On Thursday Aug. 21 the clock was ticking down to Laufey releasing her new album “A Matter of Time” on Aug, 23. A few songs had been slowly released and hinted at the overall theme of her album. The song “Silver Lining” was released April 3 and I was personally over the moon. This new album is a continuation of the end of her “Bewitched Goddess edition” album.
“Bewitched Goddess edition” sums up the struggles of catching feelings for someone and finding yourself. The last song on the album is “Goddess” which is a song comparing her “glamorous” show life and the lover that fell for her because of that to her real self. There’s a climax in the song where she tells her lover that she’s not his Aphrodite and that it’s not working out. This leads into the first song on her new album “Clockwork”.
I give “Clockwork” a 3 out of 5 stars. The lyrics of the song and the overall vibe are relatable but it seems similar to past songs about going on dates. For the first song, it lacks spark. The second song “Lover Girl” which was an early release was deeply loved by many, and overshadows “Clockwork”. Although the lyrics are relatable, I feel the song is rushed. The story being she fell in love with her friend and is contemplating this choice but, there was no emotional resolution.
Next up is “Lover Girl”, and I absolutely adore it, 4 out of 5 stars. It’s an upbeat song which is relatable but not sad. The song is very airy and happy which fits the lyrics about her falling in love. I think it’s an adorable love song which captures the feeling of having a crush.
“Snow White” is third on the album and is jaw-dropping amazing 5 out 5 stars. I personally feel it captures how sometimes beauty is so focused on. Laufey’s message for this song was to capture how she feels about her appearance. Although I am not a singer up on stage, I can connect to overthinking imperfections and comparing myself to others. The instrumental parts give me chills because it matches the vibe of the song.
My next favorite would be “Forget-Me-Not” and it is 5 out of 5 stars. The song itself is almost eerie. The song is about Laufey’s love for her home country Iceland. As I listen to the song, I can hear her emotions and the grief in her voice as she sings as Iceland is a person. The name is exactly what the song is about, her sharing everything she misses. There is a part which she sings in Icelandic and translated into English it means “Don’t forget me though I’m leaving. I love you. I’ll love you forever, ” and I know nothing about Iceland, but from her song, it seems beautiful.
“Sabotage,” which is the last song, gave me a fright, but it was definitely loved 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s about the beauty of falling in love but the sadness and fear of falling out of it. The lyrics are deep and emotional in a good way, but occasionally there’s a screeching cello noise to represent screaming. For the end song it’s definitely worth listening to the whole album to get to.
The whole album is about capturing the emotions of love, crushes, and breakups and it does it beautifully. Senior Jack Johnson went to her concert in August in Norfolk, Va. and shares his favorite part.
“I liked that when the microphones broke the audience sung. It showed how her community was wholesome and sang together,” Johnson said.
Johnson shares why he would definitely go to see her again.
“I would see her again because the music is soothing and I had a good experience,” Johnson said
Fellow senior Evelyn McClung also enjoys listening to Laufey’s music and expresses her favorite parts about her music.
“My favorite song off the album is Tough Luck because I like how the song’s tempo changes with her emotion. My favorite part about Laufey is how she combines classical music with modern emotions, ” McClung said.
Laufey is a unique artist which only 27 percent of students have listened to. Her music varies in style and that is why peoples’ favourite songs are all different.
I love all of Laufey’s songs, the style of the album itself and would definitely recommend it. No matter if you are falling in love or out of it, Laufey has a song for you.
