You may have heard of Tucker Pillsbury through TikToks about his relationship with influencer Emma Chamberlain, seen his viral podcast episodes with Jake Shane, or you may have caught him in concert on campus last fall. Better known as Role Model, Pillsbury has been making music since 2017 and released his sophomore album, Kansas Anymore, this past summer.
With viral tracks like “Frances” and “Deeply Still In Love,” Kansas Anymore was a success, and fans theorized online about the tracks’ connection to Pillsbury’s recent breakup with Emma Chamberlain. He’s been transparent about the breakup inspiring the album, making it clear that the songs are about Chamberlain in interviews, and even using her middle name, Frances, as the title of a track.
After the success of Kansas Anymore, Pillsbury began teasing a new track titled “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” sharing snippets of the song on social media and performing the track at his recent “No Place Like Tour” shows. After building anticipation, Pillsbury announced that four new tracks would be released on his new deluxe album, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), available Feb. 14. Join me as we unpack these new tracks below.
“Old recliners”
“Old Recliners” is the first of four new tracks. With callbacks to other songs on the album, such as “Frances” and “Slut Era Interlude,” the track seems to be reminiscing on his past relationship with Chamberlain and beginning to come to terms with the end of their time together. The chorus repeats the line, “Thinking ’bout you in the moment,” but Pillsbury seems to end the song hopeful that the moment will pass, and he’ll move on, though for now he’s still stuck mourning the nights they shared.
“sally, when the wine runs out”
The most popular of the new tracks, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” has become a popular sound on the TikTok platform, with over 35,000 videos. The song details a budding relationship with a girl named Sally, though Pillsbury voices his fears about being left, singing, “Don’t let me think I’m enough / Then disappear when the wine runs out.”
With a catchy bridge and chorus, this new track is the most upbeat of the four, although it still explores the feeling of insecurity that occurs when starting a new relationship.
“Some protector”
“Some Protector” is the most personal of the four tracks, with a significantly slower beat than the previous songs. Pillsbury wants his former significant other to know that he will always be “Some Protector” to them. Despite the pair going their separate ways, Pillsbury seems to be telling Chamberlain that it’s okay to move on and that he’ll always be there for her despite her finding someone new.
This is a theme that is repeated throughout Kansas Anymore, with tracks like “Compromise” and “Something, Somehow, Someday” suggesting that Pillsbury wants Chamberlain to find love and support, even if he doesn’t find the same.
“the longest goodbye”
With a guitar riff reminiscent of old country folk songs, “The Longest Goodbye” doesn’t sound like it would be an emotional track. However, it’s the song that seems to be most clearly about Chamberlain. In “The Longest Goodbye,” Pillsbury admits that he knows Chamberlain has moved on and seems to be coming to terms with it, stating that he knows she no longer loves him.
The song seems to signify that he has finally moved on as well, ending with the line, “I don’t think I love you anymore,” though Pillsbury confesses, “But I don’t think I’ll ever be so sure.” Nevertheless, the final song seems to bring the Kansas Anymore era to a close, signifying that Pillsbury is no longer mourning his past relationship with Chamberlain.
Role Model’s new deluxe tracks officially pulled down the curtain on the Kansas Anymore era. In just these four songs, Pillsbury tells the story of accepting the end of his past relationship and finally moving on. Though it’s unclear when Pillsbury will release music next, you can catch him at one of his “No Place Like Tour” shows this spring. Pillsbury is guaranteed to win you over with The Longest Goodbye, whether you want to dance or cry.
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