Maggie Rogers has established her music as a worthy addition to the indie, folk, and pop genres. A viral video of Pharell Williams bopping his head to Rogers’ song, “Alaska” led to her debut album “Heard it in a Past Life,” which has become a cornerstone of the indie-folk music scene. Hits like “Light On” and “Fallingwater” introduced a signature style of rhythms and beats derived from natural sources, giving Rogers’ music earthly undertones.

Fast forward three years, Rogers has returned to present “That’s Where I Am,” the first single of her sophomore album “Surrender,” which will be released on July 29. After endless
months of snippets of song lyrics shared on Twitter and Instagram, the song has arrived. It is new, it is bold, and it is unapologetic, a song that moves and begs you to try and not move along
with it.

Rogers has a distinct tendency to layer her own voice to create the main synths in her music. This highlights her individual sound and adds depth, drawing the listener in. This track’s
handclapped rhythms and instance of soloist guitar seep flair into it. “That’s Where I Am” straightforwardly tells a love story that begins as no more than
friends and feelings, encompassed in the lyrics: “You’re the only one I ever wanted / All I ever really wanted was you.” Rogers described her inspiration as “something that sounded like it
could run in the end credits of a romcom,” specifically referencing the movie “10 Things I Hate About You.” In the song, Rogers celebrates extraordinary human connection. The opening lyric,
“I found a reason to wake up” is outwardly joyful. It expresses the notion of living for another person, because they are that important to you. I find the chorus compelling, as it goes on to say,
“It all works out in the end / Wherever you go, that’s where I am / Boulders turn into sand” emphasizing a relationship that is built to withstand time.

Incredibly, Rogers has simultaneously kept her sound true to its roots and reinvented it. Rogers has shown that she has more to give to the world, and that a new era will be found in
“Surrender.” I cannot wait to hear what she rocks the world with next. This song is starry eyes and bliss. It is city lights, feather boas, and promises. A dance anthem for the romantics and realists alike. Although Rogers’ new single is about where she is, we can all find a place amongst the candid lyrics.