By Ella Kozlowski
Elm Staff Writer
April 12 was a huge day for Maggie Rogers fans as the artist dropped a new album titled “Don’t Forget Me,” which features 10 songs.
The album imbues a sense of lost memories and familiarity with a sense of happiness. Songs range from “Never Going Home,” which talks about resting within memories, to “So Sick of Dreaming,” in which she discusses the future and growing from past mistakes.
In one memorable moment from the chorus of “Never Going Home,” Rogers sings, “And we are never going home / let’s go dancin’ ‘til the morning / and we are never going home / let’s go dancin’ ‘til the morning.” The song ends with Rogers looking back fondly on what once was.
The album possesses an air of maturity and quiet contemplation, with Rogers looking back on memories with an older and wider perspective.
The only exception is “The Kill,” where Rogers sings, “What would you do? What if I fell to the floor? I couldn’t take this anymore.”
On these tracks, she embraces her emotions and makes the audience understand that even though the album is about letting go, the emotions and hurt are still there.
The track list is introspective with some upbeat songs, but most look back on past relationships. According to Pitchfork, “Rogers wrote and recorded ‘Don’t Forget Me’ over a whirlwind five days with producer Ian Fitchuk, whose cosmic country style blends commercial Nashville songwriting with elements of disco, psychedelic rock, and ‘Tango in the Night’-era Fleetwood Mac.”
These influences are evident in the album’s aesthetic, which has country undertones thanks to the acoustic guitars rhythmically strumming in the background.
The album is personable and mature thanks to Rogers’ inclusion of her own speaking voice. On “So Sick of Dreaming,” she tells her friend a story about a guy who stood her up for a basketball game.
“So, he calls me up 15 minutes before the reservation and says he’s got Knicks tickets instead. I mean, I was the restaurant, so I took the steaks to go, I had two martinis at the bar, and went to meet my friends down the street. What a loser. And, by the way, the Knicks lost,” Rogers says.
This humorous moment stands out as listeners can surely relate to Rogers’ romantic struggles with men.
The album does not worry about making a huge statement; Rogers is comfortable exploring her place as an artist and having fun with freedom of expression.
“I have had a goal for every one of my albums, and the goal for this album is to just have fun,” Rogers said in an interview for Apple Music.
The mission is clear within the album, as songs feature elements that feel warm and familiar.
According to The Independent, “Although the pleasant chugger of a melody isn’t quite powerful enough to launch Rogers too far from the canyon’s edge, it’s good enough to keep fans’ fingers tapping their steering wheels.”
Rogers’ third album is bound to be a hit on account of the nostalgia and comfort embedded within it. These themes make the tone of the album bittersweet and mature, with memories being just that — memories — and not something to look at with anger or malice.
“Don’t Forget Me” is the perfect album to listen to while relaxing outside, studying for finals, or even driving with the windows down and the wind through your hair.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Rogers had two prior albums before releasing “Don’t Forget Me”: “Heard It in a Past Life” and “Surrender.”