This Friday, April 10, the deluxe version of Laufey’s “A Matter of Time” will be available for streaming and purchase. “A Matter of Time: The Final Hour” will feature four new songs, creating a 19-track extended project.
Aside from this release, Laufey has a lot planned for this year. According to Laufey’s website, “The Final Hour” will serve as a closing chapter of the critically acclaimed “A Matter of Time.”
“An introspection about learning to live with one’s anxieties – embracing uncertainty, accepting the passage of time and finding the calm after the storm,” the site said, regarding the new tracks.
“A Matter of Time,” which was released in August, received the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy award. This was Laufey’s second Grammy win, after her sophomore 2023 album “Bewitched” won the same accolade.
Following the August release, the “A Matter of Time” world tour began in September and is currently planned to run through the summer, closing in New Zealand in August. There will be additional shows outside of the scheduled tour dates.
She will also be playing at the upcoming Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California during both Fridays of the festival, April 10 and April 19. This marks her second consecutive appearance in the festival’s lineup.
This is not Laufey’s first deluxe album, as “Bewitched: The Goddess Edition” also featured four new tracks, seven months after “Bewitched.”
On Feb. 23, Laufey announced “The Final Hour” on Instagram, with the song “How I Get” releasing that night.
“We have made it to the final hour,” Laufey said in the post.
Laufey explained in a statement for Uproxx that the song is about feeling grounded and in control, except when it comes to one person.
“It explores that unsettling shift where I suddenly find myself chasing the rush and justifying behavior I swore I’d never fall into because with them, that’s just how I get,” she said.
Fans have voiced that “How I Get” features a new sound compared to her earlier releases.
“This is so different to her usual sound,” Reddit user @NervousAssumption9 said. “It’s much darker and less orchestral/jazzy than her previous work and a definite departure.”
The remaining three track names have not yet been announced.
Aside from the deluxe album, the live pressing of “A Matter of Time” from Madison Square Garden will be sold for Record Store Day on April 18.
RSD is a semi-annual event that is nearly 20 years old. Held on one Saturday in April and Black Friday each year, the day brings record collectors and artists to independent record stores in large numbers. Artists release limited quantities of unique pressings to celebrate RSD.
Laufey has established a strong RSD presence, with the live at MSG album being her fifth limited release during the event.
Aside from music, Laufey will also release a children’s book on April 21.
“Mei Mei the Bunny” is a picture book about a bunny that dreams of performing, but suffers from stage fright. Illustrated by Lauren O’Hara, the story combines building self-confidence with a basic education in musical terms for children to explore.
“What makes this book truly intriguing isn’t just the fact that it’s written by a beloved musician,” Medium user @Sklenin said. “It’s the emotional promise behind it. This children’s book isn’t just for kids — it’s for the grown-ups who once were. It’s nostalgia, wrapped in pages.”
After propelling to fame in 2020 through online TikTok concerts, Laufey’s work has explored many themes, but nostalgia remains her most consistent. Whether it is through music or writing, Laufey’s storytelling has defined her career.
Combining narrative songwriting with her immense musical education from Reykjavík College of Music and Berklee College of Music, Laufey has aided in new demographics becoming jazz-lovers; she has accumulated over 23 million monthly Spotify listeners.
The extended album will be available for streaming at midnight on Friday. The tracks will also be accessible at Laufey’s website for digital download and various physical forms.
