Is Kahan's 'therapized wisdom' a genuine artistic evolution or a well-marketed brand?

Kahan’s “therapized wisdom” looks more like a genuine artistic evolution that has also been smartly packaged than a manufactured brand. The strongest evidence is continuity. Long before *The Great Divide*, Kahan’s songwriting centered on anxiety, depression, home, family strain and small-town ambivalence. *Stick Season* did not invent that voice; it amplified it. The new album deepens those themes rather than abruptly adopting them for market appeal, and it does so with more self-critique. Songs such as “Willing and Able,” “Haircut” and “Porch Light” turn his scrutiny outward and inward, questioning how fame distorts relationships and identity. There is also clear artistic development. Reviews describe a broader vocal range, more atmospheric production and a heavier, more varied sound shaped by Gabe Simon and Aaron Dessner. Kahan is not just repeating a successful formula; he is testing new perspectives, including writing from the viewpoint of loved ones. That suggests growth in craft, not just branding. At the same time, the branding is real. The Netflix documentary, released just before the album, reinforces his public image as an unusually candid, therapy-literate songwriter. His openness about body dysmorphia, disordered eating and family pain is central to how he is presented to audiences. But the timing appears to leverage authentic material rather than fabricate it. The fair reading is that Kahan’s honesty is the product, but not a fake one. His vulnerability has beco…

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Apr 24

Noah Kahan explores fame and maturity in new album 'The Great Divide'

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Apr 24

Noah Kahan explores fame and maturity in new album 'The Great Divide'

Q: He collaborated with Taylor Swift's producer. Has Noah Kahan abandoned his authentic folk roots?

No. The evidence around *The Great Divide* points to expansion, not abandonment. Aaron Dessner’s involvement does give the album a broader, more atmospheric sound. Reviews describe “lush layers,” piano, reverb, electric guitars and a heavier, more spectral palette than *Stick Season*. Kahan himself has said Dessner helped carry the music “into a new world,” and tracks such as the title song and “Porch Light” show that wider sonic ambition. But the core of Kahan’s music remains firmly rooted in folk storytelling and New England identity. The album is built around Vermont, family, old friendships, sobriety, trauma, misbelonging and the strain of sudden fame. That place-based, confessional writing is central to folk tradition, and it remains the engine of the record. Kahan has said the songs are his attempt to go deeper into “the people, places, and feelings” that made him. Musically, several songs still lean clearly folk: “Headed North” is described as stripped-down and twangy, “Paid Time Off” as campfire-like, “Downfall” as acoustic and no-frills, and “All Them Horses” as a slow acoustic ballad. Some critics even argue the album stays so close to *Stick Season*’s blueprint that it does not move far enough away from his established style. So the fairest reading is that Kahan has not traded authenticity for polish. He has kept his folk roots intact while adding a grander, more varied production frame around them.

Q: His album critiques using loved ones for songs. Where does the artist draw the ethical line?

Kahan appears to draw the ethical line at consent, comfort, and not treating relationships as raw material without regard for the people inside them. That tension is built into *The Great Divide* itself. On “Willing and Able,” he voices the complaint of loved ones who feel mined for content, including the sting that he only returns “when you need your next song.” The album’s self-critique suggests he sees the line as crossed when a friend or family member becomes inspiration fuel rather than a person. The clearest evidence comes from Kahan’s own comments around his Netflix documentary and the fallout from *Stick Season*. He has said he did not initially grasp how exposed his family would feel once those songs became huge. After that experience, he said the “first thing” he wanted to establish was whether everyone was comfortable, adding that he would not put something out “if they didn’t like it” and that having their blessing mattered. That does not mean he has stopped writing from real life. Rather, he seems to justify it when the work is emotionally truthful, somewhat oblique, and ultimately humanizing. Reporting around his songwriting notes that he sometimes blurs details, and his mother has said his music makes the family’s “dirty laundry feel human.” In practice, Kahan’s line seems to be: write honestly, but not at the expense of the agency of the people being written about.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Apr 24

The 29-year-old Vermont singer-songwriter collaborates with Gabe Simon and Aaron Dessner on this expansive release, following his 2022 breakthrough with 'Stick Season'.
The album delves into Kahan’s personal struggles with sudden fame, artistic evolution, and his New England roots, blending folk-pop with introspective lyricism and varied vocal styles.
A recent Netflix documentary, 'Noah Kahan: Out of Body', accompanied the album’s release, further highlighting his journey and resonating with fans drawn to his candid, therapized songwriting.