 - The way she frames celebrity
36:49 - Almost doing a Weeknd thing
43:30 - Abracadabra: Loved everything but the hook
50:29 - How are we deciding who’s too old to say what
56:20 - The cover
1:06:02 - The Score
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
Lady Gaga - MAYHEM / 2025 / Pop, Synth pop, electronic
7 MAR 2025 · This week Démar and Adriel discuss Lisa's debut solo studio album 'Alter Ego', how it might be one of the most expensive albums of the year and whether her alter egos are just an excuse for a lack of vision.
Démar’s rating: 2 / 10
Adriel's rating: 5.5 / 10
The Love List: Moonlit Floor, Lifestyle, BADGRRRL, New Woman
Timecodes:
3:03 - Americans don’t listen to K-Pop
4:00 - Gangnam Style
7:32 - What genre is this?
9:30 - Doja cat comparison
10:12 - Very few songs Adriel likes the production the whole way through
11:00 - Expensive album
15:00 - 2010’s comparison
15:26 - This might be garbage
16:28 - Rihanna without the sauce
25:03 - Early Future
31:18 - Faster paced music is better with Lisa
33:21 - Fuck up the world
35:52 - Family channel
37:37 - Rapunzel
38:41 - Graduated passed gang vocals for the hook/left in 2011
48:53 - The cover
50:48 - The Score
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
Lisa - Alter Ego / 2025 / Pop, Industrial
24 FEB 2025 · This week, Démar and Adriel discuss Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR's collab album '$ome $exy $ongs 4 U', how this album is 10 years too late for old-school Drake fans and why this album is just another milestone in Drake's path of late stage mediocrity.
The Love List: NOKIA, DEEPER, SMALL TIME FAME, MOTH BALLS
Timecodes
2:24 A lot of Drake fans wanted a Drake PND album
3:12 Listening experience has changed
6:06 Don’t hear PND enough
14:24 Songs saved
16:29 The love for Nokia
17:28 Felt like a Donna Summer song
25:48 Brian Steel
30:40 Demar might have to put Drake in the NBAyoungboy zone
31:39 Went into the wrong room
35:43 Abandon everyone and get a different producer
39:45 Drake is still in his popstar phase
43:20 Ice Spice
50:32 Nickelback comparison
56:36 Gimmie a hug
58:55 How sad Drake's life is right now
1:03:15 The writing on this project is underrated
1:09:21 Demar compares Drake to Nav & Gunna
1:11:21 The beef is solidified
1:15:49 Drake avoiding legacy status
1:17:21 The Cover
1:21:10 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: 2 / 10
Adriel's rating: 5.5 / 10
17 FEB 2025 · After all the dialogue Demar and Adriel drop their thoughts on the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl performance. They also discuss whether Not Like Us is getting old and whether we should move on from a beef that is nearly a year running. Also the Duo talk about the Latest AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith song 'Crush' bringing back Demar's hot take on Jorja Smith making the wrong genre of music.
Timecodes
2:23 - Was the setlist real?
3:43 - Comparing Kendrick to past Super Bowl performers?
5:25 - A diss record being Kendrick’s biggest hit
8:45 - The actual Super Bowl performance / PlayStation stage
11:50 - Kendrick Lamar as an activist
16:15 - The narrative is misguided
19:55 - Drake vs. UMG
24:45 - An artist can peak multiple times
28:05 - How long will Kendrick be performing Not Like Us?
30:11 - Approaching GOAT Status
33:57 - The rules are about to change
36:09 - $ome $exy $ongs
39:39 - Grand National Tour
48:34 - Hip-Hop has become the NBA
54:36 - New music from Jorja Smith & AJ Tracey
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
Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts...
show more
Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts dive in-depth about the project and the artist’s path to its release.
show less
Information
| Author | Demar Grant & Adriel Smiley |
| Organization | Demar Grant & Adriel Smiley |
| Categories | Music Commentary , Entertainment News , News Commentary |
| Website | - |
| albummodepod@gmail.com |
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