Noah Kahan’s track “Draw You Out” — the lead single from “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — The Album,” releasing Nov. 13 — dropped on Oct. 12. Consistent with the musical heritage of Suzanne Collins’ “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Kahan’s indie folk style embodies the brittle, remote but warm voice of a character who lost everything to the narrative. Yet understanding the nuances of “Draw You Out” necessitates a grasp of the intricate world created by Collins.
Beginning with the 2008 publication of Collins’ “The Hunger Games,” — and continuing with its sequels “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” — the dystopian trilogy tells of Panem, a post-apocalyptic North American nation divided into 12 districts and the autocratic Capitol. After years of violent war, the victorious Capitol forces the impoverished districts into specialized industries — masonry, lumber, etc. — to feed their ballooning wealth. If surveillance, militarism and totalitarian governance were not enough to keep the districts in line, the Capitol also holds the Hunger Games, an annual event in which one boy and one girl from each district — aged 12 to 18 — are selected to fight to the death. The nationally televised Games serve as entertainment for the Capitol and as punishment for the districts. Collins’ original trilogy begins on the morning of the 74th Hunger Games, when the reaping of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from District 12 will change the Games forever.
Since the series hit the shelves and was thereafter adapted into four films, Collins has expanded Panem’s lore with two prequels: “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” set during the 10th Hunger Games, and “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the latest installment whose much-anticipated film adaptation is set to release on Nov. 20 this year. It is this film for which “Draw You Out” sets the scene. Its bright, earthy and grounded vocals and acoustic instrumentation situate listeners in the wilderness of District 12.
Opening on July 4 — reaping day — “Sunrise on the Reaping” follows Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada), a character who appears in the original trilogy as the sole living victor from District 12 and subsequently Katniss’ mentor (Woody Harrelson). Drunken and belligerent in these first appearances, “Sunrise on the Reaping” rewinds to a youthful Haymitch on his 16th birthday. This year, in honor of the 50th Games, the Capitol reaps twice as many tributes — two boys and two girls per district — pitting Haymitch against a staggering 47 tributes. However, this Haymitch has not been broken by the Capitol yet. This Haymitch is young and hopelessly in love.
The depth of lore is daunting and possibly overwhelming to those unfamiliar with Collins’ work. All the more so when one accounts for the music that has been released alongside each film. Yet, music has become increasingly necessary in telling the story of Panem — a story which, at its core, always seems to boil down to District 12.
In “Mockingjay,” Katniss galvanizes the districts’ revolt against the Capitol with “The Hanging Tree,” a folk song from District 12. In “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” we learn that this song and many others come from the Covey, a nomadic group of musicians whose adults were massacred and whose children were forced to settle in the district. Finally, in “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Haymitch is torn from his beloved, who is one of the Covey, and music is consistently woven into both his and District 12’s story. Kahan’s latest track to accompany the film of “Sunrise on the Reaping,” then, is of no small consequence.
The lifeblood of Kahan’s recent discography is regional identity. In his latest records “Stick Season” and “The Great Divide,” his New England upbringing pulses beneath each track, painting vivid portraits of rural life. In fact, Kahan’s lyricism is so deeply characterized by his small-town Vermont beginnings that writing for a fictional story may seem to pose a challenge. But, on the contrary, Kahan’s profound grasp of the power of place is why “Draw You Out” elegantly synthesized his artistic voice and the identity of District 12.
A defining aspect of the two “Hunger Games” prequels is the rich cultural life that Collins breathes into the setting of District 12. Specializing in coal mining, it is the poorest and most peripheral of the districts and, subsequently, the one closest to the backcountry beyond the Capitol’s grip. It is thus shaped by the Covey’s folk traditions, antiquated methods of survival, including herbalist medicine and hunting, and the solidarity that often distinguishes small communities. These are perhaps the qualities Beetee — a past victor from District 3 — refers to in the book when he remarks to Haymitch that District 12 has “done a better job of holding onto [them]selves, despite the Capitol.” Indeed, this is why acts of resistance center on the district. Katniss volunteers as tribute in her sister’s place, ultimately positioning herself to defy the Capitol; Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) — another Covey — resists the Capitol’s dehumanization with her music; Haymitch denies the Capitol control over his narrative. It is in the wilderness and within one another that District 12 finds the fortitude to oppose the Capitol time and again. Such robust characterization of its regional identity is therefore congruent with both Kahan’s musical and lyrical style — connected to nature and to community.
In “Draw You Out,” Kahan sings presumably from the voice of Haymitch to his beloved Lenore Dove (Whitney Peak) — a voice of grief and terrible loneliness, yet hope. The acoustic production style, after swelling into focus in the intro, is warm — the dramatic melody surges and recedes. The plucking ostinato pulsing underneath the music feels directly linked to Haymitch’s story: the faint yet persistent beating of a heart broken beyond repair. In the refrain, Kahan repeatedly references Haymitch’s “promise” to carry on. The juxtaposition of desolation and perseverance mirrors more than a few of Kahan’s songs, in which he sings about his own loss, mental illness and struggle to persist. It feels fitting that “Draw You Out” circles back to this promise, which ultimately keeps Haymitch alive beyond the arena — a sacred promise to one day prevent the sun from rising on another reaping.
“Draw You Out” follows the legacy of songs written for previous “Hunger Games” adaptations by emphasizing the rich capacity for folk music to speak truth to power, all while reminding us of what keeps us going; of what keeps us holding onto ourselves. Such potent messaging feels especially timely, as does the Nov. 20 theatrical release of “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” — two and a half weeks following the U.S. midterm elections. Perhaps these stories need to be heard; perhaps there is still a great deal we stand to learn from District 12’s victors. Because Kahan’s lead single for the film defines Haymitch’s story not by how utterly broken he is, but by the impossible strength that he finds to carry on.
Sean Watanabe is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2026 quarter. He can be reached at seanlw@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Riley Schnittger.
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