Stick Season (song)


"Stick Season" is a song by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, released as the lead single from his album Stick Season on July 8, 2022. Kahan wrote the song and produced it with Gabe Simon. Although moderately successful in the US upon release, the song went viral on TikTok and charted internationally after American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo covered it on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, causing it to reach number one in various countries including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as charting in the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

Background and composition

An early version of the song was performed on a live stream on Kahan's Instagram, broadcast some time shortly prior to November 3, 2020. Kahan wrote a verse of the song during a "bout of insecurity" and uploaded it to TikTok in 2022. It became successful quickly, prompting him to finish writing the song, which "ended up taking a long time". Kahan was also concerned whether a song written "specifically about his home state of Vermont" would connect with people who live elsewhere, but responses to the completed song were universally positive.
The song title refers to a term for autumn in New England, the period after Halloween before the winter snow begins, which Kahan called "a time of transition" and "super depressing" as "it just means that winter is coming soon and it creates a lot of anxiety" and "nobody really likes it".
This song is a folk piece written in A major, with a tempo of 115–118 BPM and a time signature. The chord progression throughout is A–E–Fm–D.

Accolades

OrganizationYearCategoryResult
BRIT Awards2024International SongNomitated
BRIT Awards2025International SongNomitated
Billboard Music Awards2024Top Rock SongNomitated

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Australia 4
Belgium 6
Canada 5
Denmark 43
Global 200 10
Global Singles 10
Iceland 59
Netherlands 11
Netherlands 10
New Zealand 8
Portugal 114
Sweden 54
Switzerland 77
UK Singles 1
US Billboard Hot 10011
US Adult Contemporary 34
US Adult Top 40 11
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs 4
US Mainstream Top 40 30

Chart Position
Australia 69
Belgium 184
Global 200 173
UK Singles 33