By Clara Stern
Noah Kahan, a Vermont singer-songwriter who skyrocketed to fame after his 2022 hit single “Stick Season”, now has his 4th album, The Great Divide, on the way.
After getting diagnosed with OCD back in March 2025, Kahan quit song writing. But he has since made his comeback, releasing two new singles in the recent months.
His new album “The Great Divide” explores his life after fame, and delves into his relationships and how they evolved during the turbulent times after “Stick Season”.
Kahan released his lead single “The Great Divide” January 30th. He sings about the growing gap, or “divide” between him and his childhood friend.
His line “I hope you’re scared of all the ordinary sh*t…. And not your soul, and what He might do with it” is a reference to religious trauma. He hopes his friend is scared of ordinary things, like “cancer” and “murderers” rather than how his soul will be perceived in their afterlife. To accentuate his point, he sings “I hope you threw a brick right into that stained glass” as stained glass is found in churches. Shattering the glass represents his friend shattering the hold religion has on him.
Kahan also explores his own guilt. His line “You’d fade, to some place, I wasn’t brave enough to go” is him communicating the guilt he feels at not supporting his friend, not “brave” enough to.
I think the song is beautifully crafted, in terms of both the lyrics and the melody. Though some people were worried the song would sound overproduced, I think the final product was perfect.
Kahan released another single, “Porch Light”, on March 13th. It explores the effects of fame, and its impacts on someone’s personal life.
Porch Light has been interpreted many ways. Some people think it’s a parent singing to their child, while others assume it is Noah singing to a friend. I believe it is Noah singing to his pre-“Stick Season”-self about all the fame he’s reaped and its subsequent consequences.
Junior Eden Mainiero said, “I think Porch Light is super sad, but such a fun listen.”
He has also hinted on social media at another single releasing soon, which he called his “favorite song [he’s] made in five years.”
The album releases on April 24th, and his documentary Noah Kahan: Out of Body releases on Netflix on April 13th.
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