One viral video took Maggie Rogers from college-musician obscurity to music-business object of fascination: When Pharrell Williams heard one of her original compositions during an N.Y.U. class, his near-tearful response was captured on video. Rogers became a phenomenon while riding a wave beyond her control.

Her first full-length album, “Heard It in a Past Life,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart this week, and it is largely the product of her trying to outrun the expectations that came on the heels of that clip. Her music has roots in folk, but is very familiar with contemporary electronic pop — a modern hybrid that places her squarely near pop’s aesthetic center even as she tries to maintain an outsider’s perspective.

There are a few parallels between Rogers, still in the early stages of her career, and Sharon Van Etten, whose fifth studio album, “Remind Me Tomorrow,” marks a shift away from the cold, aching folk of her early releases into something more contemporary without losing its emotional intelligence.

Also on this week’s episode: a tribute to James Ingram.

This week’s guests: