Graphic by Anabelle Coker | THE ALL STATE
If you have been active on TikTok for the past year, there is a good chance that Noah Kahan is no stranger to you. If he is, allow me to introduce you.
Noah Kahan is a singer-songwriter with three albums, the first of them being “Busyhead” in which later became the label for his fans who call themselves “The Busyheads.”
The album initially did not gain much attention in the media. However, one song on the album featuring Julia Michaels, a five-time Grammy award nominee, got him streaming on the US charts for the first time.
He went on to release a second album, “I Was / I Am,” but it wasn’t until the release of his third album “Stick Season” in 2022 that he gained another major breakthrough in the mainstream music world.
“Stick Season,” the name of the album and the eponymous second track, is a term that refers to the time between autumn and winter when the beauty of the leaves falling has, disappeared leaving an emptiness in the air that lasts until the first fall of snow.
Nearly a year later, he released a deluxe edition of the album called “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)” which included seven additional songs.
Since then, he has further pushed himself into the spotlight by collaborating with other major artists to release new renditions of his songs. He has rerecorded songs with Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves, Hozier, Gracie Abrams and Sam Fender.
His collaborations aren’t stopping either. He recently announced the last release of his album called “Stick Season (Forever)” which will be comprised of his all of his songs from the deluxe album and every collaboration version he has done with the album.
He will also be releasing a brand-new song on the album called “Forever” as well as two new re-recordings featuring collaborations with artist Brandi Carlile and another artist that has not been clarified yet.
The release of this project is set for February 9 of this year.
Though his rise to fame began to accelerate throughout 2023, his moment in the spotlight is not over. He was also nominated to win this year’s Grammy award for “Best New Artist,” coming up against other artists like Ice Spice, Fred Again.., Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Victoria Monet, The War and Treaty and even one of his collaborators Gracie Abrams.
To give more of an insight into his music, Kahan has made his mark by dominating the folk-pop genre.
A lot of Kahan’s songs refer back to his gloomy hometown with his lyrics depicting some of life’s biggest struggles: depression, family issues, trauma, love and heartbreak, homesickness, addiction and other heavy but relatable topics.
Perhaps the success of this album can be credited to the fact that Kahan is so open and raw about such vulnerable topics, in a way that inspires the audience and makes them feel less alone in their struggles— ultimately promoting acceptance and healing.
Regardless of the outcome of the Grammy’s “Best New Artist” award, Noah Kahan has already launched himself into mainstream music through his dedication to his projects and I can only anticipate further growth and success in his career.
