A Matter of Time, the highly anticipated new album from GRAMMY-winning Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey, is set for release on August 22.
Last month, Laufey teased the album release with a first sampling in the track “Silver Lining,” which she performed with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil at Coachella last month, as well as during her headline set at New Orleans Jazz Fest. Today, Laufey is debuting the album’s new single “Tough Luck.” Of the song, Laufey explains, “‘Tough Luck’ is a fiery song about love gone wrong. I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself—a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me.”
As Laufey began to craft A Matter of Time, she felt freer than ever. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she says, and it’s true. An artist who pours her life experiences into her work, she infused 2022’s Everything I Know About Love with coming-of-age tales revolving around leaving home, and for 2023’s GRAMMY-winning Bewitched she dove headlong into young love. Brought to life with sweeping orchestral arrangements, interwoven strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, those albums cemented Laufey as a star who can make sounds from bygone eras feel timeless.
Now on A Matter of Time, Laufey further crystalizes her singular sound—one still rooted in her beloved influences, but which forgoes any strict standards or rules. “I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage. For this album,” says Laufey, “I just wanted to let my heart wander.” To that end, she teamed with a pair of co-producers, one comforting and familiar—Spencer Stewart who worked with Laufey on her first two albums —and one new to her but deeply attuned to artists looking to open up: Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran). Feeling sonically unrestrained gave Laufey the space to share new sides of herself while exploring sometimes heavier themes. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she says. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror.” A Matter of Time finds Laufey at her most daring—and also playful—as she captures the experience of “real love” in its many forms and what it means to observe as it strips you down to your most vulnerable and anxious.
Laufey (pronounced lay-vay) has captivated a generation with virtuosic songs of love and self-discovery by manifesting her vision of jazz-and classical-infused pop music. She has become a bridge for the older music she adores, from Chet Baker to Carole King to Ravel, by offering her bold interpretation to a younger crop of listeners who have become deeply connected over time. This was all by design — Laufey’s self-assigned raison d’être — and it worked, allowing her to bring to life the whimsical universe known as “Laufey Land.”
Raised between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C., she learned piano and cello as a child, later studying at Berklee College of Music. There, she wrote her debut EP, 2021’s Typical of Me, whose striking single “Street by Street” debuted at No. 1 on Icelandic Radio—the first of many achievements that have grown to include 5 billion global streams, a social media audience of 25 million, the biggest jazz LP debut in Spotify history and an album in Billboard’s Top 20 (both for Bewitched), a growing pile of Platinum plaques, a Forbes 30 Under 30 designation, and being named one of TIME’s 2025 Women of the Year. She’s sold out the Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall, and London’s Royal Albert Hall; performed backed by the LA Phil, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra; shared the stage with the likes of Jon Batiste and Raye; and collaborated on records with artists ranging from Beabadoobee to Norah Jones. More recently, Laufey announced The Laufey Foundation, with the primary mission of supporting young musicians with the resources they need, especially through youth orchestras, to reach their full potential.
LAUFEY LIVE
May 27—The Teatro Metropólitan—Mexico City, Mexico
May 31—Popload Festival—Sao Paolo, Brazil
July 30—Virginia Arts Festival at Chartway Arena—Norfolk, VA*
July 31—Virginia Arts Festival at Chartway Arena—Norfolk, VA*
August 2—Chautauqua Institution—Chautauqua, NY†
August 3—Chautauqua Institution—Chautauqua, NY†
August 7—Blossom Music Center—Cuyahoga Falls, OH‡
August 9—Saratoga Performing Arts Center—Saratoga Springs, NY§
* with The Virginia Symphony Orchestra
† with The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
‡ with The Cleveland Orchestra
§ with The Philadelphia Orchestra
Steve Aoki & Tyler Hubbard (credit: Brad Heaton)