Celebrating Growth in "That's Where I Am"

By Julia Norkus

Following the success of her breakout album Heard it in a Past Life (2019), Maggie Rogers returns with a renewed sense of self in her single “That’s Where I Am,” released on April 8, 2022.

Rogers, a graduate of New York University, made a name for herself with her song “Alaska,” which she played in a masterclass at NYU for Pharrell Williams. Since then, Rogers has released two albums, her second being a compilation titled Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016 (2020), which is a collection of musings that age backwards. The first song on the album was the most recent, allowing the listener to honor Rogers’s future while looking to her past for understanding. 

“That’s Where I Am” ushers in a new era for Rogers, showing a confidence that was suggested by songs on Heard it in a Past Life but without the full commitment. This new single tells a story of trusting the universe and allowing the things that were meant for you to come back around. 

The cover art alone shows a change for Rogers. Both Heard it in a Past Life and “That’s Where I Am” show Rogers alone on the cover, but the difference here is that “That’s Where I Am” shows a close-up of Maggie’s face, indicating a lack of fear or insecurity. It also has the potential to showcase a coming to terms with one’s flaws so much so that no matter how close a camera may come, these flaws are simply another aspect of who one is. 

The song itself opens up with the line, “I found a reason to wake up/ Coffee in my cup, start a new day.” The idea of finding something to wake up for, something to commit yourself to in order to pull you through whatever might be keeping you from your life, is something that is so important for many. This concept that you need someone or something to hold you accountable, almost like riding a bike, keeps you from falling and straying from the goals you’ve created for yourself. 

The storyline of romance couples well with this idea of growth and acceptance of where you are, the pre-chorus saying, “You kept me waiting and I hated you then/Gave it a few years, you settled your debts.” It suggests a period of growth, some time and space for the lovers to discover themselves and find each other in time, after undergoing major changes in mindset and lifestyle. 

The chorus ties the themes of romance and growth together nicely, with lines like, “It all works out in the end/Wherever you go, that’s where I am.” Building up to these lines, the instrumental focuses heavily on the drums. There’s a growing build in their sound as the song gets closer to the chorus, indicating a moment of triumph and power for both Rogers and the audience. The song closes out with the gentle sound of an acoustic guitar, indicating a moment of peace after working so hard to be who you are now.

“That’s Where I Am” is a reminder that no matter how cliché it may be, everything will always work out how it is meant to. No matter where you go or what you face, Maggie Rogers, and the people who love you, will always be there for you: “Wherever you go, that’s where I am.”