After much diversion on social media, ROLE MODEL finally released the deluxe version of his sophomore album, “Kansas Anymore,” on February 14, 2025. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” features four more songs about his breakup and struggle to get over his ex-girlfriend, Emma Chamberlain. For anyone else who endured a gut-wrenching heartbreak in 2024, the emotionally vulnerable album (and its deluxe version), came at the perfect time.
The New England-raised singer starts off the country-leaning tracks with “Old Recliners,” reminiscing on the good old days with his ex and comparing them to the rough times of now. The song has a plethora of lyrics and messages that call back to his previous tracks, including “Frances,” “Slut Era Interlude” and “Deeply Still in Love,” seamlessly bringing their messages together. The mournful lyrics include “I’m sure you’ll find somebody stronger / And I’m sure I’ll always be / Thinking ‘bout you.”
Next up is the stand-out single from the release, which was highly anticipated on TikTok. The happiest, most upbeat song of the deluxe editions, and arguably of the whole album, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” is about eventually moving on, and the challenges it comes with. He begs the aforementioned Sally to stick around, pleading, “Please don’t go falling in love / Then disappear when the wine runs out.”
“Some Protector” is a classic ROLE MODEL ballad. The questioning lyrics speak to his trouble letting go of his ex and how he’s holding on, even though he knows he shouldn’t be. The track is packed with references to his and Chamberlain’s relationship, as with so many of his songs. “Am I dragging this forever? Am I thinking ’bout September?” he says in the final chorus, referencing the pair’s rumored break-up in September of 2023, before it went public in October of that year.
The final deluxe track, “The Longest Goodbye,” feels like a foil to the original finale of the album. “Something, Somehow, Someday” was full of comparisons of both him and his ex to various objects and experiences, including “She’s a shoe-tied, blue sky, honeymoon vacation.” Similarly, “The Longest Goodbye” begins with “You were a brand new, blue jean, picket on the front lawn.”
The most country track by far, the song highlights a guitar and his voice as he talk-sings, taking us through his journey and thought process of finally moving on. He ends it with “And I don’t think I love you anymore / But I don’t think I’ll ever be so sure,” the perfect bow to wrap up the message of the entire album.
Will ROLE MODEL ever get over his past relationship? Will any of us? It’s hard to say, but his music sure as hell gives us something to listen to on the way there.
