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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Maggie Rogers shows she is here to stay on debut 'Heard It in a Past Life'

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Maggie Rogers is pictured performing at Syndicate Lounge in Birmingham, Ala. on Jan. 17, 2017.

She’s the very definition of a breakout star, a dream come true. From that fateful and viral New York University masterclass with Pharrell Williams in 2016 to her major label debut, “Heard It in a Past Life” (2019), which debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, Rogers has already risen to fame. She is talented, but that doesn’t mean her fame has come easily. Rather, “Heard It in a Past Life” makes it very clear that Rogers is here to stay but not afraid to reflect on the whirlwind of the past few years as well as look towards the future.

The alternative, folk-dance album opens with “Give a Little,” a shuddering beat and Rogers' vocals introducing listeners to a major message from the 24-year-old star: “But if you (give a little, get a little), maybe we could get to know each other.” It invokes a feeling that this 45-minute listen is going to be Rogers’ way of opening up to listeners, but that listeners might need to open themselves up, too, in order to relate to it all.

In the best and most understandable way, “Heard It in a Past Life” is like running through a forest, drinking cool water straight from a river and feeling sunshine and cold rain fall at the same time. It’s a very down-to-earth work, an album that doesn’t push itself too far or try too hard. Rather, it’s just good.

Across 12 tracks, Rogers addresses heartbreak, loneliness and her uneasiness with fame. The lyrics are personal, deep and complex. The album feels impeccably intimate for a debut, demonstrating Rogers’ apparent ability to give listeners everything and make it all feel sacred. Listeners get a firsthand understanding of Rogers’ possible anxiety about her fame on “Light On,” where she sings, “Oh, I couldn’t stop it, tried to slow it all down, cryin’ in the bathroom, had to figure it out, with everyone around me sayin’ ‘you must be so happy now.’” On the slower, more broken track “Past Life,” Rogers invites listeners to what feels like a 3 a.m. deep talk around a campfire. She discusses the changes she’s faced in the past few years, the backlash to that change and her fear of it all. It’s simply gorgeous and intimate — possibly the most intimate pop moment listeners have received since Lorde’s masterpiece “Liability.”

On the show-stopping jam “The Knife,” Rogers croons that it’s “beautiful how it all pours out, after dark, after light.” It is certainly beautiful how all of Rogers' mixed emotions pour out throughout “Heard It in a Past Life,” especially across expansive production that makes the album feel a little more pop-rooted — for better.

There are spacey, almost fluttering beats that make Rogers’ lyrics shine. “The Knife,” “Light On,” “Retrograde” and “Burning” are all brighter tracks, with nice production that makes them both individual and danceable. There are deeper, darker moments with sparse production that trickles in smoothly. “On + Off,” “Fallingwater,” “Back In My Body” and Pharrell Williams' masterclass piece “Alaska” all flow past the point of pop-no-return, giving listeners a deeper and more folksy Rogers that is simply irresistible. The chorus of “Alaska” in particular shows the sheer beauty of the album with a higher, almost breathy falsetto.

In many ways, “Heard It in a Past Life” is a cohesive listening experience with refreshing production, but there are occasional moments of over-production. Sure, it’s not too noticeable — Rogers’ voice often grounds the music — but songs like “Light On” can be a little heavy-handed to listen to, especially after the grace of “The Knife” and “Alaska.” Thankfully, the album’s closing track “Back In My Body” is able to perfectly combine a great production vibe and Rogers’ vocals, tying “Heard It in a Past Life” together nicely.

On “Heard It in a Past Life,” there’s so much for which listeners should be grateful. It’s the first great album of 2019, and just might be one of the year’s best. It’s the refreshing pop and folk album the charts needed. Maybe Rogers is quickly becoming one of the pop greats — she, like Lorde and Charli XCXexperiences synaesthesia, and it clearly shows in her music. If “Heard It in a Past Life” is any indication of what 2019 has in store for music — and for Rogers herself — then it’s going to be a quite good year.

Summary Maggie Rogers is grounded and relatable on "Heard It in a Past Life," albeit with some over-production.
4 Stars