It takes a certain kind of creative vision to assemble such a distinguished ensemble for a music video. On Monday, April 13, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Laufey unveiled the visual accompaniment for her single “Madwoman,” delivering a polished, star-studded affair.
The aesthetic, drawing heavy inspiration from the work of Slim Aarons, features an impressive lineup of talent, including The Summer I Turned Pretty star Lola Tung, Heated Rivalry standout Hudson Williams, Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, and KATSEYE’s Megan Skiendiel.
The narrative centers on a glamorous pool-side retreat at a sprawling estate, where Williams plays the quintessential heartthrob, courting the attention of both the guests and the staff. Dressed in vibrant, retro-chic ensembles, the women navigate a world of opulence and high-society artifice.
As the setting shifts from daylight festivities to a tense evening engagement, the facade begins to crack. While Williams and Laufey maintain a performance of domestic bliss for the onlookers, their interactions are fraught with underlying discord. The visual reaches a surreal climax when a marriage proposal takes a haunting turn; while the party guests remain frozen in a state of robotic, eerie stillness, Laufey attempts to break free, only to be drawn back into the gilded trap of the mansion.
For Laufey, this project was deeply personal, rooted in a commitment to intentional casting. By centering Asian and Asian American stars—further emphasized by appearances from Havana Rose Liu and Chase Sui Wonders on the magazines scattered throughout the set—the singer aimed to bridge a gap in media representation.
“Growing up, I rarely saw people who looked like me reflected in the music and media I consumed,” Laufey, who is of Chinese and Icelandic descent, shared in a press statement. “I wanted to be that representation myself. The final product is truly my dream vision—the kind of video my younger self would have desperately wanted to see.”
The production itself maintained this focus on diverse talent, with direction by Warren Fu, known for his work with Dua Lipa and The 1975, alongside production designer Evaline Wu Huang and cinematographer Andrew Truong.
“Madwoman” is a standout track from A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, the expanded deluxe edition of Laufey’s Grammy-winning album. The release follows her highly anticipated full-set debut at Coachella, where she treated the crowd to a live rendition of the track.
