It’s been nearly four years since Noah Kahan released a full album, and he recently delivered fans the emotional project they were promised. “Stick Season,” his third album, quickly gained popularity with songs like “Dial Drunk,” “Northern Attitude,” and “Homesick.” Since then, new and old fans alike have been anxiously awaiting his return, which happened on Jan. 28, 2026, when Kahan announced his new album, “The Great Divide”.

In the days following the announcement, Kahan released the album’s lead single, “The Great Divide.” The song almost immediately hit number six on the Hot 100 chart, marking the highest position a Noah Kahan song has ever held. Fans immediately began creating theories for the rest of the album based on unreleased songs like “Orbiter” and “Shape of my Shadow.” Kahan has performed a number of unreleased songs during his concerts, leaving fans guessing which ones would make the cut. 

To boost fan involvement and increase excitement around the album, Kahan decided to announce the tracklist by mailing iron-on patches to select fans. Once they received the patches, they posted them on social media, slowly revealing the 17 tracks that make up the album. 

Two songs were individually released separately from the album to set the tone. Kahan says he released “Porch Light” to give fans a feel for the rest of the album before it dropped, as well as to kick off his new tour. The song focuses on the impact Kahan’s fame had on his family, from his mother’s perspective, with a lot of emotional depth. Lyrics like “I’ll pray for you, be in pain for you/I’ll leave the porch light on” symbolize his mother’s unconditional love and longing for him to come home. 

On the other hand, “The Great Divide” released on Jan. 30, 2026, is the title track that was shared early to embody the theme of the album and what was still to come. The song itself describes Kahan’s personal growth since his last album and in general, specifically the emotional distance, or “divide,” that develops between people over time, highlighting regret over unspoken words and the changes in friends and family. 

The album opens with “End of August,” starting off quietly with the sound of bugs in the background. The album uses a lot of symbolism, and it’s in this song that we see the first of it with the line “Endin’ of August, the bugs are just starting to die.” Once it reaches the chorus, the dreamlike piano and eerie vocals build in intensity with the lyrics “Everything you see out here will die/Oh it’s a matter of time…/’Til it’s our town.” The song folds fans back into the evolved yet familiar world of Kahan’s music, dealing with themes of death and the passing of time, but also love and feeling truly alive.

In contrast to the heavier themes of much of the album, “We Go Way Back” is a much softer, optimistic song. The lyrics and sound contrast the more restless energy of Stick Season, showing the singer’s newfound contentment with a quieter life back in his hometown. He expresses a longing to get away from the expectations of what he’s now known for: “Tell me…that I’m important/If it’s only for letting dogs out, sweeping porches,” Kahan sings.  

Track 16, titled “All Them Horses,” is a song Kahan teased on social media. The song is a reflection on the floods that devastated his hometown, Strafford, Vermont. What makes the track truly remarkable is the lyricism. With lines like “Couldn’t make it home ‘cause of all that rain” and “Everyone looks happy in a photograph/I crossed the county line I cannot go back,” Kahan paints a picture of regret for abandoning a hometown he doesn’t think he belongs to anymore.

Finishing out the album, “Dan” is arguably the most important song on the album. Kahan seems to be talking to someone from his past throughout the album, and this song reveals his fractured relationship with one of his childhood best friends. This is a real person in Kahan’s life, but for listeners, “Dan” simply represents an old friend that knows our deepest secrets and has seen us at our best and our worst. He ends the album with this beautiful song that tells us how much he cherishes this friendship. 

“I really am drawn to the lyrics of ‘End of August’ and ‘Spoiled’…and the messages behind them about getting better and feeling like you want to move on,” said Elena Sullivan, a freshman at Ida B. Wells who has been listening to Kahan’s music for the past year.

If 17 tracks weren’t enough for fans, Kahan surprised listeners with “The Great Divide: The Last of the Bugs” less than a day after the original album release. “The Last of the Bugs” includes four new tracks: “Lighthouse,” “Staying Still,” “A Few of Your Own,” and the highly anticipated “Orbiter.” This brings the album to 21 songs total, which is nearly double the typical album length of 10-12 tracks.

The album as a whole shows Kahan’s growth over the past four years, not only in his vocals and music, but also in his idea of home. “Stick Season” was filled with tracks like “Homesick,” “Paul Revere,” and “Northern Attitude,” which found the singer longing to leave his hometown and move on to bigger things.

However, in “The Great Divide,” Kahan shares the regret and guilt he feels for leaving. The album is a sharp contrast to his previous work, showing a desire to return to his hometown instead of feeling stuck in it. His lyrics provide the honest self-reflection fans have been looking forward to since Kahan first announced the album.