Singer and songwriter, Maggie Rogers, has called out men who verbally harassed her during a recent performance.
In a statement later posted to Twitter, the 25-year-old explained that she was "hurt" when a man shouted "take your top off" while she performed in Austin, Texas, as part of her Heard It In A Past Life US tour. Rogers, who was discovered by Pharrell Williams, stated that the incident occurred during a "vulnerable" segment where she spoke about "growth and change".
This boxer was slammed for kissing a news reporter during an interview:"Every night before the alaska acoustic encore, i speak about gratitude and growth and change. it’s the most vulnerable part of the set. just me and a guitar before i say goodnight [sic]," the statement began.
"last night, in the middle of this speech a man yelled, “take your top off.” another joined in and yelled “you cute though”. i was stunned. furious. fuming. confused. and also - on a really basic level - it really hurt my feelings. i step on stage every night and give every part of me. and my community shows up every night and together, we create a safe space to amplify each other. to allow relief. to allow release. there’s a deep amount of trust there [sic]"
"i step on stage every night with a deep reverence for the stage, my craft, and the privilege that is making music for my job. i’ve been writing and producing music for 10 years - my body is my greatest tool in communicating that work [sic]," Rogers continued.
"i want to use this moment to be very very clear. there is no space for harassment or disrespect or degradation of any kind at my show. be kind to each other out there [sic]."
Rogers rose to fame when her single, Alaska, was played to Pharrell Williams during a class at New York University, where she was enrolled.
The session, which was filmed, quickly went viral and Rogers found herself in a record label bidding war. She has since worked with the Jonas Brothers and performed at Glastonbury.
Her debut album, Heard It In A Past Life, was released earlier in 2019.