Listening to Noah Kahan’s music is like listening to someone read your journal out loud—like listening to your innermost thoughts in real time. That is what makes him so great: his music is so personal that forming a deep connection to it is undeniable. Whether you are a country fan, a rock fan, or anything in between, Noah Kahan has something for you.Â
My first Noah Kahan song—and the one I fell in love with when I was 17—was “Stick Season.” Basic, I know. But it quickly became my high school friends’ favorite song too after forcing them to listen to it over and over again—you guys are welcome. We would drive around town late at night blasting it, singing at the top of our lungs until our throats hurt and it was time to go home. Since then, his music has become the soundtrack to my life as I navigate college and adulting for the first time on my own.Â
I think it is his ability to put the most complicated, unspoken emotions into words that makes his music stick with you. Whether that be anxiety, loneliness, growing up, not knowing who you are, or simply feeling stuck, he has a song that will punch you in the gut with honesty in the most beautiful way.
On a more personal note, in his song “Your Needs, My Needs,” he mentions taking Zoloft, which I think is so funny because I take Zoloft too. It just goes to show how deeply personal and honest his music is, and how easily you can feel connected to it on a very real, human level. Something I have noticed in his music is that he removes a lot of the stigma around talking about mental health, which can help so many people realize that they have nothing to be embarrassed or scared of.Â
When I was moving away from home and going to college seven hours away, his song “The View Between Villages” became my favorite of his because its lyrics and melody were a direct reflection of everything I was thinking and feeling. If you are a new listener of Noah Kahan’s music, this is the BEST song to listen to on a long drive or flight at the start of a new chapter in your life. It will make you sad, happy, excited, and really reflect on what you had and what you are about to have.
That being said, if you truly have never listened to his music, you have to start with his less popular albums: Cape Elizabeth, Busyhead, and I Was/I Am. My number one song recommendation across all three of these albums is “Maine” from Cape Elizabeth, which is easily my favorite Noah Kahan song of all time—no exaggeration. I have been listening to “Maine” on repeat since I was 17, and it has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life: my breakup, moving, friends passing away, and my absolute rock bottom last spring.Â
The moral of the story is that Noah Kahan’s music has changed me as a person, and no matter how different I may be from when I first started listening to it, he will always and forever be my favorite artist.
Now, I am 21-years-old and going to see Noah Kahan in concert in August, and I could not be more excited. This feels like such a full-circle moment for me—not only have I loved his music for the past four years, but it has also had such a huge impact on my life. I already know there will be tears, so I would like to apologize in advance to everyone sitting next to me.