Icelandic-Chinese jazz pop artist Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay) is one of the most popular jazz artists of this decade. She quickly rose to the top in 2022 with her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, peaking at number three on the U.S. Jazz Albums charts.
Laufey’s music is known far and wide because of her warm vocals and catchy melodies that make listeners feel as though they’re floating and walking on clouds. If you didn’t know her before, you may have heard of her in recent times, as she just released a new album: A Matter of Time.
The album consists of 14 songs, each unique in their own way but have the same consistent Cinderella vibe. Her music ranges from unrealistic beauty standards for women, to yearning for a person, to how much love can hurt. Lyrically speaking, this album is one of the most poetic and majestically written records I have ever heard, and truly contains only bangers. It is definitely one of her best.
Some of my standouts from this album are “Snow White”, “Silver Lining”, “Cuckoo Ballet – Interlude”, and “Sabotage”. The rest of the songs on the album are performed beautifully; these are just some of my personal favorites.
The third song on the album, “Snow White”, begins with a soft acoustic guitar that slowly leans us into the most gut-wrenching lyrics for women all over the world: “A woman’s best currency is her body, not her brain.” This lyric really hit home for me as a girl who has had such a rough time being loved for me, not just the way my body looks.
Many other women can relate to being stared at and feeling worn down by the looks and cat calls we can face every day of our lives. The moment a girl grows up, she is taught that people will love her for her personality, but we know that that is the biggest lie you can tell a young girl.
The track sings, “Sometimes I see her, she looks like Snow White // She’s everything I am but my wrongs are turned to rights // Her body is smaller, skin so fair // She’s achieved everything I’ve dreamed of.” Snow White is such a beautiful way to describe the beauty standard for women nowadays. Skinny, fair-skinned, and delicate. The societal norms for women are so unrealistic that they make girls feel insecure about themselves, when all women are wonderfully made and beautiful in their own ways.
“Silver Lining”, a song often heard on TikTok, is a soft track that toys with the idea of playing around and getting in trouble for being cruel. A wonderful ballad that highlights the way things can and always will crumble around you, but a special someone can make life that much less miserable. Things can fall apart, and you can get in trouble for the things you do or say, but as long as you are with that one person, it’s will all work out.
“And when we’re punished, for being so cruel // The silver lining’s I’ll be there with you.” The right person can make life feel so much better, no matter the mishaps around you. They are just a glimpse of hope when you’re at your lowest. Friends, family, and significant others are all people who make life better. This track made me realize how grateful I am for those kinds of people in my life.
”Cuckoo Ballet – Interlude” was one of the first ever interludes Laufey has included in one of her albums, and it is stunning. Throwing us into this Cinderella sort of world with the “ding-dong” of a cuckoo clock, following along with the whimsical sound of the flute and other instruments.
The entirety of the song runs to nearly four minutes, and it transports listeners into a wondrous world of fairy godmothers and glass slippers. This interlude has amazing instrumentals and imagery that really tie the album together.
It plays slight melodies that are referencing other songs from the album as well as songs from her previous album Bewitched. A beautiful song and a nice break from such a deeply soul tugging album, and great to lead into the rest of the album.
The album concludes with a truly unique and memorable song titled “Sabotage”. The song begins quiet and small with the lyrics “I get in my head so easily // I don’t understand, I’m my worst enemy.” In my opinion, overthinking is one of the biggest killers of relationships in teenagers. It’s such a powerful thing that can take over your mind. It’s hard to know why you think the way you do, but there’s no stopping it.
There are blasts of emotion and music that cut into the softness of the song, which surprised me when I first heard it. This whole song is an embodiment of what self-sabotage in a relationship feels like. The overthinking and overanalyzing everything the other person says, it all slowly creeps itself into your head until it’s too hard to ignore.
“So prepare for the impact, and brace your heart // For cold, bloody, bitter sabotage.” The last minute of the song is the rest of the instrumental that was played earlier in the song. I didn’t see it coming, but I felt the instrumental part sneaking in all along.
It all feels exactly like when you self-sabotage your relationships. You kinda feel it, but you ignore it, try and think other things, but the panic of “What’s gonna happen?” creeps in. Are they lying to me? Is there someone else?’ It all sets in. Hitting you all at once and unable to ignore, until the song comes to an inevitable conclusion. Just like a relationship can come to a close, as all things do.
This album has a little something for everybody. Whether you liked her bossa nova style songs or her more lyrical pieces, this album really has great music on it. Overall, this album is so much fun to listen to and it truly is a masterpiece. Laufey really outdid herself, as she always does. I recommend this album to anyone who is willing to take their time to listen and think through the poetry she spits in every song.
I love this album; it definitely is worth your time. I rate this album a 10/10.
