Here at Stereogum, we haven't had too much to say about the Icelandic jazz-pop singer Laufey, but she is a very big deal now. She's got five platinum singles, and her 2024 album A Matter Of Time won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. At the Olympics, gold medal-winning figure skater Alysa Liu skated to Laufey's song "Promise." On Sunday, Laufey played one of the main stages at Coachella. Now, Laufey's name is turning up in all sorts of weird places.
On Friday, Laufey released the deluxe edition of A Matter Of Time. Today, she shared the all-star Warren Fu-directed video for her single "Madwoman." It stars the aforementioned Alysa Liu, as well as KATSEYE member Megan Skiendiel and actors Lola Tung (of The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Hudson Williams (of Heated Rivalry). Model Havana Rose Liu and actor Chase Sui Wonders have cameos, too. Like Laufey, all of those stars are half-Asian and half-white, and fans are referring to the crew as the "Wasian Avengers." The video is a fun, glamorous '60s throwback, and everyone looks great. Here it is:
Laufey and Alysa Liu had a history even before Liu skated to Laufey's song. Laufey handed Liu a "best dressed award" at a San Francisco show last year, and Laufey talked onstage about watching Liu win the gold.
In any case, it's not enough for Laufey to promote "Madwoman" with a fancy, star-heavy music video. Naturally, the song also has its own Erewhon smoothie, which launched last week. It's yours for just $23!
Laufey also performed "Madwoman" for the first time at Coachella. Her Outdoor Theatre set was the first time that she's been on the Coachella bill, but she performed last year as a guest of Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic.
In other Laufey news, there's an electric Lexus that was somehow inspired by both Laufey and the 100th birthday of the late jazz legend Miles Davis. Last month, Laufey helped unveil the Blue In Green Edition RZ, which is apparently "custom electric vehicle inspired by Laufey’s reimagined interpretation of Davis’ iconic composition." Laufey's version of "Blue In Green," which apparently inspired this entire car, is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Music. This whole thing is also a collaboration with Amazon Ads and Twitch, which streamed Laufey's performance at the unveiling.
The Miles Davis website played a role in announcing this whole initiative, and Laufey offered this press-release quote about creativity and jazz and Lexus: "“Miles Davis understood the roots of jazz — and then reinvented it. That spirit of honoring the past while moving it forward is what makes this tribute so meaningful. Partnering with Lexus to bring this celebration to life felt natural. They get how creativity and innovation can move people, just like music does." Unsurprisingly, some of the commenters on Miles Davis' Instagram page are skeptical.
Increasingly, this is just what pop stardom is. Lots and lots of young people latched onto Laufey's chilled-out, reassuring style, and that means that she now gets to do all sorts of corporate-collab business. If you were in her shoes, maybe you'd do the same thing.
