Laufey – a jazz-pop artist who gained mass popularity with her debut album “Street by Street” in 2020 – just dropped her latest album “A Matter of Time” in late August. The spellbinding album encapsulates Laufey’s typical themes of longing and loving with an extra bit of wit.

Using a soft, classical jazz backtrack, Laufey sings lyrics that reflect the inner and outer workings of modern-day love and relationships. “A Matter of Time” is an addicting combination of vintage tunes, modern day dilemmas and Laufey’s thoughtful lyricism.

“A Matter of Time” contains four captivating singles, released throughout the beginning of this year. These are “Snow White,” “Lover Girl,” “Tough Luck” and “Silver Lining.”

On April 3, the album’s first soft-tuned single, “Silver Lining,” was released. The whimsical ballad was an instant hit on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The tone proposes a childlike love: an irrational yet sincere relationship that draws on imagery like kissing in the playground and acting like little kids.

The chorus, containing the verse, “when you go to hell, I’ll go there with you too,” introduces a whole new tone and sort of dark passion to Laufey’s style. This emphasizes how she is maturing as a songwriter and a romantic. “The silver lining’s I’ll be there for you,” implies a surrounding atmosphere of darkness, and the prevalence of love throughout, despite obstacles.

Next, released May 15, is Laufey’s first elegant yet bold breakup tune, “Tough Luck.” The song uses emotionally charged lyrics and the rise and fall of the melody together to create a beautiful yet bitter narrative entailing distrust, cheating and denying redemption.

The bridge is bittersweet; an addicting ear worm in which Laufey tells it how it is. “Tough Luck” ends with a bold farewell to a toxic relationship with the chorus, “I’ll break it first, I’ve had enough of waiting ‘til you lie and cheat…You won’t be missed, I’m glad to see you go.”

In “Lover Girl,” released June 25, Laufey expresses feeling like a smitten high school girl who has fallen a little too hard for someone who may or may not return her feelings. Romantic obsession is an inescapable dilemma for many young girls within the jazz artist’s fanbase. This single follows the theme of marrying poetic lyrics to vintage jazz beautifully.

In an interview on “Lover Girl” done by Variety, Laufey admits to this song’s contrast to her usual style. “I’ve always been the type of person that thought I’d never fall in love … I’m known as the ‘Falling Behind’ girl.” She says, referencing a previous hit song. She goes on to explain this single’s distinctiveness, saying, “this one’s different in that it’s about being in love and how it can make you a little bit crazy.”

The fourth and final single of “A Matter of Time” is “Snow White,” a melancholic tune taking on the price of beauty and the damage caused by comparison: a topic that hits home for many young girls and women. The narrative of a woman’s love-hate relationship with her own appearance is the core fuel of “Snow White.” Laufey passionately describes it herself as portraying “the never-ending chase for perfection that comes with being a woman – about looking in the mirror and seeing all the ways you feel you need to improve yourself.” The fourth released single soothes the soul with relatability while also making an impactful statement on societal expectations for women.

The following 11 songs on the album continue the themes of dreamy loves and passionate longing illustrated with soft jazzy backtracks and fantastical, fairytale imagery. The songs range from comparing old relationships to a “Castle in Hollywood” to entrancing you with violin and piano instrumentals – all also played by Laufey herself – which make you feel like the main character in your own fairytale.

Her masterful use of satire in “Mr. Eclectic” is sure to give a laugh with its sarcastic jabs at mansplainers and male posers who claim to be worldly and cultured to impress her. This song acts as a comedic relief for the album.

From “Cuckoo Ballet – Interlude,”  an enchanting instrumental, to “Too Little, Too Late,” a unique lamentation written from the perspective of a man – passionate, yet drowning in regret about losing his love – “A Matter of Time” as a whole is a beautiful piece of art. Laufey has skillfully woven regent, dream-like comparisons and sounds throughout each and every track.

Collectively, the album compares love to a ticking clock that will someday, sometime run out. This is cleverly demonstrated not only in the songs but also in the album cover with sparkly blue heels and a clock in the background, reminiscent of the Disney princess Cinderella, whose time was to run out at midnight.

There is absolutely no question that “A Matter of Time” is sensational, from each standalone track and single to the album as a whole. It beautifully creates niche narratives, portrays heartfelt emotions, and uses ingenious, mythical metaphors – all full of personality and passion. It should be a go-to pick, whether you’re going through a painful breakup or smitten with a crush.

Laufey herself explains the image she has for “A Matter of Time,” as based on fairytale stories and tragic royal weddings. “The whole album to me is just that moment when Cinderella finds out it’s struck midnight and she’s running,” says the jazz artist, “The heartbeat that she has, that’s the album.”