Earlier this month, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan released three new tracks on the third edition of his album, Stick Season. Adding to the excitement, songs “You’re Gonna Go Far” and “Paul Revere” feature Brandi Carlile and Gregory Alan Isakov, respectively. 

Kahan first gained notice on TikTok, but it wasn’t until the release of the first version of Stick Season that his popularity took off. Now, he has almost 37 million monthly listeners on Spotify and is performing at Shaky Knees, a musical festival in Atlanta featuring artists like Billy Idol, The Foo Fighters, and Weezer. 

Because of the significance of the album, the new tracks have been well received. Kahan was not planning on releasing one of the tracks, “Forever,” until a video of him singing part of it blew up on TikTok. A waiting game soon followed for fans, as they eagerly hoped for the announcement of an official release. Months after first hearing the song on TikTok, the fans got what they wanted.

Senior Lily Thomas said, that after “[Kahan] saw the impact the song had on millions of people” online, he knew he needed to officially release it. He ultimately made that decision, releasing the third version of his third album. 

Part of what makes Kahan’s music so special is his complex lyrical narrative, a component the three new songs did not hold back on. From the smooth vocals in “You’re Gonna Go Far” to the repetition in “Paul Revere,” his unique storytelling ability is evident. 

On his unique lyrical ability, Thomas said, “[his] lyrics are so unique, possessing both simplicity and ambiguity.”

Kahan never releases a conceptually simple song. You are not able to divide his music up into a cookie-cutter category like “happy” or “sad.” Often bittersweet, poignant, and joyful, Kahan’s music is incredibly complex.

This complexity, coupled with his beautiful sound will rocket him into stardom.