Busyheads

By Brooke Rhoads

Rise to Fame

    Noah Kahan is a folk music artist. Although his fanbase started out small, it is quickly increasing in number and passion. His song causing this was "Hurt Somebody" from his album Busyhead. In just five short years, two more albums were released. The albums were I was/I am and Stick Season.

Stick Season album cover.

Stick season is most known by the majority of fans and listeners. It is also the reason that he was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Fans post and comment on social media expressing their desire for him to receive the award. 

Relatability to Fans

    Noah Kahan's fans typically call themselves Busyheads, after his first album released in 2019. I have been a Noah Kahan fan for years, but he is just now starting to gain popularity. Being a Noah Kahan fan is appealing, especially if you already like his folk-country style, due to his deep lyrics. His style is popular among other artists right now, which helps him and similar songwriters gain a fanbase. Bowman (2024) says that he provided "a slightly more pop-influences sound, featuring banjos, mandolin, and inspired lyrics". 

    In the Boston Magazine, Gera (2023) states that Noah Kahan is "the voice of an emotionally evolved generation". Fortunately, mental health advocacy continues to increase. An important part of this movement is expressing your feelings. However, this is not easy for many people. Fans listen to his music as a great form of therapy. 

    Noah Kahan frequently makes posts on his social media platforms displaying his shock concerning his fame. His humility and humor is appealing to many listeners and is one of the reason he continues to gain fans. There are many posts making fun of himself or cracking jokes that he feels his fanbase can relate too. Because of this, fans post Noah Kahan content on social media and interact with his own posts. This video reveals how fan's value learning Noah's perspective towards lyricism and fame. 

    In Gera's article, she states that other singers such as Post Malone explain how talented of a song writer Noah Kahan is by expressing how he mixes humor with sad emotions in his lyrics. Bowman (2024) describes his lyrics as emotional and devastating. 

Fanbase Actions

Packed stadium watching Noah Kahan perform. 

Fans follow his social media platforms to keep in touch with his new singles, covers, duets, merchandise, concerts, events, and more. Busyheads will purchase this merchandise and wear it to show off their obsession to others. This provides a great opportunity for fans to make friends in their own fandom. They will also attend festivals where he plays or purchase tickets for his tours. 

There are many other ways that fans express their love. These ways are slightly more artistic. Some talented fans will reword his songs into their perspective and post it on TikTok. These covers and remixes are often a big hit between both Noah Kahan himself and others in the fandom. I have also seen examples where fans dress up as him for Halloween. Another way is through tattoos.

Noah Kahan inspired tattoo ideas from Twitter. 

There are a wide range of tattoos that appeal to people, including small, large, dainty, nature, cartoon, or words. Noah Kahan's songs have produced designs for every single one of these styles. This is another way that fans may bond with other fans. It also expresses the commitment and appreciation that fans feel for his music.  

References

1. Bowman, B. R. (2024, February 7). How did Noah Kahan become famous?. Two Story Melody. https://twostorymelody.com/how-kahan-becamme-famous/#:~:text=Kahan’s%20music%20was%20perfect%20for,%2C%20mandolin%2C%20and%20inspired%20lyrics. 

 2. Gera, M. (2024, March 20). Meet Noah Kahan, the voice of an emotionally evolved generation. Boston Magazine. https://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2023/08/31/noah-kahan-new-england/.

3. Hallenbeck, B. (2022, October 13). Noah Kahan goes all in on Vermont for new album “Stick season.” Burlington Free Press. https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/arts/2022/10/13/noah-kahan-new-album-stick-season-how-vermont-influenced/69556222007/.

4. Music. Billboard. (n.d.). https://www.billboard.com/c/music/.

5. Nelson, J. (2023, July 30). Noah Kahan @ dillon amphitheater. Post Concert Depression. https://postconcertdepression.com/noah-kahan-dillon-amphitheater/.