American Cars (song)

"American Cars"
Song by Noah Kahan
from the album The Great Divide
ReleasedApril 24, 2026
Genre
Length4:32
LabelMercury
Songwriters
Producers
  • Kahan
  • Simon

"American Cars" is a song by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan from his fourth studio album The Great Divide (2026). He wrote the song with Carrie K, Noah Levine and Gabe Simon and produced it with Simon.

Background

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Noah Kahan stated that he wrote the song from the perspective of his sister, Sasha.[1]

Composition

The song has been described as folk pop,[2] heartland rock[1][3] and indie rock.[4] Over electric guitars[4][5] and drums, with the addition of banjo during the chorus,[4] Noah Kahan sings about receiving help from one's loved ones in dealing with emotional struggles and feeling grateful for their support.[2][5][6][7] He first admits to "gaslighting" his friends into thinking he was too busy to hang out, hinting that he assumes his hometown believes that fame has changed him.[4] Kahan depicts himself receiving a warm welcome from his family and friends, as they thank him for finally returning home and admire his new American car and Ray-Ban sunglasses.[4][8] In the second verse, he describes a person who has "really lost it" and been "sitting on the porch" and "ranting like a prophet", perhaps referring to his father or one of his brothers.[4]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Lyndsey Havens of Billboard ranked it as the sixth best song from The Great Divide, calling it a "lyrically layered, profound track".[7] Nicole Fell of The Hollywood Reporter considered it a standout on the album and stated that it "should be a definitive contender for a down-the-line radio single".[2] Reviewing the album for Atwood Magazine, Mitch Mosk described the song as "one of the clearest examples of how this record expands Kahan's sound without losing its core – scaling up sonically while staying rooted in the same emotional immediacy that made his earlier work resonate so deeply."[5] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times regarded it as one of the album's strongest moments.[3] Ed Power of The Irish Times criticized the song, commenting that it "sounds a bit like a fake Bruce Springsteen song from a film that doesn't have the rights to his music."[9]

Usage

The song was featured in a July 2026 social media post by the White House of president Donald Trump touring a General Motors plant in Michigan. Kahan denounced the post, stating that he "would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration."[10] Co-writer Noah Lavine stated: "You fat fuck this song isn't for you."[10]

Charts

Chart performance for "American Cars"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 31
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[12]13
Global 200 (Billboard)[13]34
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 25
UK Audio Streaming (Official Charts)[15]41
US Billboard Hot 100[16]16
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17]4

Certifications

Certifications for "American Cars"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[18] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 Martoccio, Angie (May 5, 2026). "Noah Kahan Became a Superstar By Being Himself". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Fell, Nicole (April 24, 2026). "Noah Kahan Proves He's Here to Stay on Vulnerable New Album 'The Great Divide': A Track-by-Track Breakdown". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 Zoladz, Lindsay (April 24, 2026). "Noah Kahan Is Caught in the In-Between on 'The Great Divide'". Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mower, Maxim (April 23, 2026). "'American Cars' by Noah Kahan - Lyrics & Meaning". Holler. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Mosk, Mitch (April 24, 2026). ""It Gets Harder to See Me the Closer You Try to Look": Noah Kahan Turns Distance, Identity, & Time into His Most Defining Statement Yet on 'The Great Divide'". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Dolan, Jon (April 22, 2026). "Noah Kahan Is a Rock Star Now, and a Good Dude, Too, on 'The Great Divide'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Havens, Lyndsey (April 27, 2026). "Noah Kahan's 'The Great Divide': All 21 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Epstein-Gross, Casey (April 24, 2026). "The sum of The Great Divide is less than its parts". Paste. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ Power, Ed (April 24, 2026). "Noah Kahan: The Great Divide review – 17 tracks about being a bit outdoorsy and hugely famous". The Irish Times. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Graves, Wren (2026-07-29). "Noah Kahan Hits Back at Trump for Using "American Cars" in Post". Consequence. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  11. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Noah Kahan Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Noah Kahan Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Official Audio Streaming Chart on 7/5/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Noah Kahan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Noah Kahan Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Noah Kahan – American Cars". Music Canada. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
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