With Bossa Nova in the air, the newest Laufey’s album, A Matter of Time, is finally out! With a dreamy and whimsical aesthetic, her third studio album features 14 tracks that blend the signature styles of the Icelandic artist: Jazz, Pop, Bossa Nova, and Classical music.
Laufey has a nostalgic aesthetic and style that has been captivating younger listeners, introducing them to this enchanting mix of genres, often blending them with more contemporary pop sensibilities. A Matter of Time brings back those sonic elements with new approaches; unlike Laufey’s previous album Bewitched, the lyrics are more vulnerable and emotionally expressive.
On this album, the singer collaborated with longtime producer Spencer Stewart and Aaron Dessner, who, for fellow Taylor Swift fans, was the producer of the Folklore album.
A look into the songs and the themes they explore
Laufey recently described the project as an opportunity to explore more complex and imperfect aspects of herself.
Ding dong, ding dong! One of the greatest music experiences had just begun. Clockwork opens the album with some classic and sophisticated rhythm. The opening track talks about falling in love, but it’s different when it’s with your dear friend… sometimes it’s just destiny doing its job, something that works flawlessly, just like clockwork!
The first single released, “Silver Lining”, like most of the songs on the album, creates a dreamy and introspective atmosphere. It paints a vivid picture of two individuals who find themselves entangled in a series of bad habits and reckless behaviors. They find comfort in each other’s presence, showing that love can be a refuge even in the darkest times. They will face consequences for their actions, but the fact that they will face them together is a source of relief. The music video has a bizarre yet whimsical and dramatic aesthetic, a combination unlike anything Laufey has ever created before.
The second single, “Tough Luck”, contrasts a light melody with realistic lyrics about a difficult and toxic relationship. She turns the resentment of a breakup into a generous dose of irony and sarcasm. In the line “You say I’d never understand the things that make a man a man”, Laufey exposes the manipulative side of the relationship and the fragile ego of her ex-partner.
It’s a song that shows us a different perspective on Laufey’s relationships, she also knows how to talk about a bad partner and free herself from that past with relief. Tough Luck serves as a direct message: he won’t be missed, and she’s glad to see him go.
Oh, what a curse it is to be a Lover Girl, even more when you’re missing someone. That’s what “Lover Girl” is about. A danceable rhythm accompanied by playful claps captures the little contradictions and exaggerations of romantic love. It tells the story of a protagonist overwhelmed by emotions beyond her control, living a long-distance relationship filled with longing and “parties in her mind.”
It’s a constant oscillation between keeping composure and surrendering to passion, leaving her with a “reckless fever.” The music video, directed by Junia, the singer’s twin sister, perfectly contrasts the city of Tokyo mentioned in the lyrics with Laufey herself dancing through the streets like the lead in a musical, blending dreams and reality.
With a more confessional and melancholic tone, “Snow White” addresses the pressures and standards imposed on women. This theme had already appeared, in a way, on the album Bewitched in “Letter to My 13 Year Old Self”, but in a much more personal way, recounting insecurities experienced by Laufey herself. Now, the new song speaks more broadly, directed at women: “A woman’s best currency’s her body, not her brain.”
The reference to the character Snow White works as a symbol of the beauty ideal, fair skin, slim body, and almost surreal perfection. Laufey said in a recent interview that she grew tired of chasing perfection, so she intentionally included some voice cracks in this song, and knowing that makes it even more beautiful.
The video was recorded intimately in Iceland, her home country, enhancing the honest and vulnerable tone of the track. In the line “Sometimes I see her, she looks like Snow White / She’s everything I am, but my wrongs are turned rights”, she expresses how constant comparison leads to suffering.
The album carries the energy of a magical and surreal musical. It’s no wonder that the eighth track, Cuckoo Ballet, is an interlude — an instrumental composition meant to separate musical parts. The songs in the first half before the interlude are more romantic and sentimental. The second half, however, carries a more intense energy, speaking of a love that no longer exists, and of endings.
Once again, Laufey has captured our lovestruck hearts with her special lyrics and unique style. An album that marks a more confessional era, open to new styles, just as brilliant as the previous ones.
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The article above was edited by Fernanda Miki Tsukase.
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