The rise of Maggie Rogers: From viral hit to the stage of SNL

Originally published on January 17, 2019

Maggie Rogers got her big break in 2016 when she was studying music at New York University. She presented her song Alaska to the school's artist-in-residence, Pharrell Williams, and his gobsmacked reaction was caught on video, turning the song into a viral hit. 

While sudden success might seem like a dream come true, it can also have a destablizing effect, so instead of rush-releasing her debut album, Rogers did something radical. She stepped away from the limelight for the better part of a year — an infinity in current music-industry terms — to take the time to get it right.

Now, nearly three years after that fateful meeting with Pharrell, Rogers has emerged with her first full-length album, Heard It In a Past Life.

She joined Tom Power to talk about her new album and why she's out to prove that she's more than just a viral sensation. She also performed a special stripped-down version of her song Light On live in the q studio. 

Heard It In a Past Life is out everywhere on Jan. 18, 2019 and Rogers will be going on tour across Canada and the U.S. this spring.

— Produced by Mitch Pollock