Singer Role Model released “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” on Feb. 14. This drop is the deluxe version of his album “Kansas Anymore,” released on July 19, 2024.
Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, released 13 songs with the original album, including “Look At That Woman” and “Deeply Still In Love.” The album explores the process of mourning a past relationship and is suspected to be about Pillsbury’s breakup with influencer Emma Chamberlain after three years of dating. The album seems to reference Chamberlain with songs like “Frances,” Chamberlain’s middle name, and “Oh, Gemini,” Chamberlain’s astrological sign. The album ends with “Something, Somehow, Someday,” a hopeful song where Pillsbury describes two polar opposite people, yet says he “believe[s] they’re meant to be.”
The deluxe album includes four additional songs:
“Old Recliners” strays from the hopeful tone of the original album’s last track, taking on a bluesy guitar melody. Pillsbury contrasts the glory of the past, “when the days were long,” and the present, which he spends thinking about the girl he lost. Pillsbury goes on to imagine this girl, “cry[ing] all night ‘til the morning in the arms of someone [she] settled for.” The song ends with him repeating the familiar line of the chorus, “thinking ‘bout you, you in the moment.”
“Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” begins with an upbeat drumbeat as Pillsbury describes Sally, a free-spirited girl who he met at the bar and starts to “spill [his] guts” to. Within the energetic chorus, he begs Sally not to “disappear when the wine runs out” as he begins to develop feelings for her. The song’s bridge stands out as most instruments fall away, leaving a prominent piano melody. Pillsbury chants a playful description of himself “falling headfirst” and Sally as “a diva” before ending the song with one last plea to Sally not to run away.
“Some Protector” contradicts the upbeat vibe of the last song, opening with simple, slow guitar strums. Pillsbury once again brings up a past lover, and how she is “holding onto someone new.” However, Pillsbury admits he still cares about her and “always will be some protector” to her. The song picks up speed within the bridge as Pillsbury asks, “Am I guilty? Am I sorry? Do I miss you at the party?” He closes the song layering the bridge with the chorus, answering each question with “yes, I am” and ending the song with “I always will be…some protector to you.”
“The Longest Goodbye” begins with a simple piano and banjo melody. Pillsbury describes his ex-lover’s status in his life, from “a friend to a stranger.” Horns join the melody and he speaks over it, acknowledging that she has moved on and calling the break-up “the longest [goodbye] of [his] life.” The song, and the deluxe album, end with Pillsbury emphasizing that while he does not think that they love each other anymore, he does not “think [he’ll] ever be so sure.”
Throughout the deluxe album, Pillsbury reflects on the feelings that come with moving on and their seemingly never-ending nature. From the excitement that comes with seeing someone new, to the sorrow in recognizing lingering care for the person you used to love, Pillsbury guides the listener through the long, complex and relatable process of getting over a relationship.