Noah Kahan released “Stick Season” on Oct. 14, 2022. This album launched his career and doubled his fanbase. Almost one year later, he released “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever),” which had all the original songs from the first album along with seven new songs, including “Your Needs, My Needs” and “Call Your Mom.” Then in 2024, “Stick Season (Forever)” was released with new features from artists like Lizzy McAlpine, Post Malone and Gracie Abrams.
Kahan did not release any new music in 2025, but finally, fans are getting what they have been asking for. On Jan. 30, Kahan released “The Great Divide,” which was released as a single, but it will show up as track 6 on his new album. This marks the end of the Stick Season era that has lasted almost four years. The new album is also titled “The Great Divide” and is set to release April 24.
Kahan is known for the personal approach he puts into his music, and fans continue to see that with his new song. The song opens with the signature Kahan folk guitar from “Stick Season.” It is upbeat and nostalgic. Then he starts singing, it is quiet and almost sad, maybe even regretful. It starts with the words, “I can’t recall the last time that we talked.” It is a punch right to the gut of anyone who has grown away from someone.
The song builds, reflecting on an old relationship and the time spent together.
“You know I think about you all the time / and my deep misunderstanding of your life / and how bad it must have been for you back then / and how hard it was to keep it all inside,” Kahan said in the song.
It’s a reflection of a friend he never understood until it was too late. This song is like an apology.
Finally, listeners get to hear the chorus fit into the whole song. The words “I hope you settle down, I hope you marry rich” bring fans to tears, wishing the best for someone they once loved and now don’t even know anymore.
He continues, “I hope you're scared of only ordinary s--- / Like murderers and ghosts and cancer on your skin / and not your soul and what He might do with it.” This shows the other person must have been battling with religious beliefs and what comes after death.
The second verse dives deeper into the divide between the two.
“I heard nothing but the bass in every ballad that you'd play / while you swore to God the singer read your mind,” Kahan said in the song.
He was only hearing the most basic part of the song while the other person was identifying with the lyrics. This is a metaphor for the whole relationship, it seems, because he was only seeing what was on the surface while their story was much more complex.
Once listeners make it to the bridge, they get hit again with gut-wrenching lyrics, “Did you wish that I could know/ that you'd fade to some place/ I wasn't brave enough to go."
This shows the other person was sinking deeper into problems with mental health, and Kahan was young and didn’t have what it took to reach out and help. He acted like everything was fine to avoid conflict, but this song shows his guilt for not being a better friend.
“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,” Kahan sang in the outro.
This brings back the theme of religious struggle. It also talks about how he wishes the former friend found someone who “isn’t scared to ask.” This shows he hopes they found someone who isn't scared to understand their struggle and help them through, instead of pretending it doesn’t exist.
This song really hits home for many people because this story, while it varies from person to person, is a common theme among friendships. Many people are afraid to share what they are struggling with out of fear of rejection. Many people are scared of confrontation and mental health issues. They are very hard to deal with. Kahan has been a strong advocate for mental health since the beginning, and he is continuing that in his new album.
