Who is Noah Kahan? Netflix's ‘Out of Body’ trailer shows breakout singer's self doubt
Noah Kahan has arguably been one of the most popular breakout music stars of the 2020s. The singer-songwriter who had a rural upbringing in Vermont rose to fame with the track 'Stick Season,' which eventually became an album. Charting an inspiring course from outsider to a successful musician and performer who now plays to sold-out stadiums, Kahan's story is full of resilience and courage in overcoming personal battles. Kahan's life and work are now the subject of the upcoming Netflix documentary, 'Noah Kahan: Out of Body.'
The streaming platform recently dropped a preview teaser for the upcoming documentary, which is supposed to arrive on the streaming platform on April 13. Directed by Nick Sweeney of 'Santa Camp' fame, the documentary takes an incisive look into Kahan at a crucial juncture in both his life and his career. On one hand, Kahan has been riding on the waves of success following the wide release of the 'Stick Season' record and has been extensively touring packed concerts. On the other hand, the musician is also grappling to reconnect with his rural roots and is also waging a quiet battle against issues with his mental health.
'Noah Kahan: Out of Body' premiered for the first time earlier in March this year at the South By Southwest film festival and was awarded the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award by those attending the SXSW musical documentary screenings. As depicted at the beginning of the preview teaser, Kahan confesses that he often checks his X profile to see if there are any negative comments after performing at a show. The teaser then cuts to Kahan visiting his backyard stadium at Fenway Park, right in the aftermath of the success of his 'Stick Season' album. Kahan is heard revealing, "We brought my mom’s living room on the stage, and we can’t quite replicate the generational trauma, but we did our best to fit it in.” A relative of Kahan then asks, "Do you ever worry that this is the peak?" The musician responds to this by saying, “That’s all I think about."
The title of the documentary, 'Out of Body,' seemingly carries two meanings, with the first suggesting the euphoric experience a performer enjoys on stage while playing to an audience. The second meaning, of course, refers to the continuing body image issues that Kahan himself suffers from. The documentary aims to be a slice of life depiction of Kahan, and this was seconded by Sweeney in an interview with Tudum when he mentioned, "When we started filming, I had no idea what we’d capture, only that Noah was determined to be honest about everything, especially the messy bits. He was in a strange in-between moment, caught in the collision between almost surreal fame and a quieter inner world he’d tried to keep offstage. What we captured over the course of a year surprised me — moments that were thrilling, terrifying, (and) hilarious, often all at once. I’m so excited to partner with Netflix to invite viewers worldwide into Noah Kahan’s head as his world shifts beneath his feet."
