Ever since his major breakthrough in 2022 with Stick Season, Noah Kahan has ascended to the upper echelons of the industry. This level of success has opened doors to collaborations with industry veterans like Aaron Dessner, the co-founder of The National and a primary architect behind the sounds of A-list stars such as Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams. Today, Kahan releases “Porch Light,” the second preview of his upcoming fourth studio collection, The Great Divide. It features the signature contemplative, earthy-pop aesthetic synonymous with Dessner’s production work.

Kahan co-wrote “Porch Light” alongside Dessner, with the pair enlisting long-time creative partner Gabe Simon for additional production duties. According to official reports, the track is delivered through the perspective of Kahan’s mother as she observes her son struggling with the consequences of his sudden rise to stardom. Given Kahan’s reputation for vulnerable, diary-like songwriting, the piece was “inspired by the emotional toll Kahan feels he burdened his family with by baring their private experiences through the creative narrative and lyrical storytelling found on Stick Season,” the announcement explained. In the opening verse, Kahan adopts his mother’s voice during a strained phone conversation.

I would ask you how you’ve been, it’s all over the internet
But, hey, I mean, we knew that after all
If you’re looking for an autopsy or a half-assed half-apology
Then I think you picked the wrong time to make this call
It is not irrelevant that you stopped taking your medicine
But I’m giving you the benefit ‘cause it’s raining out

The track then transitions into a refrain that feels unmistakably like Noah Kahan. (The singer even quipped on social media that “Porch Light” offers a surprising twist: a melancholic anthem centered on the feeling of being cold.)

But it’s cold, and it’s cold, and it’s cold, and it’s cold
And I don’t know, I’m alone, I’m alone, I’m alone, I’m alone

In the second verse, Kahan explores the unspoken desires his mother likely harbors regarding his career, specifically hoping he might step away for a while.

I hope you tell me that you’re winding down
That you lost the taste to face the crowd
That whatever made you famous made you sick
That you can only do what pain allows
It ain’t up to you to make it out
And there ain’t no shame in callin' this thing quits

However, that’s far from the reality of the situation.

But you don’t, and you don’t, what you don’t, and you don’t, and you don’t
You’re a ghost, you’re a ghost, you’re a ghost, you’re a ghost, and you're—

A driving, steady kick drum joins the rhythm during the chorus, reinforcing the mother’s ongoing concern and her yearning for her son’s return to normalcy.

Poison spreading to my lungs
I ain’t holdin' breath, ain’t holdin' any faith at all
And I’ll pray for you, be in pain for you
I’ll leave the porch light on
Heartbroken, each morning when it’s me that turns it off

The third verse serves as a grounding reminder that life continues regardless of his fame.

You act like we just sit up here and wait for you to reappear
But, baby, there are bills to pay and your dad’s road needs salt
And I try to drown out all the talk, the eyeballs in the parking lots
And tell people it ain’t me you want, but I guess you’re my fault

You can browse the full lyrics for “Porch Light” on Genius now.

This piece has been revised.