Laufey Conquers Insecurity in "Snow White"
It’s only a matter of time before Laufey’s third studio album is out in the world. Fans have been counting down the days since the album was first announced in May, and now it’s less than 14 days away. Laufey has given fans a peak of her new album through singles “Silver Lining,” “Tough Luck,” “Lover Girl,” and now her latest “Snow White.”
While Laufey’s first three singles were about love, both the good and bad of it, “Snow White” focuses on the struggle with confidence that plagues many young women. A gentle strumming acoustic guitar opens the song before Laufey’s soft, almost dejected, vocals come in as she sings, “Can't help but notice all of the ways / In which I failed myself, I failed the world all the same / I don't think I'm pretty, it's not up for debate / A woman's best currency's her body, not her brain.” In the chorus, Laufey adds her classical touch to the instrumentation with mournful strings joining the acoustic guitar found in the verse. The chorus also features Laufey acknowledging that her insecurities are unfounded, but overcoming them is easier said than done, as she sings “They try to tell me, tell me I'm wrong / But mirrors tell lies to me, my mind just plays along / The world is a sick place, at least for a girl / The people want beauty, skinny always wins / And I don't have enough of it / I'll never have enough of it.”
The single’s accompanying music video, directed by Laufey’s twin sister Junia Lin, opens with the singer in a simple white dress, laying face down on the ground next to a handheld mirror. Laufey’s body language throughout the video reflects the frustration and insecurity expressed in the lyrics, as she sings among the lush green mountains and snow of Iceland.
Even though it’s only been a few days since the release of “Snow White,” the reaction from fans has been overwhelmingly positive. On release day, Laufey played a show in Cleveland, and was brought to tears following the audience’s roaring applause for the live performance of “Snow White.” Laufey’s official fan hq, @laufeyland, shared a video of Laufey after singing “Show White,” where she shared “I grew up playing cello and piano and loving jazz music and I always felt so weird. I grew up in Iceland and I looked different and I sounded different and I often feel like I floated on a weird cloud and landed onto the world. You all have proved to me that there is so much love and so much space for any kind of art form in the world.”