Laufey Celebrates Asian Representation with Music Video Madwoman

The cast in the music video for "Madwoman" by Laufey (YouTube)

Solois jazz peraih Grammy Award, Laufey, baru saja merilis video musik untuk single terbarunya yang berjudul Madwoman.

This visual work is not just a complement to the song, but a big statement about Asian and Asian-American representation in the global entertainment industry.

Carrying a retro aesthetic inspired by photographer Slim Aarons, Laufey collaborates with a row of cross-professional stars to strengthen his visual narrative.

In the video, Laufey features a slick collaboration with rising actor Hudson Williams through Heated Rivalry, Lola Tung, who is widely known through the series The Summer I Turned Pretty, Olympic champion Alysa Liu, and Katseye's Megan Skiendiel.

Hudson Williams plays the role of a beloved figure who captivates attention, while Liu, Tung, and Skiendiel play Laufey's friends who accompany him in bright colored outfits.

The storyline of this video begins with a relaxed atmosphere in a luxurious house, complete with cocktail service from the servants during the day.

But the mood changed drastically when night fell - depicting the dynamic of the fractured relationship between Laufey and Williams on camera.

At the peak, Williams proposed to Laufey in the middle of a tense engagement party, where Laufey tried to escape but was instead trapped back in the environment of his robotic friends.

Laufey's decision to involve players who are all Asian blood is a deliberate move. The singer of Chinese-Icelandic descent revealed that this project is a form of realization of his childhood dream of rarely seeing a figure like him in mainstream media.

"Growing up, I felt a general lack of representation for people who look like me in music and media," Laufey said, quoted by Billboard, Tuesday, April 14.

"With this 'Madwoman' video, I want to be that representation. The result is what honestly feels like my absolute dream video and exactly what a young Laufey would want to see," he added.

This Asian touch also reaches behind the scenes. The music video was directed by Warren Fu, a figure who previously successfully collaborated with big artists such as Dua Lipa and The 1975. In addition, Evaline Wu Huang served as production designer and Andrew Truong as director of cinematography.

"Madwoman" itself is one of the new material from the album "A Matter of Time: The Final Hour", which is a deluxe version of his previous album.

The release of the music video follows Laufey's debut performance on the Coachella stage last weekend, where she performed the song live for the first time in front of thousands of spectators.

Through this work, Laufey once again proves that jazz music can be packaged in a modern, relevant, and powerful way.