It’s a double album review kind of week, because I’ve had Maggie Rogers’ third record, “Don’t Forget Me,” on repeat since it came out on April 12. I’ve been orbiting Rogers since her 2019 debut album, which had so many hit singles I heard on the radio. When I got to college, I really started diving into her discography. I’m convinced she’s one of our generation’s greatest talents, and I’m hoping to deliver a slightly easier read than my monstrous Taylor Swift review. The album only has 10 songs and features heavy partnership with Ian Fitchuk as a producer, and was made in Electric Lady Studios in just five days. Enjoy the track-by-track!
“It Was Coming All Along”
From the very beginning, I am hooked. The guitar is euphoric. I absolutely love the electric bass riffs underlying her vocals, which are slightly muffled in a brilliant production choice. She’s such a fantastic and vivid lyricist, and her diction is also excellent, so you can hear every single word she says. The refrain, backed by strings from the second chorus until the end, is so catchy and easy to get stuck in your head — Rogers’ speciality. Despite the background being lush and expansive, her vocals are still clear.
“Drunk”
Immediately it’s different, and we hit the ground running. The bass takes off at a quick pace, and her vocals are so incredibly fast that she’s nearly tripping over the pre-chorus. Her voice sounds insane — so strong and passionate that she’s all but losing it describing a moment of lust throughout the track. By the second chorus, she’s screaming more than singing, getting breathless and cementing the song as one of my favorites. I love the last chorus even more; she gets quiet and builds it right back up for a maximum gut punch. She’s an absolute genius.
“So Sick of Dreaming”
This track is such a delightful lead single. It sets the tone for the entire project, but since it’s been out for weeks, I can’t say much new about it. There’s such a beautiful refrain — I love the layering she adds on the chorus to have a descending harmony behind her vocals on the “I” vowel, and the spoken bridge is absolutely precious (and funny). Her lyrics are well-crafted and complex, but never too complicated to understand.
“The Kill”
I adore the beginning guitar again. Rogers makes music that caters perfectly to my tastes, and her lyrics are always a knife to my heart. Her chorus here is so interesting, since she flips the pronouns from the first to the second to the third to change the narrative. Everyone in this relationship was going in for the kill! The churning nature of the chorus instrumental and the thumping drums throughout add so much depth to the song, and it’s another album highlight.
“If Now Was Then”
The looping drums are addictive, and the chorus is fantastic. The harmonies and double octave vocals paired with the cutting lyrics are perfect. I also love the outro for all its breathy, delicate glory. This keeps getting better with each listen, too — I’m glad I don’t have to rank the album, because too many tracks are 10s.
“I Still Do”
I appreciate the ballad moment and I think it comes at a perfect spot on the tracklist. Rogers is a singer even if she’s not a technical vocalist. When she strains, it’s with emotion. It’s a less standout song because I think her strength is honestly always going to lie in her upbeat tracks (which can also have devastating lyrics!), but it’s a good tearjerker nevertheless.
“On & On & On”
So much fun — the wobbly base and guitar are so catchy together, and the hook is an obvious earworm. The melody in the chorus is easy listening, and I can see this getting radio play, even if I’d rank it lower in terms of preference. The post-chorus bars of the instrumental are a great touch. I also love that she’s got cheeky spoken word moments on this record. They’re so much fun when done tastefully, and I’m not sick of them yet.
“Never Going Home”
So catchy, so quick, so zippy, and still so sad if you listen to her words in depth. Her imagery is at its best here, and I love the refrains. The bridge seems like it’ll be all instrumental, but then the lyrics come for the second half, and they’re great. That small part elevates the song from good to great as it rises in volume and power. So far, the entire album has just felt fantastic to listen to.
“All The Same”
Slow but impressive. I’d say this is my least favorite on the album, only because something has to be on the bottom of the ranking. I love what Zach Bryan’s inspiration has added to her music (stream their collaboration “Dawns,” an excellent track in every single way) and think the acoustic guitar adds so much to her voice. This song is whimsical and melancholy at the same time, but it’s a little forgettable. Her strongest work is always a song where she can have a big explosion in the chorus, and this isn’t that track.
“Don’t Forget Me”
I’ve also been listening to this single for weeks, and I smile whenever I hear the guitar start. The chorus is decadent, and I love this slow country genre for her voice. I also like the name-dropping of her friends casually throughout the song for the storytelling. (I know I criticize Taylor Swift for this elsewhere in pillbox but Maggie Rogers is not implicating famous members of boygenius in her songs, so I’m not being a hypocrite). In short, Rogers knows who she is and where she’s going now, she knows what she wants from her relationships and the people she’s around, and I’m so excited for her.
Favorite tracks: “Drunk,” “The Kill,” “Don’t Forget Me,” “Never Going Home,” and “So Sick of Dreaming.”
I love this album. It’s a perfect length, no song is too long or too short, and it’s cohesive to a fault. I’ve seen a lot of people say it doesn’t have the immediacy of “Surrender” or the staying power of “Heard It In A Past Life,” but I disagree. I think it’s just a little different than those two in that it’s quieter, softer, and mellower, and I think there’s nothing wrong with a breath of fresh air.
Rogers keeps showing new facets of her music both in her lyrics and production styles, and I love uncovering new sounds from her every release. Even if the best tracks in her discography don’t end up being from this record, I know it’s cemented me as a dedicated fan. If you have a spare half hour and nothing to do, give “Don’t Forget Me” a listen.
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