If you are on social media at all, you have probably heard a Noah Kahan song at least once. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Kahan rose to fame posting TikToks of folky songs that spoke to all the feelings and sorrows of being isolated and growing up. Over the past year, he rose in fame with selling out Fenway Park and his hugely successful tour. He truly makes the best sad songs, and people (including myself) are eating it up. Then, leading up to the release of this new album, The Great Divide, Kahan released a Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body, on April 13, detailing his time on tour. This documentary stuck out because not only did it follow Kahan as he went through a tour, but it also broke the parasocial myth that superstars are always happy and content, and the myth that they always should be.
The documentary really takes a step into Kahan’s world without holding back. The documentary first shows Kahan preparing for Fenway and some of the anxiety that comes with it. Off the bat, this myth that being a superstar means being perfect is broken as we see the anxiety even musicians feel with the pressure of performing for a huge audience. I think many people have the assumption that everything is always great for those who are hugely successful, so Kahan works to break this mindset right from the start, which is so refreshing to see. I see so many people on social media putting stars on a pedestal, and seeing this documentary bring out the human side to Kahan from the start was amazing to see as a viewer.
As the documentary unfolds as well, Kahan continues to be honest and show the fears and struggles he has, even with his success. He openly shares how he is afraid his huge success will end at some point. He constantly and bluntly shows, even with success, deep rooted fears can still come up. Kahan truly shows himself as he is in this documentary and holds nothing back. He really works to break the myth of stars being perfect that so many people get into their heads, and makes them seem more relatable and human.
However, this documentary goes beyond just showing the anxiety of being successful; it also shows the fact that mental health and trauma do not discriminate and will be a struggle no matter how successful you are, helping others feel less alone. Kahan opens up in the documentary about having gone to a therapist since he was a teenager, struggling with his mental health. Kahan even takes this a step further with his work on his mental health project, The Busyhead Project, which works to raise funding for mental health services in Vermont. Not only does Kahan show his struggles, but he is using his platform to help others struggling as well.
He also opens up about his struggles with his relationship with his father after his traumatic brain injury, working towards repairing that. So many people struggle with relationships with their parents, and this honest display of working through that really helps others feel less alone in that battle. Truly, this documentary makes you feel like you are not alone in mental health struggles and trauma, bringing deeper awareness to these issues.
Kahan really sets the stage with this documentary to lay everything out on the table. He is bluntly honest about everything he feels in a humorous way. This honest insight into the star helps people feel less alone in their own issues and struggles while also breaking down the idea that stars are perfect. This documentary works to do the opposite in a refreshing way, giving insight into the true mind of Noah Kahan and his human fears.