Olivia Rodrigo has manifested her dream collaboration.
Back in January, when speaking to Variety at the Governors Awards in Hollywood, the singer was asked who she would love to duet with. Putting it “out there in the universe,” Rodrigo replied, “I love Noah Kahan.” She added, “I think he’s so great and he’s very inspiring,” she said, crossing her fingers to the camera. “One of these days.”
On Friday evening, during the first night of her Guts World Tour shows in Madison Square Garden, Rodrigo made that wish a reality and brought Kahan on stage for a duet of “Stick Season.” As the crowd sang along to every line, Rodrigo and Kahan took turns delivering the hearbreaking lyrics: “I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks/And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed/And it’s half my fault, but I just like to play the victim/I’ll drink alcohol ’til my friends come home for Christmas.”
Rodrigo, a longtime fan of Kahan, previously covered the title track from his third studio album Stick Season. During BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, the singer and songwriter performed the cover while joined by a full backing band.
A few weeks later, Kahan mirrored Rodrigo as he performed the Guts deep cut “Lacy” for his own Live Lounge appearance. “The song is so beautiful, and it highlights what I love so much about Olivia’s lyricism. It’s very dynamic and it just makes you feel an emotion we’ve all experienced before,” Kahan told BBC Newsbeat about the performance, adding: “I was hoping she wouldn’t see it in case it was bad. She’s going to find out eventually. I hope she likes it, I was so honored by her and so inspired by her.”
In February, the duo announced that their respective covers of each other’s songs would be pressed onto a 7-inch vinyl, available April 20, for Record Store Day.
Following Friday’s set at MSG, Kahan took to X/Twitter to praise the Guts singer. “Olivia rodrigo is such a special talent and person and I just can’t thank her and her band and team for inviting me to sing tonight,” he wrote, adding, “You deserve it all @oliviarodrigo.”
