This article was initially going to be a list of a variety of my favorite pop culture things from 2016, whether it be movies, tv shows, songs, etc. -- I was thinking about all that shaped my year. From "Search Party" to anything Beyonce touched, this year was full of fresh, exciting, intelligent art and pop culture amidst all of the negative events. However, one person specifically stood out in my mind as my personal favorite discovery: Maggie Rogers.

Maggie Rogers is a musician from Maryland, a self-described optimist, and an environmentalist. She writes and produces her own music. This year, Rogers gained popularity online after a video of her at NYU, taking a masterclass with Pharrell Williams, as he responds to her song "Alaska" in complete awe.

Her most recent singles are "Alaska" and "Dog Years." Both are unlike anything that I have personally heard this year, or ever. That's what makes her so exciting, that's what makes me want to listen to her music over and over. She has inspired not only my own personal artistic passion, but my perspective on life and growth and the future, more than anyone has in a while. Her music sounds like how a breath of autumn air that just rolled over a crystal clear lake early in the morning feels. I can't even perfectly explain it, it's so much more than that description. It has a sense of relief, of peace, of hope. I feel connected but also empowered as my own person. It makes you think, it makes you wonder, it makes you feel. For me, that is really hard for music to do. She sounds like now, while somehow also feeling timeless, like I could listen to her years from now and experience what I was feeling when I first heard her music. The sound of her music is ethereal, with layered vocals and natural and gentle instrumentation. It makes you want to take a deep breath and slow down.

With lyrics that are completely honest in their vulnerability and then, finding the strength in that, Rogers offers insight into what it feels like to be fearful of the unknown. But she doesn't stop there. The most inspiring part for me is the optimism and warmth that her music radiates. She writes about enjoying the little things in life, taking steps towards personal growth, and living in the moment. You understand the stories she is telling, because she is so emotive. Even her music videos offer something new, with a sense of individuality that is undeniable, whether it be in the visuals or the unique, natural way she moves.

Parts of nature burgeon all throughout the production of her song "Dog Years," as she samples sounds of rattlesnakes and woodpeckers. In an interview with Genius, a lyrics website, she says that she uses them to "establish a sense of place sonically." And this is conveyed beautifully, as you listen to the song, and catch these hints of nature, you actually feel as though time begins to slow so that you can appreciate the little things in life, like walking through the woods. Her music is so deep in the sense that you can reach in at any moment and hold onto something, whether it be a lyric or a part of the instrumental. This artistic bravery and innovation is so intriguing and inspiring, especially when you look at art as something that can be used to connect us all in a broader sense.

Drawing inspiration from her love of nature, her lyrics in "Alaska" depict her adventures hiking through Alaska and what that walking did for her emotionally. At this point in my life, being in college, surrounded by new people, places, and opportunities, this song resonates with me. It talks about walking off an older version of yourself. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what who I am right now, who I was yesterday, and who I want to be tomorrow. I think about what I can do to find my own personal muse or to take steps that lead me down paths that I want to explore or that will help me to grow into the person I want to be. Her music makes me feel free and hopeful. Her music is what I need right now, in this stage of my life.

I very eagerly await the release of her for EP "Now That The Light Is Fading" on February 17th this year and there is a 96% chance that I will die of happiness when it finally comes (alright, okay, it's at least a 100% chance).