Fresh off her Coachella performance, singer-songwriter Laufey has released the music video for her latest single, “Madwoman,” one of four new tracks featured on A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, the deluxe edition of her GRAMMY Award-winning album A Matter of Time.

During her set at Coachella’s Outdoor Theatre, Laufey gave “Madwoman” its live debut, introducing the track to the crowd ahead of its official visual release. “Calling all my mad women of the desert. If any man has ever f*cked you over, this is for you!” 

The accompanying music video stars  actor Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), Olympic champion figure skater Alysa Liu, actress Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and singer Megan Skiendiel of KATSEYE, alongside Laufey herself. The casting, first teased ahead of the premiere, quickly sparked buzzy conversation online, positioning “Madwoman” as one of her most anticipated releases to date. 

The release continues a landmark year for Laufey, who recently earned her second GRAMMY for A Matter of Time and is set to take on upcoming tour dates across Asia and Australia.

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Revenge of the Madwoman 

The “Madwoman” music video drops viewers into a glossy, 1960s-inspired world that feels theatrical yet just a tiniest bit unhinged. Directed by Warren Fu, the visual brings together Williams, Liu, Tung, and Skiendiel alongside Laufey, assembling a cast of rising mixed-heritage Asian talents across industries.

A deliberate choice for Laufey who expanded on it in a press release, “Growing up, I felt a general lack of representation for people who looked like me in music and media. With the “Madwoman” video, I wanted to be that representation,” she said. “The result is what honestly feels like my absolute dream video and exactly what younger Laufey would have loved to see.”

At the center of the video is a dynamic that plays with romance and illusion, with Williams positioned as the ‘madman’ opposite Laufey’s ‘madwoman.’ Their relationship appears polished on the surface, but there are early hints of tension that suggest something more complicated underneath.

The seemingly loving couple first appears enjoying tea and Laufey’s girl friends resting in the garden, when the real “tea” is spilled. An article about Laufey’s boyfriend breaking up with an ex (print cameo by Havana Rose Liu) reveals that he has been cheating on her. Though at first enraged, the man’s charming nature quickly manipulates her as well as her friends and staff into receiving him back with open arms. At first Laufey goes along with the relationship though simultaneously second guesses her judgement, singing the lyrics “he hypnotized me as we spoke.”

However as the music video progresses, it reaches a climax where a statue topples over, breaking apart just as Williams proposes, representing a perfect paradise and relationship shattering. The music video ends with Laufey literally and metaphorically realizing she’s nearly driven herself off a cliff, before she returns back to her home to confront the real “mad” one or continue the toxic cycle of the relationship.

Visually, the video leans fully into its retro inspiration with vintage styles and silhouettes, bold eyeliner, and a sun-soaked Los Angeles backdrop that gives it a carefully curated, cinematic feel. Yet throughout the music video there are multiple well-integrated nods to Laufey and the casts’ Asian heritage from subtle details like a stack of bamboo steamer baskets in the kitchen, Liu and Tung playing mahjong to more apparent elements such as Laufey wearing a golden qipao dress. 

The week leading up to the music video Laufey released teasers revealing one by one some of the stars she’s gathered together for her “Madwoman” cast, including Liu, Skiendiel, and Tung. It was revealed at the end of the week that Williams was casted for the man who drives Laufey mad. Fans, with building excitement, couldn’t help but note the multiple fandom crossovers Laufey was bringing together.

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The Final Hour

The Final Hour adds four new songs to an album that was already one of the biggest moments of her career. In addition to “Madwoman” other new tracks include “How I Get,” “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait,” and “I’ll Forget About You (In Time).”

While A Matter of Time spent much of its 45 minute runtime on love and longing, with dashes of self-reflection, the deluxe hints at a continued evolution in both tone and storytelling. “Madwoman,” in particular, stands out immediately by its title alone, suggesting a slightly sharper perspective that contrasts with the softness often associated with Laufey’s earlier discography. The playful cinematography of “Madwoman” contrasts the deeper and perhaps darker lyrics about what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship you can’t help but run back to.

The track still fits neatly into Laufey’s world. It has the velvety smooth vocals people have come to expect from her, but with a little more playful bite this time around. Written by Laufey and Spencer Stewart, “Madwoman” the lyrics capture the frustration of being stuck in a pattern you already know is bad for you, which make the song a strong match for the music video’s glossy but uneasy vibe. 

While the instrumental brings in a vintage tropical flair that feels straight out of a glamorous 1960s Copacabana nightspot. Giving listeners something you can sway along to at a jazz bar but also sing at the top of your lungs in the car. The last full minute of the track is almost entirely instrumental, leaning even further into its retro charm. It feels like the kind of breezy, theatrical outro you could imagine soundtracking the end credits of a vintage sitcom.

Beyond A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, and Coachella weekend 2, Laufey is also set to release A Matter of Time: Live at Madison Square Garden on April 18 for Record Store Day, followed by her first children’s book, Mei Mei The Bunny, on April 21.

Want more new music? Check out this week’s Sunday Spin roundup!

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