When Maggie Rogers presented her song "Alaska" to Pharrell Williams during a masterclass with students at NYU, little did she realize her life was about to change. A video showing the visibly moved producer listening to the tune went viral and the young singer became famous overnight. This song finds Rogers singing about the weight of that moment and her anxiety in the face of her sudden rise to fame. Would you believe me now If I told you I got caught up in a wave? Almost gave it away Would you hear me out If I told you I was terrified for days? Thought I was gonna break Rogers explained the background to the track in an Instagram post. "This is a song about gratitude. it's the most vulnerable I've ever felt in a song. It's about how overwhelmed and scared I was during all that change, but mostly about all the light you gave me when I couldn't always find it for myself."
Somewhat ironically, considering its subject matter, this song achieved a landmark in Rogers' music career. It became her first #1 on a Billboard chart, when it rose to the top spot of the Adult Alternative Songs tally dated January 12, 2019.
Maggie Rogers told the BBC she wanted to describe in the song what it was like being in the middle of such a huge change in her life. "Because that's where I was," she said. "I was in the eye of the storm for a long time. I needed a second to figure who I was."
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