By: Morgan Korn

On January 30, 2026, Don Toliver (born Caleb Zackery Toliver) released his first album since 2024’s Hardstone Psycho. Octane, the new album, quickly took the nation by storm debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. After taking a quieter 2025 to focus on his newborn son, whom he had with popular artist Kali Uchis, Don Toliver collaborated with world-famous artists Travis Scott, Yeat, and Teezo Touchdown to create art that would be historic.

“Tiramisu,” a song on the album, was released earlier in September 2025 as a single and a way to tease the album. It is among the most popular songs in the group, sharing the spotlight with tracks such as “E85,” Gemstone, Rosary, and Secondhand.” “E85,” the most acclaimed song of them all, begins with deep synths and a classic, hard-hitting beat from Don. Another notable part of this song is the deep bass that runs throughout the track. While the song remains consistent, it develops slowly into a dark, melodic beat.

The album is noticeably the most popular in Syosset currently, and several Syosset students had strong reactions to it. Owen Shyer, a junior and music lover said, “I love the album, maybe even better than Hardstone Psycho. My favorite song is 100 percent ‘Rosary.’ It aligns more with my taste for R&B.” The album is so popular that “E85,” a song from the album, played in the Friday music in the halls over the loudspeaker in the high school. Gabe Hoffman, said, “He has a lot of hits on that one. I love ‘E85’ because it’s so catchy and it sounds a lot like his older stuff, which everybody knows I love.”In an era where rap seems like it is on the decline, Octane definitely sends the message that it is here to stay. Fans are eager for more music from Don Toliver and artists alike, because the recent hits are exceptional.