Why Everyone's Talking About Laufey’s "Madwoman" Music Video!

If you’re a fan of Laufey, you probably already know how much thought she puts into her music videos. Even her Christmas covers like "Santa Baby" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" receive their own well-produced cinematic videos. So when she dropped the trailer for "Madwoman", a single off the deluxe edition of her A Matter of Time album, expectations were high! When the video came out, most audiences agreed that Laufey did not disappoint. Here are our favorite moments from the music video!

The Guest Appearances

The casting alone broke the internet before the video was even released, with the fans crowning the cast as the "Wasian avengers". The video stars actor Hudson Williams from "Heated Rivalry", Lola Tung of "The Summer I Turned Pretty", Olympic champion Alysa Liu, and Megan Skiendiel of KATSEYE. Pay close attention and you will also see Asian-American actresses Havana Rose Liu and Chase Sui Wonders briefly appearing on the covers of magazines in the video.

But this casting is more than just big names. Laufey purposefully built the cast exclusively with Asian and Asian-American stars, citing a desire to create the representation she never saw growing up. The representation also extended to behind the camera, and in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, director Warren Fu expressed that, “It just felt like such a rare experience to have so many people in front of and behind the camera who share a similar cultural background."

The Storytelling

The video perfectly illustrates the lyrics. Laufey and her friends are all wearing rose-colored glasses, a symbol of how they overlook the red flags of her partner (played by Hudson Williams). Laufey rants to her friends but is interrupted as they all get mesmerized by him, dismissing all of the reasons why the relationship will not work out. The car scene, in particular, is a clever visual metaphor. She tries to escape but finds herself trapped in a dead end, ultimately going back to her partner knowing that the relationship is not right for her. It is symbolic of how toxic relationships can make people feel trapped with no way to escape, therefore going back to what is familiar, even if it’s unhealthy. Between Hudson Williams getting slapped by a fish and Laufey being trapped as the road collapses beneath her, this music video is great at balancing humor and visual imagery.

The References and Inspirations

So far, all we know for sure about the inspirations of this music video is that Laufey wanted to draw upon Slim Aarons’s photography, known for his vibrant captures of high society. Laufey wanted to reimagine that world of luxury through an Asian lens, successfully achieving it with costuming and set design. In online forums, people are discussing films that this video reminded them of. Some say that the car scene and the overall concept of attempting to escape the trap of a toxic relationship reminded them of Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling. Others say that the eeriness reminds them of The Truman Show, and that the characters could be a nod to The Stepford Wives. Audiences also connected the music video to the work of Wong Kar-Wai, a Hong Kong filmmaker known for his vivid cinematography and storytelling. So, if you enjoyed the music video and would like to watch a movie with similar themes, the titles above could be great picks!

The "Madwoman" music video is humorous, cinematic, and culturally significant. If this is what the A Matter of Time: The Final Hour era looks like, we are so ready for whatever Laufey does next!