Heard through the grapevine, he can be a diva!
Role Model gave us the best Valentine’s Day present we could ever ask for. Expanding on his July release of “Kansas Anymore,” he shares four additional tracks.
His sophomore album is a look into homesickness and heartbreak following the end of a long-term relationship. Ranging from upbeat dancing tunes like “Deeply Still In Love” to yearning acoustic songs like “Frances,” this album has it all for a lover girl that just wants to shake some ass.
On Thursday morning, my plan was to rank the deluxe songs from good to great. Fifteen minutes after hitting play at 11 p.m. that night, the new series concluded. I felt these tracks were cohesive with one another, and wouldn’t make sense sitting side by side on the same scale. Every song has its own personality and story, all of which meet each other halfway.
“OLD RECLINERS”
Starting with a kick drum reminiscent of a certain Taylor Swift song that we all know and love, I immediately knew this would take the cake for one of my top “Kansas Anymore” tracks. Lyrics reminiscing the past and longing for something that seems unreachable, this song is all too relatable while still being the type of catchy that every indie lover needs. Upon multiple listens after the initial release, this is in my top three favorite Role Model songs of all time. The guitar, the tambourine, the falsetto of his vocals in the chorus, each element you name proves that this song is one of his best yet.
Lyrics that wrecked me: “I said, ‘I’m sure you’ll find somebody stronger / And I’m sure I’ll always be / Thinking ‘bout you”
“SALLY, when the wine runs out”
The Sexiest Man Alive nominee teased this song on TikTok at the end of January. The original video shows the singer dancing, and has gained 320k likes since it was posted. The song’s ten second snippet resulted in 36k posts by other fans and creators, not to mention all the live videos circulating from the Australian and New Zealand leg of his current tour.
The song is upbeat and playful, boasting lyrics about catching yourself falling for someone who you know won’t settle. This song adds to the list of storytelling examples within Role Model’s discography. While I think his past work has always exercised this habit, “Kansas Anymore” has proved his growth as an artist, treating storytelling, production, and emotion all as one entity instead of prioritizing one over the other.
Lyrics that wrecked me (while dancing): “Don’t let me think I’m enough / Then disappear when the wine runs out”
“Some protector”
The bridge of this song was briefly teased on TikTok earlier this month by the Maine born songwriter, sending fans in a frenzy by the lyrics they heard (me included, see below). Of course, the entire three and a half minutes is nothing but poetry. The singer is past begging for this individual to take him back, but accepts that he can still wish the best for her even if she finds it with someone that isn’t him.
Lyrics that wrecked me: “Am I lying to my mother / That someday I’ll find another? / Yes, I am”
“The longest goodbye”
Initially, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this song. In all honesty, I thought it sounded like the end credits to a new Toy Story spinoff. When I woke up on Friday morning, I realized that’s the entire point.
This track serves as the end credits to the “Kansas Anymore” era and all the emotions that have come with it. Whether that be for Role Model himself, or the listeners and fans that have followed the story of this album for the past five years. While “Something, Somehow, Someday” served as the closing track to the standard album, “The Longest Goodbye” is closure’s final boss. Realizing that he’s finally starting to move on, Role Model reflects on where his past lover currently stands and compares it to his place in time now. With a bittersweet melody and the same comforting voice we’re all used to, he closes out the album with the most heart wrenching words of them all.
Lyrics that wrecked me: “I don’t think I love you anymore / But I don’t think I’ll ever be so sure”
With these four new tracks, Role Model cements himself as a master of storytelling, giving us the perfect soundtrack for heartbreak, healing, and dancing through it all.
ICYMI: Her Campus at Mizzou loves Role Model, and he loves us too!