It’s 11:50 and the rain is pounding on my window as I anxiously await midnight to listen to the third studio album from Maggie Rogers. Of all of the albums being released this spring, Maggie’s is the one I’ve been the most excited for. You’ve probably seen the video of a young Maggie Rogers showing her song to Pharrell Williams in an NYU masterclass, it goes viral (at least in my feeds) at least once a year and people start to talk about how talented Maggie is all over again. If you haven’t yet, check it out on YouTube here.
Maggie Rogers has this way of captivating you with simple, catchy lyrics and a good hook. Her first album, Heard It In a Past Life, falls into the folk-pop genre, while her second, Surrender, is more dance-pop. This album, Don’t Forget Me, has more of a 90s pop-country feel to it, following the moves that many pop stars have begun to make as of late. The first two singles, Don’t Forget Me and So Sick of Dreaming, have been stuck in my head since they came out.
With just 10 tracks, Don’t Forget Me is a 35-minute feast for the ears and mind. The album was written in 5 days and is a masterclass in Maggie’s understanding of emotion. One of my favorite stories of her artistry came during her last album cycle, during which she had written an entire album that got scrapped because Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons told her not to write bitter music because she’d have to continue singing that for the rest of her career and it would better for her to write from a more honest place. Maggie started the album again and ended up producing the masterpiece that is Surrender. In our cycle of spilling our every thought on the internet, I find it so refreshing to take a step back and for an artist to keep some of that work to themselves. Maybe in a decade, she’ll end up releasing a vault album like Taylor Swift, but for now, I am content to know that the music Maggie Rogers is putting out is music that she is proud of.
Promise me that when it’s time to leave, don’t forget me.
The album has this sense of calm that only a person who knows who they are is able to produce. Maggie Rogers isn’t trying to be a main pop-girly, she is here for honest vocals and raw emotions. Maybe it’s the ambiance with the rain, but this album is the spring album for me. It is heartbreaking and moving and fits the vibe of early spring so well. Maggie’s haunting vocals mixed with smooth instrumentals and bits of conversation freckled throughout make for quite an enjoyable listening experience. Standouts on this album include: Drunk, On & On & On, and The Kill. Overall, the album is about wishful thinking and reminiscing over the past; something I think we can all relate to all too well.
Maggie Rogers isn’t going to fit in with the Taylor Swifts, Beyonces, and Ariana Grandes of the world, but she is forming her own sound and should not be cast out. With just three albums under her belt, Maggie is making an impact and is someone to keep your eye on. Don’t forget Maggie Rogers and check out her latest work.