It was only a matter of time until Laufey brought her whimsical world of yearning to the City Beautiful.
Monday night, the Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter introduced her “A Matter of Time Tour” to both the Kia Center and the world. The highly anticipated tour launch was filled with many firsts for the artist, up to and including the flex that this Orlando show was the fastest-selling show out of the 38 on the tour, according to Laufey.
Suki Waterhouse kicked off the night with an opening act that set the tone for the rest of the night: dreamy, emotional and captivating.
First of the evening’s firsts was the simple fact that the opening show was the, yes, the first stop on Laufey’s first-ever (and there’s another) arena tour. Throughout the night, Laufey made a point of pausing the show to take it all in. It was very obvious that she was beaming with gratitude and shock from the number of people attending the sold-out show. Laufey seemed to be disappointed in herself for not performing in Florida sooner but made her excitement clear, wearing a dress covered in bedazzled palm trees.
Laufey is a classically trained cellist with an orchestral and jazz background, which sets her apart from most of her pop peers. Calling on all parts of her musical background, she has created a unique hybrid sound that has earned her over 24 million monthly listeners across music streaming platforms with hits like “From the Start” and “Valentine.”
Earlier this year, Laufey released her third album A Matter of Time, which led to even more firsts. Indeed, last night marked the live debut of so many of her new songs.
Our favorite first featured Mei Mei the Bunny and an intimate moment with members of the audience. Laufey announced that Mei Mei, who is the singer’s mascot, would choose one audience member from each show and deem them “Best Dressed.” Mei Mei emerged from backstage, chose the lucky Orlando audience member, and delicately placed a felt crown on their head. A surreal and oddly touching moment in line with the soundworlds Laufey weaves.
The show’s production was impressive and in line with Laufey’s multi-instrumentalist roots. The main stage design consisted of a grand staircase that felt very “Laufey.” The staircase was grand in size, but also soft, elegant and drew obvious inspiration from classic architectural elements, arguably who Laufey is as an artist.
The tour’s creative direction was down to Laufey’s twin sister, Junia. Commenting on the extravaganza that was the set design, Laufey joked, “We are really never beating the theater kid allegations.” Other notable pieces of the set included a giant clock with a moving arm that swung Laufey around the stage and a floating circular light that was meant to represent a carousel, both odes to thematic elements of time and the circus found in her songs.
The performance was broken down into five acts, with each act featuring a handful of songs from her discography. Act II was the most unique and served as Laufey’s “jazz club.” During this act, Laufey took to the platform stage to perform jazzy and intimate arrangements of some of her most popular songs. Laufey sang from the center of the dimly lit arena, where she was able to roam through the crowd and share her microphone with fans pressed against the barricades.
Only time will tell if the sash Laufey sported emblazoned with “Orlando” was site-specific flair to commemorate this first show of her first arena tour, or if she has a custom one ready for each city. But it’s safe to say that the outpouring of love from Laufey to Orlando was mutual.
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