First emerging in 2018 with his EP Hurt Somebody, and recently taking the world by storm with the success of his 2022 album Stick Season, it’s safe to say that Noah Kahan has solidified his place under the spotlight and in our hearts. With sincere lyrics and an undeniable indie folk feel, Noah deserves every ounce of praise he’s received recently and more. If you have yet to join the legions of fans like us sobbing to songs like ‘You’re Gonna Go Far,’ here are 5 reasons you should embrace your inner “busyhead” and stan Noah Kahan.
He’s An Incredible Lyricist
Since the beginning of his career, Noah has written lyrics that explore sensitive topics in an honest and powerful way. In tackling anything from depression to sobriety to the loss of loved ones through his art, Noah’s lyrics provide a safe and cathartic space to anyone who resonates with them. There are so many lines across the course of his 2 EPs and 3 albums that make us feel seen and inspired, with “I’ll be the light that you can’t make” on 2020’s Cape Elizabeth EP and “Don’t let this darkness fool you // All lights turned off can be turned on” on this year’s Stick Season: We’ll All Be Here Forever as some of our personal favorites.
His Songwriting Is Authentic And Relatable
While Noah’s (incredible) earlier projects lean towards a pop sound in their writing and production, the singer often mentions how he found solace in exploring a folk vibe that felt more natural to him away from the studio during the pandemic. After an almost-deleted teaser video of his now-hit song, ‘Stick Season,’ blew up overnight on TikTok, Noah found the inspiration he needed to write the folk album of his dreams—and that’s what made his career truly skyrocket. In touching on his own life experiences and struggles while painting a picture of his hometown of Strafford, Vermont, the authenticity of his songwriting has a way of making the specific feel universal. We at The Honey Pop are based all around the world, but you know we’ll be screaming “I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks” like we’ve lived in New England our whole lives.
He’s Open About His Mental Health
In addition to writing songs that make fans feel less alone in their struggles, Noah is very open about his own mental health journey and aims to help destigmatize these topics. Often discussing the positive impact proper mental healthcare has had in his life and proclaiming “The happiest person here should be in therapy” at his shows, he truly uses his platform to advocate for the importance of getting the help you need. He also launched The Busyhead Project, a charity dedicated to ensuring mental health organizations have the resources they need to function, at the beginning of this year—and fans have since raised over $1.9 million for the cause. How inspiring is that?!
He’s Probably Collabed With your Favorite Artist
Noah’s first big hit, 2019’s ‘Hurt Somebody,’ features singer-songwriter Julia Michaels—and he hasn’t stopped collabing with incredible artists since. Surrounding the time of his second album rollout, Noah wrote and/or sung on gorgeous tracks with artists such as mxmtoon, Chelsea Cutler, and Joy Oladokun—and recently, the likes of Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, and Kacey Musgraves have lent their voices to re-releases of songs on Stick Season. He’s been showing up everywhere this fall festival season, as well, performing with Hozier, Mumford and Sons, and Zach Bryan in this past month alone. If all these artists are forming the “folk avengers,” Noah Kahan is leading the charge.
He’s “Gonna Go Far”
Watching Noah find success on the level he has with Stick Season has been the biggest privilege, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving. Going from playing to hundreds of fans on Instagram Live over the pandemic to selling out Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park twice in a row to thousands of people each must be overwhelming in the best way, and there’s nothing that we love more than watching Noah soak it all in. You can tell just how grateful he is that people resonate so strongly with the songs he’s written and holds close, and in meeting fans after almost every show and interacting with them on TikTok every day, he gives back to us in the best way. It feels like every new song he teases on social media is better than the last, and we can’t wait to see where he’ll go next.
We could list 50 more reasons you should stan Noah Kahan, but we’ll stop there! He’s truly an incredible artist and an incredible human being; we’re so grateful for his authenticity and lyricism, and he absolutely deserves every ounce of the success he’s found. Do you love Noah as much as we do? Let us know your favorite song in the comments, or tweet us at @thehoneypop!
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