Noah Kahan’s song “American Cars,” described as about his older sister, frames the eldest daughter role as a family problem-solver who “patch[es] it up.” TikTok has also circulated “Eldest Daughter” confessionals tied to Taylor Swift, portraying firstborns as burdened and responsible. Many eldest daughters identify with guilt, caretaking, and being the first to leave home, including sending siblings TikToks and feeling emotional during songs about distance. However, the organized, put-together, Type A “girlboss” stereotype does not fit everyone. Some eldest daughters are chronic procrastinators, consistently late, and defy expectations by being Type B rather than Type A.
"With the release of Noah Kahan's latest album, The Great Divide, another round of Eldest Daughter Discourse™ has entered the zeitgeist. In particular, the song "American Cars" - which he revealed to Rolling Stone is about his older sister, Sasha - has found its audience. The lyrics "But you're here and we're so grateful you are / 'Cause you're gonna fix it, you're gonna patch it up" highlights her role as the family problem-solver, a role more than relatable to many firstborns."
"Last October, Taylor Swift's "Eldest Daughter" drove a wave of TikTok confessionals from women who felt that they, too, were the "first lamb to the slaughter." Whenever the eldest daughters gather on TikTok, however, I find myself left out of the conversation. I'm the oldest of four. However, it seems that nearly every single one of my brethren is loudly, proudly Type A - leaving those of us who are Type B wondering if we've somehow eldest-daughtered the wrong way."
"I'll admit that some parts of the firstborn experience resonate with me. I've sent my siblings TikToks about how I raised them. (I'm only 6 years older than them at most, so I did not.) They would probably describe me as bossy. (I am.) As the first to leave home, I've held back tears while listening to Kahan's "A View Between Villages" on the Northeast Regional Amtrak, racked with the guilt of abandoning my family. (I'm only three hours away, but that's beside the point.)"
"But the stereotype of being an organized, put-together, Type A girlboss has never really spoken to me. Growing up, my bedroom was more of a minefield than an oasis. I'm a chronic procrastinator. I'm always 20 minutes late. I have defied expectations by being a Type B eldest daughter."
Read at Bustle
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