Internationally renowned artist Laufey has captivated audiences of all ages ever since breaking out in 2021 and continues to grow her fanbase. Her latest album, ‘A Matter of Time’ refines and expands her musical palette with orchestral arrangements interwoven with bossa nova and jazz, that serve as the sonic backdrop for her strong vocals. Lyrically, she shares 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.”
The GRAMMY®-winning LA-based Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist kicked off her tour in support of the album in early September and landed in the San Francisco Bay Area for two sold-out nights, one at the Oakland Arena followed up by a show in San Francisco proper at the Chase Center. The Chase Center show was abuzz with generations of fans as many younger fans were accompanied by their parents and some with their grandparents. Dressed in Laufey’s signature hair bows and Oddli crowns were seen everywhere in honor of ‘A Matter of Time’.
The stage set was whimsical and fantastical that embodied a fairy-like spirit with clock imagery projected in the background and a staircase that allowed Laufey to perform high above. The circular end of the catwalk was also a clock that even had a clock-hand for her to eventually stand on top of as she sang at one point during the set. Accompanied by a group of string instrumentalists and dancers, there was never a dull moment in the four act set that Laufey put on. Right from the start of the opening songs “Clockwork”, the screams and cheers from the younger portion of the audience that dominated the crowds was overwhelmingly singing along and clapping to the follow-up “Lover Girl”.
Alternating between guitar, piano and cello, Laufey was highly engaging at times while introspective and filled with emotion during others. Her “jazz set” during Act III featured some re-workings of her older material and brought a fresh perspective to the music. “Valentine” fit right in with her cover of “Seems Like Old Times” by Carmen Lombardo, while “Let You Break My Heart Again” was gut-wrenching and filled the arena with phone lights as the crowd sang along.
Instead of bringing out a musical artist as a surprise guest as she did during her shows in Los Angeles, Laufey brought out Oakland resident and U.S. Olympic and World Champion figure skater Alysa Liu. Crowning her as the “Best Dressed” at the show and wishing Alysa well in the upcoming competitions for a spot on the U.S. team for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
In a span of just a handful of years, Laufey has come off as a seasoned performer who’s able to enhance the live recording with a performance that is engaging and takes fans into another universe where the realities of the outside world are left behind.
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