“I hope you settle down / I hope you marry rich”
On Jan. 20, 2026, Noah Kahan officially announced that his new single “The Great Divide” would be released on Jan. 30, after hinting at new music on social media. The post contained that specific lyric along with the text “anything great is worth the wait,” which is ironic considering it has been more than three years since his third studio album, Stick Season, was released on streaming platforms. Many fans — including myself — have been eagerly waiting for a fourth album.
Kahan later confirmed The Great Divide, his fourth album, is set to release on April 24, 2026.
The album’s release almost perfectly matches the rollout of Stick Season. Similarly to when Stick Season was announced, Kahan released the single “Stick Season” roughly two months before the album’s debut. The Great Divide follows suit as the single, “The Great Divide” releases ahead of the album.
I initially thought the two albums would be similar, almost a continuation, as the small bit of the chorus contained in the post reminded me of Stick Season. But after listening to the entire single, I have a feeling that the albums are going to be vastly different.
I think this album is going to be worth the wait.
“THe Great Divide,” the single
Is it dramatic to say my Friday was changed when I listened to this song?
I really think Kahan outdid himself with this song. I know I probably would say that with any new song that he decided to drop, but there are so many things to point out that make this song special.
The intro of the song has more of a country-folk sound that Kahan’s music can sometimes fall into. Throughout the song, the sound blends into more of an upbeat, folk-pop sound with hints of rock, as there is a strong presence of drums and electric guitar. I thought the arrangement was fairly simple in comparison to other songs on Stick Season like “Paul Revere” or “Orange Juice.” Kahan does a really great job with intense build ups and break downs within the arrangements of his songs (which is evident here), but the arrangement in this song isn’t as complex as his other songs. This song is simpler, but arguably very effective. I also thought the tone of his voice stays pretty much the same throughout the song which is very different from his other songs. His voice stays in a deeper range, unlike songs like “Everywhere, Everything” or “Come Over” where he hits higher notes.
This song reminds me of his song “Halloween,” as its arrangement is also very simple but the song itself has a complex meaning. “Halloween” has a similar outro as well.
I say all of this because I think “The Great Divide” has a more serious, or tired tone unlike most of his previous releases (at least, in comparison to the songs on Stick Season). I think this is done on purpose to convey the feeling his new album will give to new listeners. Stick Season was an emotional album, but I think The Great Divide will contain emotion from a different perspective.
the lyrics and meaning hit close to home for many
Noah Kahan has done it again. He has written a sentimental masterpiece.
To me, the song is about an old friend (or really anyone) that Kahan is no longer in contact with. He talks about how he thinks about this person all the time and feels guilty for not knowing what the person was going through. Kahan wishes the best for the person and for the person to be anxious about “normal” things and not the person’s “soul, and what he might do with it.”
One contributor on Genius speculates that the song talks about the “divide” as the emotional difference between two people when one person is suffering and the other person doesn’t know. The awareness that comes later makes Kahan feel like it was wrong of him to act like everything was fine, despite him not knowing the situation. They also acknowledge the “religious exploration and trauma” mentioned throughout the song.
Many fans shared their reactions to the song online, with many saying the lyrics “hit too close to home.” One fan on TikTok writes in the caption of their reaction, “Don’t talk to me on April 24th.”
Another fan had a more intense reaction saying, “this new noah kahan has me CRASHING OUT.”
Some of my favorite lyrics are in the second verse and in the outro. In verse two, Kahan sings, “You inched yourself across the great divide / While we drove aimlessly along the Twin State line… And I’m finally aware of how sh*tty and unfair / It was to stare ahead like everything was fine.”
In the outro Kahan sings, “I hope you threw a brick right into that stained glass / I hope you’re with someone who isn’t scared to ask / I hope that you’re not losing sleep about what’s next /Or about your soul and what He might do with it.” So yes, I did cry after hearing that. And no, I haven’t stopped thinking about the outro.
The great divide, The Album
We do have to wait a little over two months for the remaining 16 tracks on the album, however, I think there are a lot of hints as to what songs could be on the album, and the album’s overall meaning.
Unreleased songs
Kahan has performed many of his unreleased songs at his previous concerts. Although the official names of songs on the album are not available to view on streaming platforms, Genius has put out a track list — which of course isn’t official and is only suspected. Even though it isn’t official, the track list gives some hope as Kahan has performed some of the songs on the list live, including “Pain Is Cold Water,” which can be found on his album Live From Fenway Park, and “Deny Deny Deny” which he performed in Boston in Nov. 2025.
The great divide album cover & instagram post
When Kahan announced the release of his new album on Instagram, he included the album cover along with a lengthy caption that discloses the process of making the album. Kahan talks about how keeping silent for a long period of time forms a “divide” and how he wants to “scream these feelings” to the people on the other side. But instead, he chose to take those feelings and write them into songs in different locations.
I think this is really telling of what we can expect. I believe this album is going to more angsty than Stick Season, as it seems that Kahan could be angry, but not directly angry with his family and friends, possibly more so the things that happened to them.
“The music here is my best attempt to delve deeper into the people, places, and feelings that have made me who I am.”
The album cover is interesting to try and uncover the significance. It’s almost as though Kahan is looking back on happier times — maybe even a friendship — and feels nostalgic. Or maybe he feels restful about the circumstances.
interviews
At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Kahan tells Keltie Knight with E! Entertainment that the album is “like depression with, like, an electric guitar basically.” He later states that there is going to be a lot of very raw and vulnerable music as well, just like there was on Stick Season.
Anything great is worth the wait
While waiting for The Great Divide to come out, you can probably find me listening to all of Noah Kahan’s albums — a personal favorite of mine is Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). I’ll also probably be trying to get tickets to Kahan’s North American Tour where he will be in New York City and Fenway Park during the summer of 2026.
If you’re a Noah Kahan fan, I hope you’re as excited as I am for the new album. And if you aren’t, you should definitely check out his songs. Overall, Kahan is an incredible songwriter whose lyrics are often emotional and articulated well throughout his songs. His discography is great for road trips, walking around campus, or a good cry if you need one. Despite his deeply intense songwriting, Kahan can post some pretty funny content on his Instagram stories and usually interacts with fans by leaving humorous replies to their comments.
To get updates on his music you can his follow his Instagram and other socials, or even follow his headquarters on Instagram which will sometimes post hints about upcoming announcements from Noah Kahan.
Noah Kahan’s songs made it on to most of my playlists as I would listen to his music frequently throughout high school. I remember his songs playing in the background when completing college applications, on summer vacations, and even when I was kicked out of Ticketmaster while trying to get tickets to his tour back in 2023. Nevertheless, I think listening to The Great Divide will be an emotional roller coaster.
“Don’t talk to me on April 24th.”