Katerina Parizkova

Folk singer Noah Kahan released his new single “The Great Divide” Jan. 30, with the full album is dropping on April 24, and it’s safe to say he never misses.

Not to be dramatic, but I’ve probably listened to the song 100 times already. Every time I put my headphones on, I queue it up, and if it doesn’t hit the way I want, I’ll replay it until it does.

Kahan’s music got me through my junior year of high school. He was there for me when I thought no one else was. So naturally, his music has a special place in my heart. His lyrics have a way of connecting with me like no other. Kahan writes about his anxiety in his songs, which is something I have always struggled with and have never really known how to deal with.

Kahan almost always writes his music from personal experience and “The Great Divide” is no different. A lot of people think he’s talking to an old friend or partner who he hopes ends up living an “ordinary” life. And while this might be true, I see my younger self in the song.

When he sings, “I hope that you’re not losing sleep about what’s next/ Or about your soul,” I see me. Growing up with anxiety, I’ve always been stuck in my mind. I’m always thinking about something. If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing, it would be to stop worrying so much.

Of course, it’s not that simple; that’s not how anxiety works. But I lost so much of my childhood and teenage years worrying about things I had no control over.

Kahan also sings, “And I’m finally aware of how shitty and unfair it was to stare ahead like everything was fine.” I resonate with that because I do the same thing. Whether it’s with other people or myself, I pretend everything is fine when it isn’t. I push my emotions down until they come flooding back up as anger at the people who love me.

Even the album cover, a picture of kids running in a backyard, reminds me of my childhood. I think Kahan did this on purpose. Yes, he might be talking to an old friend, but I don’t think that’s what the song is actually about. It’s about growing up with anxiety, not having a “normal” childhood.

Kahan truly wants the best for himself. Maybe not even the best, he wants normalcy. He wants to see things the way people whose minds aren’t plagued by anxiety see things. He wants to be able to go about his day without worrying what might happen next.

Kahan’s lyrics might not mean so much to someone who doesn’t relate to them. But for me, they’re a way of being seen. Having someone, even if it’s someone who doesn’t know I exist, that I can relate to is so important. Music has the power to connect people and make them feel things that they didn’t think they could feel.

Every time Kahan announces a new song, I know it’s going to be great, and that I’m going to be able to relate to it. From “Busybead” to “No Complaints,” and now “The Great Divide,” I see myself in Kahan’s lyrics.

Whenever I’m going through a big change or am struggling mentally, I know I can turn to Kahan’s music to make me feel not only better, but understood. Now, in my second semester of college, one of the biggest changes of my life to date, Kahan is coming out with a new album I know I’ll be able to relate to.