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Maggie Rogers Needed the Salve of a ‘Big Sports Summer.’ Didn’t We All
Musician Maggie Rogers has spent the summer immersing herself in sport, from the Winter Olympics in Milan to courtside seats at New York Knicks games, Wimbledon tennis and the World Cup, describing it as her "big sports summer". She tells Rolling Stone that, amid a difficult and disconnected period globally, the shared experience of fandom has provided the same sense of collective meaning and connection she usually finds through music.
Rogers, who holds a Master's degree from Harvard Divinity School focused on the spirituality of public gatherings, draws parallels between the devotion of athletes and her own decade-long career as a recording artist. She points to the Knicks' championship run, culminating in a parade, as an example of the urgency and clarity she aspires to bring to her own work, including new music she is currently writing at a retreat in Greece. She also reflects on watching the Olympics without the experience feeling nationalistic, instead finding it a celebration of athletes' dedication.
In short
- Maggie Rogers embraced a summer of sport, from Olympics to Wimbledon
- She says fandom offered connection during a bleak, difficult time
- Rogers likens athletes' devotion to her own musical career and craft
Explained simply
Maggie Rogers is an American singer-songwriter whose work has drawn on the feeling of people gathering around music. She studied how public gatherings can create a sense of spirituality at Harvard Divinity School, and has spoken about the connection between performing and sharing an experience with an audience.
Sport can create a similar shared focus: fans follow athletes and teams, celebrate wins and cope with losses together. The Olympics, Wimbledon tennis, the World Cup and the NBA’s New York Knicks each bring large audiences together, though in different ways and on different schedules.
Rogers’s interest in sport reflects a wider question about where people find connection and meaning. Her comparisons between athletes’ commitment and the effort involved in making music offer context for how she approaches her own creative work.
Entertainment Geopolitics Music Politics Sport Tennis