In recent years, as TikTok has become an increasingly powerful engine for the dissemination of culture and media, a new folk star has emerged: one who has an enormous pull on fans and social media but gets little acknowledgment from the music press community. Noah Kahan is one of those artists—everything to some, somewhat inscrutable to others, record-breaking numbers stacking up on streaming platforms, and the voice of an emotionally evolved generation.
Kahan was born and raised in Strafford, Vermont, a minuscule town with a population of only 1000 people. His pursuits of making it in the music industry seemed almost intangible due to his lack of resources and abundance in distance. This is the rurality that fueled and curated his discography, especially his latest hit album, “Stick Season.” The platinum album is highlighted by notes of humor that reflect Kahan’s personality, all while simultaneously dissecting heavy topics within his lyrics. From singing about small-town claustrophobia to emotional introspection and the heavy lifting of self-discovery, Kahan doesn’t discredit the fear and constant overwhelm he feels, all while his German Shepherd, Penny, sits at the edge of his guitar. And because songwriting had been Kahan’s utmost passion since his childhood—the gift he felt compelled to release to others—people did eventually hear his songs. Kahan was brought out of the woods when he signed his first record deal in 2015 with Republic Records, where he released his debut album “Busyhead” in 2019.
Alongside various EPs, Kahan released his sophomore album “I Was / I Am” in 2021 before releasing fan favorite “Stick Season” in 2022. But these successes and tremendous levels of praise—from both critics and fans—don’t always translate over to getting the recognition they deserve from those higher up in the industry. Getting invited to the Grammys—the most prestigious party for musicians—is a huge honor and achievement, and Kahan’s various nominations over the past two years serve as a nod to his extreme rise to fame. But unfortunately, he still hasn’t prevailed and fans feel as if he’s seemingly been “robbed” of these awards that he’s so deserving of. But despite the lack of recognition, the success of his latest album has allowed Kahan to go on sold-out tours across the country, where he’s able to promote and reiterate how important it is for mental health awareness.
Mental health is something that affects many people of all ages, and resources and information can be quite scarce and hard to come by. Kahan created the Busyhead Project, a non-profit mental health initiative that works to provide information and resources to end the stigma around mental health. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than one in five adults in the United States have a mental illness. Kahan has been quite open about his own mental health struggles, and this can be seen throughout various lyrics in his songs as well as his open letter to TIME Magazine in 2023. In September of 2024, Kahan held a charity benefit concert in his hometown in Vermont, with all proceeds going towards the Busyhead Project—the concert sold out in minutes. He further knocked it out of the park at his sold-out Fenway Park shows in July of 2024, where he stood before crowds surpassing 38,000 people, which seamlessly wrapped up the American leg of his “We’ll All Be Here Forever” world tour. In the past few years, Kahan has been able to effortlessly pour his mental health into his songs to then evolve them into actionable support.
What Kahan is doing is something that all artists should be doing. There’s seemingly no reason as to why other big music artists can’t use their platforms and resources for good and consistently give back to causes they feel are important. As of today, over 164 mental health community-based organizations have received funding from Kahan’s fundraising initiative. Kahan will continue to provide through the Busyhead Project, and it’s time for more artists, especially those with large platforms, to use their fame and fortune for good.
