‘Don’t Forget Me:’ Maggie Rogers’ New Entry Into Her World of Growing Pains

Maggie Rogers has been making music in the public eye for over a decade now. Having gone viral in 2016 at an NYU showcase, in which she left producer Pharrell speechless with a demo of her song ‘Alaska,’ Rogers is no stranger to the music industry. Rogers’ third album Don’t Forget Me, introduces us to yet another expansion of her musical abilities, which so far have ranged from dance pop to indie rock pop and now returning back to a more folky sound.

In a letter announcing the release of her third studio album, Maggie Rogers said that she wanted to make a record that “sounded like a Sunday afternoon… to belt at full volume alone in your car, a trusted friend who could ride shotgun and be there when you needed her”. After listening to the album in its entirety when it came out this weekend, I can assure you that Don’t Forget Me lives up to every promise that statement.

At just thirty-five minutes long, Don’t Forget Me gets straight to the point. Maggie tells us exactly what she wants to, without beating us over the head with it or including any “filler” songs. Having been written chronologically over the course of five days, Within the ten songs that make up the album Maggie sings about romance and heartbreak. The soft rock instrumentals sound both bittersweet and nostalgic, and work together with Maggie’s lyrics to create a sense of existentialism in this album. Being twenty-nine now, Maggie is making it clear that she has lived a lot of life, and has a lot to say about it.

Here are a few of my top picks from the album:

It Was Coming All Along

A song about facing the inevitability of growing and the life changes that come along with that, It Was Coming All Along is a great opener for this album. Right off the bat Maggie is showing us just what she’s about when she sings: I know I might sound existential/ If this is the first time that we meet/ But I swear thеre’s some potential/ In thе actuality. This song sounds like Maggie is trying to encompass both the fear of changing, the fear of staying the same, and the desire to just leave it all up to the universe. While this may seem like a large task, Maggie’s lyricism makes it come across as effortless.

So Sick of Dreaming

I love the instrumentals on this song! One of the most laid-back songs on the album, Maggie’s sound here reminds me a lot of tracks from Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour. Aside from the production, Maggie’s vocals on the chorus are just absolutely infectious. The choice to include a spoken word bridge- which tells the story of a girl getting stood up so that her date could go to a Knicks game- acts to drive home the message of hilarious hopelessness. A song about just wanting to give up after being struck down too many times, Maggie is telling us that she is over it in the most fun way possible.

The Kill

The synth-heavy production on this song makes it a stand-out on the otherwise folk-pop album. Depicting a complex relationship and fallout, Maggie admits that her and her ex-partner were both at fault for their eventual breakup. While initially stating that her ex-partner was the one that was “going in for the kill,” the switch to admitting her own role in “going in for the kill” was a fun surprise that added another layer of complexity to this song. The nostalgia that coats her vocals, along with the ending lyrics of “Oh, WE were going in for the kill,” makes the listener root for them to get back together at the end of the song, even though we know that would probably not be for the best.

All The Same

One of two ballads on this album, the acoustic guitar coupled with devastating lyrics just do it for me on this song. Here Maggie is saying that without her partner every day just feels monotonous, and she imagines a different reality where they had stayed together. The change in production to encompass the ‘All The Same” feeling of life post-breakup versus the desperation of wanting one more day with them really works to tug at the listeners heartstrings. Maggie’s vocals, however, are definitely the star of the show here and make this song just absolutely gut-wrenching.

Don’t Forget Me

‘Don’t Forget Me’ is the title track, album closer, and leading single. The best way to describe its role on the album- as well as its instrumentals, production, and message- is ‘all-encompassing’. Maggie’s existentialism really comes in at full swing on this track, especially with the lyrics: Take my money, wreck my Sundays// Love me ’til your next somebody// Oh, and promise me that when it’s time to leave// Don’t forget me. A culmination of the entire album, “Don’t Forget Me” tells us that it is okay for things to come and go in our lives, so long as we keep hope that everything will work out and always remember what is important to us. This song feels like a weight lifted off of the listeners shoulders, and thematically reflects this era of Maggie Rogers’ artistry to a T.

Conclusion

Don’t Forget Me is the absolute perfect summer album. If you end up loving this album as much as I do, I have great news! Maggie Rogers is coming to Houston in June at the perfect outdoor venue, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. Having seen her at Austin City Limits last year, I can’t emphasize enough how incredible of a performer she is.

While this isn’t the most carefree summer album, if you are looking for a more introspective album to listen to while soaking up the UV rays, this is one made just for you. Listening to this album made me feel like I was road tripping through the West with my friends, staring out the window thinking about life. The soft rock instrumentals, coupled with fun (yet introspective) lyrics, make this a great windows-down fun album. There is truly no better album for you to delve into right now. This is an album to listen to listen to in your headphones while on a walk, to scream along to in the car with the girls, and to blast in your room alone when you just need to get it all out.