‘In The Living Room’ by Maggie Rogers: your new sad girl autumn anthem 

Momnah Shahnaz breaks down the cosy, autumnal feeling of Maggie Rogers single and why this story of heartbreak aligns so perfectly with the upcoming dreary, cold months.

Maggie Rogers brings out something so primitively ‘teenage girl in her 30s’ in her latest single ‘In The Living Room’ with elements of nostalgia, bittersweet memories and a cosy autumnal layer. Released on 8 October 2024, it is a perfect single for everyone to add to their ‘sad girl autumn’ playlists and if you don’t have a ‘sad girl autumn’ playlist, it’s the perfect track to start making one! 

With a fast tempo, a catchy rhythm radiating from the drums and an electric guitar riff, this song almost mirrors the feeling of a racing, broken heart, perfectly setting the tone of this single. A tone that is full of nostalgia and bittersweet memories, looking back on a loss. Maggie Rogers, herself, stated that the single was about “processing the exit of a person in your life” and if the tempo wasn’t enough to get hearts racing, add in Roger’s ethereal voice, laced with a sense of emotional pain, as well as her straight-forward, but hard-hitting lyrics. This single is one that can find a home in a variety of listeners dealing with their own personal heartbreaks and it allows listeners to find peace in the relatability. The production by Maggie Rogers and Ian Fitchuk also adds a layered effect to this uptempo track, in the sense that it really elevates her emotional intensity and thrives alongside the instrumentals perfectly. 

Her lyrics are bathed in loss and when she says ‘And you were my friend/ When the world felt empty’ it really encapsulates the grief she is feeling. Not only romantic, but a cure for her loneliness. The track really accentuates heartbreak, but also highlights the beauty of memories, with the lyrics “high on our fumes/ Oh that’s how I will remember you” as she chooses to look back on only the sweet in bittersweet. 

There’s also something so comforting about the familiarities between songs and experiences, with this track in particular having a Taylor Swift ‘All Too Well’ element to it when comparing Roger’s lyrics ‘But I will always remember you/ When we were dancing in the living room’ to Swift’s ‘dancing round the kitchen in the refrigerator light’. It brings out the relatability of heartbreak and allows listeners to have a freeing experience belting out these lyrics (which you should do in your living room to get the full effect). 

Maggie Rogers is definitely a singer to keep track of, with this single in particular being an anthem this autumn. ‘In The Living Room’ is available on all streaming platforms and you can have a listen here! Rogers is also currently touring on her ‘Don’t Forget Me Tour’ where you can find more information here! 

Words by Momnah Shahnaz