It’s been a long time coming, but fans of folk-pop musician Noah Kahan finally have their hands, and ears, on the single “Forever,” the last original track on his long-term album Stick Season.
Kahan, who is very active on both X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, teased a clip of the song on social media back in October, prompting fans to learn the lyrics quickly. He performed the full track at some of his shows at the end of 2023, but the release date of the studio version wasn’t announced until January 31st.
The song itself is a love ballad, which presents two different tones throughout. The first verse, the pre-chorus, and the chorus are more subdued, painting a picture of a love that will be, as the title suggests, forever. This is highlighted by Kahan’s falsetto, and emotional lyrics, such as “And thе edges of your soul, I haven’t seen yet / Now I’m glad I get forever to see where you end” and “So, when I hold her close / I might loosen my grip, but I won’t ever let her go.” All in all, it’s a very charming sentiment.
As the track continues, the music becomes more upbeat, featuring an acoustic guitar solo, and a new section of lyrics. They suggest that though the singer and the girl aren’t the most rich, they can still create memories together. This section contains the snippet of the song that went viral on TikTok— “We can’t make rent, so we window-shop / In the Upper West Side, oh, my God / Could you imagine that?”
The music returns to its earlier tempo after the second chorus for a sweet outro, echoing the same love that the rest of the lyrics present. It’s a beautiful song, and the fan reaction is equally as positive.
The release this past weekend, on February 9th, included two other singles, collaborative versions of songs that Kahan already released on the original Stick Season. The tracks, entitled “You’re Gonna Go Far” and “Paul Revere,” feature musicians Brandi Carlile and Gregory Alan Isakov, respectively. These are also the final installments of Kahan’s collaborative Stick Season tracks, which have been periodically released since July 2023. The rest of the tracks are “Dial Drunk” featuring Post Malone, “Call Your Mom” featuring Lizzy McAlpine, “She Calls Me Back” featuring Kacey Musgraves, “Northern Attitude” featuring Hozier, “Everywhere, Everything” featuring Gracie Abrams, and “Homesick” featuring Sam Fender.
Now that the album is completed, Kahan will hopefully have more time to write new music, though he is currently on tour in the UK and has planned show dates across Europe, Canada, and the US until September of this year. I’d recommend listening to the entire Stick Season album, and looking out for more from Noah Kahan in the future!
Junior Emily Hanson is the Arts & Leisure Editor. Her email is ehanson@fandm.edu.