After teasing a few verses of an unreleased song, Noah Kahan released his track “Forever,” on Friday, Feb. 9 in “Stick Season (Forever),” a deluxe of his album “Stick Season,” officially sealing the album. The long-awaited track blew fans away, with “Forever” becoming Kahan’s most streamed song, with over 2.3 million streams in a single day. Along with the new hit, Kahan also released his two final collaborations to supplement the six that had come out sporadically within the past year. All eight collaborations add to the already incredible songs Kahan has produced, and each one has a unique touch. After listening to Kahan’s album since its early stages and following along as featured artists joined in, here is my ranking of the “Stick Season” collaborations:
1. “Northern Attitude (with Hozier)”
“Northern Attitude (with Hozier)” takes my number one spot because of the deep emotion and power instilled in the combination of Kahan and Hozier’s voices. Hozier, known for hauntingly beautiful lyrics, adds a deeper tone to an already emotional song. “Northern Attitude” is a song about experiencing loneliness growing up in a small town in Vermont where the sun goes down too early. This collaboration adds a new perspective to the pre-existing lyrics, with Hozier delving deeper into life in a rural place, bringing up deep questions and contemplations posed while one is growing up. The song picks up dramatically and the instrumentals intensify preceding the main chorus and duet of the song, standing out in such a beautiful way to me; the blend of their voices harmonizes perfectly and adds up to a quintessential folk-rock track.
2. “Homesick (with Sam Fender)”
When Kahan announced his collaboration for “Homesick,” I had no idea who Sam Fender was; now, I am a frequent listener of his. When I first listened to this song I was blown away; it instantly became one of my favorites and is now on my repeat cycle. When looking at the lyrics, I love how this song highlights two different perspectives of home: both Kahan and Fender tell a story about growing up in their hometowns and how they longed to escape to find a new version of themselves, yet they know that these places will always be their true home. Fender’s lyrics add a beautiful sentimental and personal touch. Although their hometowns were drastically different, he and Kahan still feel familiar with each other’s struggles back home. Fender’s voice flows incredibly well with Kahan’s, and this song falls as a very close second.
3. “Call Your Mom (with Lizzy McAlpine)”
“Call Your Mom” is one of Kahan’s most heartbreaking tracks, where Kahan stresses the importance of comforting, encouraging and sympathizing with someone as they go through a difficult time mentally. Lizzy McAlpine’s soft and quiet voice adds a comforting feeling to the track, almost as if she were speaking to the listener and offering her support. Both Kahan and McAlpine’s voices truly capture the vulnerability of the song, as they express themes of coping with hardships and seeking a parental figure to guide them and pick them up when they are down. This collaboration was selected perfectly and made for an incredible, sentimental song.
4. “She Calls Me Back (with Kacey Musgraves)”
“She Calls Me Back” is a perfect example of meaningful, somber lyrics embedded in an upbeat tune. Kahan’s folk sounds, Kacey Musgraves’ country voice and the song’s pop beat make the song exciting and give the listener a lot to pay attention to. The song focuses on someone who struggles to get over a past relationship and wants them back, despite prior commitment issues. In Kahan’s original version, only the side of one individual in the former relationship was covered, but Musgraves adds the thoughts of the opposing side. She does not understand why he still wants her back because she has no desire to return to him. Out of the collaborations that added new verses to the existing song, this one truly completes the song and pieces the story together and both of their voices and music styles merge extremely well.
5. “Everywhere, Everything (with Gracie Abrams)”
This Kahan and Gracie Abrams collaboration spotlighted two of the fastest-growing artists, with both receiving Grammy nominations for “Best New Artist.” This passionate and intense love song brings up the fragility and unpredictability of life but emphasizes how love can and will withstand in the face of challenges and mortality. Abrams’ soft-spoken voice adds vulnerability and consolation to the track. The power within Kahan’s voice and the emotional strength of the lyrics do not match Abrams’ voice too much but it is still one of my favorites because it adds to the relationship dynamic described in the song itself.
6. “Dial Drunk (with Post Malone)”
“Dial Drunk (with Post Malone)” was one of the first of Kahan’s collaborations on “Stick Season,” and prior to listening, I found the pairing a bit odd. However, upon hearing the song, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the two contrasting voices paired, as two different styles fused together. Post Malone’s raspy voice and Kahan’s soft, emotional voice bring a change to the album, adding a more uplifting and fun touch, disguising the deep lyrics about regret as one acts in a destructive manner after drinking excessively. This collaboration serves as a sort of escape from the other emotive tracks, and I enjoyed Post Malone’s dive into folk-pop music.
7. “Paul Revere (with Gregory Alan Isakov)”
One of the two collaborations released in “Stick Season (Forever)” was “Paul Revere (with Gregory Alan Isakov).” “Paul Revere” is a song with soft and constant beats throughout; Kahan compares himself to the historical Paul Revere, but instead of warning of an intrusion, he wants to be the one who takes charge and flees his miserable small town. Though I enjoyed listening to this track and plan on doing so many times more, it did not stick out to me as much as the others. Isakov’s voice felt overpowered and more like he was in the background than a side artist. Since it mostly highlights Kahan’s voice, I would much rather listen to the original over this one, so it feels less interrupted by a different voice.
8. “You’re Gonna Go Far (with Brandi Carlile)”
Once the clock hit 12 a.m. on Feb. 9, I raced to the newly released “Stick Season (Forever)” to listen to the long-awaited “Forever,” and after listening to that masterpiece, I felt slightly disappointed with the following song, “You’re Gonna Go Far (with Brandi Carlile).” This is a beautiful song about the bittersweetness of leaving home to start a new life, standing out by itself, but the collaboration just did not do it for me. Carlile’s voice felt out of place and seemed like she was trying harder than she needed to; had she sung less intensely, I would have enjoyed it more. Despite having some good parts, I would prefer to listen to Kahan’s solo of this song.
