The haunting opening notes of Laufey’s new single “Snow White” feel like stepping into a frost-kissed dreamscape, which makes perfect sense given the Icelandic-Chinese artist filmed the accompanying music video amidst the stark beauty of her homeland. Released today ahead of her highly anticipated August 22 album A Matter of Time, the track finds the GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist exploring darker emotional terrain while maintaining the lush, jazz-infused sound that’s made her one of contemporary music’s most captivating storytellers.
“Snow White” spins fragile melodies around a painfully relatable theme—the exhausting pursuit of perfection that plagues modern womanhood. “It’s about looking in the mirror and seeing all the ways society tells you you’re not enough,” Laufey explains, her voice tinged with the quiet wisdom of someone who’s spent years dissecting matters of the heart through song. The music video, directed by her twin sister and longtime creative collaborator Junia Lin, transforms Iceland’s glacial landscapes into a visual metaphor for isolation and self-reflection, with Laufey appearing almost ghostlike against the dramatic terrain in vintage-inspired gowns that recall both fairy tale princesses and classical concert soloists.
This release marks a significant evolution for the 25-year-old phenomenon who’s spent the past few years charming the world with her unique alchemy of jazz standards, bossa nova rhythms, and orchestral pop. Where 2022’s Everything I Know About Love chronicled the growing pains of young adulthood and 2023’s GRAMMY-winning Bewitched reveled in the dizzying highs of new romance, A Matter of Time finds Laufey turning her gimlet eye inward. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she notes. “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.”
To help realize this more vulnerable vision, Laufey enlisted both familiar and new collaborators. She reunited with producer Spencer Stewart, who worked on her first two albums, while also welcoming Aaron Dessner (known for his work with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran) into her creative process for the first time. The result promises to be her most sonically adventurous work yet—still rooted in the classical and jazz traditions she reveres (“I’m constantly thinking about how to properly preserve them and pay homage,” she says) but unshackled from strict genre conventions. “I just wanted to let my heart wander,” Laufey admits of the recording process, which finds her exploring “real love” in all its messy, anxiety-inducing complexity.
The album’s rollout comes amid a staggering period of growth for the Reykjavik-raised, Berklee-educated artist. Since her 2021 debut EP Typical of Me—whose lead single “Street by Street” topped Icelandic radio charts—Laufey has amassed 5 billion global streams, sold out legendary venues from the Hollywood Bowl to London’s Royal Albert Hall, and performed with world-class orchestras including the LA Philharmonic and China Philharmonic. Her cultural impact recently earned her spots on both Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and TIME’s 2025 Women of the Year roster, cementing her status as jazz’s modern ambassador to Gen Z.
Yet for all her success, Laufey remains committed to paying it forward. This spring she launched The Laufey Foundation, which directs $1 from every A Matter of Time tour ticket toward supporting young musicians through youth orchestra programs. It’s a full-circle moment for an artist who credits her own early musical education with shaping her path—one that began with piano and cello lessons as a child splitting time between Iceland and Washington, D.C., and eventually led to studying at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music.
As “Snow White” begins making its emotional impact, fans across Southeast Asia—where Laufey’s 2024 tour stops in Manila, Jakarta, and other cities helped cement her popularity—are already embracing the new era. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia currently rank among her top 10 global streaming markets, proving the universal resonance of music that somehow feels both intimately personal and expansively cinematic.
With A Matter of Time, Laufey isn’t just releasing another album—she’s inviting listeners into her most unguarded self yet, flaws and all. And if the haunting beauty of “Snow White” is any indication, we’ll be following her down that vulnerable path wherever it leads.
*”Snow White” is available now on all streaming platforms. *A Matter of Time* arrives August 22 via Vingolf Recordings/AWAL. Pre-orders are available now, along with tickets for the upcoming global tour.*
The Pop Blog general news and updates, mostly from press releases and conferences.