Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”
All this month buzz has been building for “Alaska,” a folk/dance hybrid by young NYU student Maggie Rogers. Now the finished version of the track is out there, and it’s a gorgeous thing to behold: thumping acoustic guitar figures, a crisply minimal disco drum beat, eerie background noise, thunderous bass, and twinkling pianos, all topped off by Grimes-reminiscent high-end vocal work. You’re going to be hearing this one for a long time; get familiar below.
Multiplying the hype for “Alaska” was viral footage of Pharrell hearing an unfinished version of the song during a meet-and-greet session, responding with hilariously joyous facial expressions, and comparing it to the Wu-Tang Clan’s singular vision. The Rogers segment begins around 18:15, the song kicks in around 20:30, and Pharrell’s non-critique begins at 23:40: