On Sept. 27, 2019, Maggie Rogers sold out Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom during her “Heard it in a Past Life” tour. I was 17 years old and freshly immersed in her work after John Mayer posted her track “Fallingwater” on his Instagram story. She enticed people with her willingness to let loose and express herself through lyrics and motion. That was the day I knew she would be a lifelong favorite of mine. 

Margaret Debay Rogers was born on April 25, 1994, in Easton, Maryland. Her love for music began when she was four years old — hearing her voice reverberate in a bathroom with beautiful acoustics was the start of it all, she told Narduwuar in an interview.

The first time she ever picked up a banjo — one of the many instruments she plays — was when her friend Molly Belk asked her to tune it. Rogers would ask to borrow Belk’s instrument time and time again until the instrument became a critical component of her life.

Rogers’ big break came in the spring of 2016 when she performed her song “Alaska” for Pharrell Williams during a masterclass at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music — a tune she wrote in 15 minutes in honor of her expedition to Alaska. Williams was awestruck by her production and vocals, the moment when Rogers’ career took off. 

She released her first EP, “Now That The Light Is Fading,” and announced a 2017 tour with 18 locations from Baltimore to Stockholm. That was also the year of her television debut on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Fast forward to 2023, and Rogers has released two albums titled “Heard It In A Past Life” and “Surrender,” as well as an album compiling her archived songs from 2011 to 2016. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys, sang with Dead & Company, and performed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and iconic festivals, including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Governors Ball and Outside Lands. 

No artist I have ever seen live has made me feel more connected to myself, those around me and the performer on stage than her. On Feb. 10, I was fortunate enough to experience a Maggie Rogers concert yet again, and that statement still reigns true. 

Rogers has an effervescent way of connecting with everyone in the room when performing. Rogers’ “Feral Joy” tour felt even more lyrically vulnerable than her previous tour. She made space for silence between songs, allowing the emotions to seep through and bring the audience closer.

Rogers teaches her audience that music is a safe way to express feelings and vulnerabilities and a universal source of connection, and we all have a seat at the table to revel in the experience.