Maggie Rogers, you are phenomenal and talented and loved by many, many people. But your new album wasn’t as incredible as past albums. It wasn’t a complete disappointment, but it didn’t blow fans away. Especially after the previous beautiful, unskippable album “Surrender” (2022), expectations were high, and unfortunately, they weren’t met.
Let’s break it down: The first track — “It Was Coming All Along” — is catchy and a smart song to introduce the listener to the album’s vibe. It’s very “Maggie,” for lack of a better word, with a groovy beat and featuring the best lyrics in the album: “My world’s a honey shade of blue.”
“Drunk” comes next, and it’s an okay song. Nothing about it amazed me or made me excited, so I’d say it’s kind of a skip. She’s a little screechy in the chorus, and the lyrics aren’t anything special. Thankfully, the next song is one of the best on the album. “So Sick of Dreaming” was one of the singles Rogers released before the album, along with title track “Don’t Forget Me.” The singles are perhaps the best tracks on “Don’t Forget Me,” besides “The Kill.”
“So Sick of Dreaming” provides welcome peaceful vibes after the intensity of “Drunk.” It’s the perfect song to blast with the windows down in the summer. There are similar vibes to those of some “Daisy Jones & The Six” songs, specifically “Look at us Now (Honeycomb).” The bridge totally copies Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” though, starting with: “So he calls me up” in the exact same sassy inflection as Swift. While it’s a fun rant to say along with Rogers, the lyrics sadly were super unoriginal.
Next: “The Kill.” This song has been on repeat both in my headphones and in my head since its release. It’s everything a Rogers song should be: catchy and upbeat, with clever lyrics and a beat that encourages the listener to dance.
The next five songs are kind of boring, honestly. They don’t add anything special to the album and sound very similar to songs Rogers has released in the past.
“I Still Do” does feature some beautiful high notes by Rogers, with a vulnerable and somber tone that isn’t found in the rest of the album. The piano is beautiful as well, but it just doesn’t have the spark found in her previous haunting ballads like “Begging for Rain” and “Retrograde.” And the next track, “On & On & On,” shows off her vocal range, but there’s something off about it.
On a positive note, Rogers made a smart choice with ending on the title track. This song encompasses the energy of the album and wraps up the collection in a satisfying way. This album won’t discourage fans from continuing to listen to Rogers nonstop, but listeners might be opting for her older music instead. The album receives a 3.5/5 instead of 3/5 rating because Rogers has such a great personality that she earns an extra half point just for being cool.
