Song of the Day | “The Kill” by Maggie Rogers

The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maggie Rogers has had the kind of career arc that’s rare among her peer group of viral video sensations – that is to say: a relatively enduring one.

Rogers was first “discovered” by Pharrell Williams when the mega-star/producer visited NYU where she was then a student. Rogers performed a song for him and (skip the next couple sentences if you already know this), he was blown away – “no notes!” The video, posted some months later, went viral. She signed with Capitol and has since proven herself more than a one-trick pony.

While Rogers packed her sophomore full length, Don’t Forget Me (out now), with a fair amount of the analog-meets-digital umami that first impressed Pharrell, it’s more of a straightforward affair, with infectious, well-executed pop aplenty. On “The Kill,” Rogers puts her manifold influences on display. It’s a little Tears for Fears, a little Shania Twain, a little Sixpence None the Richer. A potent mix.

All songs featured in our Song of the Day series can be found on our Fresh Squeeze Playlist and in rotation on our music discovery radio station, The Independent.