Maybe We’re All Lauver Girls
How "Girlhood" is Laufey’s A Matter of Time? by Alexandria Goodman B’29published on November 10th, 2025
How "Girlhood" is Laufey’s A Matter of Time? by Alexandria Goodman B’29published on November 10th, 2025
For the past year, while scrolling social media to procrastinate on homework, I have seen numerous videos about the topic of “girlhood.” These thirty-second clips showed women and girls alike dancing, frolicking, and expressing other seemingly normal human emotions on the backdrop of an ABBA song—usually “The Winner Takes It All.”
Personally, I never truly understood the girlhood craze. Yes, I can acknowledge that there are certain events or “core moments” that every woman shares, but I wouldn’t attribute that to girlhood but rather centuries of human evolution. Not to mention, whenever girlhood is mentioned online, it only references a specific group of women, leaving out any discussion about how identity can impact upbringing. It seemed that “girlhood” was another social media feminist buzzword, meant to persuade female viewers to watch the entirety of a TikTok video rather than scroll past it.
However, while I sat in my nose-bleed seats in TD Garden with my friends, surrounded by hundreds of screaming fans, belting out lyrics to “Castle in Hollywood” and “From the Start,” I thought to myself: “This is so girlhood.”
Entering the concert venue for A Matter of Time—the name for Laufey’s tour and her newest album—was an otherworldly experience by itself. As I waited in line, I saw people’s creativity shine in their blue and white outfits, the same colors of Laufey’s newest album. Some decided to wear ballroom dresses that flowed down to their ankles, and others chose to design their entire concert outfit from scratch.
When Laufey stepped on stage, I was transported into her clock wonderland. Throughout the concert, in both song lyrics and imagery, there were references to time and clocks. The theme for A Matter of Time is time, hence the name. The viewer could gather that the concert was about growing up and becoming mature (It also helped that the concert was held in the same city Laufey spent her college career in!)
Laufey performed a variety of hits from all five of her albums, choosing songs not only about romantic love, but friendship and insecurity too. I remember smiling along to “Fragile” at one moment and crying to “Snow White” at the next. In the middle of the set, before singing one of her more personal songs, Laufey remarked that she wanted to make music people could relate to and that she wanted to be “vulnerable, honest, and open.”
As the concert went on, I reflected on my own experiences and couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic. I was transported back to my own childhood, which was filled with different people, places, and cuisines.
Maybe Laufey, whether intentional or not, brings some nuance to the genre of love songs that we have heard in the past. Her experience growing up in Iceland as a Chinese woman has impacted her music, but at its core, it is also a sentiment that many can relate to. To be placed in an environment where you visibly stand out, and how that can affect you, or to feel fundamentally different in general, is a feeling that more and more people are expressing.
I think that’s the reason why I found this concert to be symbolic of “girlhood.” The acknowledgement of both the good and bad aspects of growing up, especially as a woman of color. As I looked around the arena, I didn’t see the same faces that social media algorithms push onto viewers, but rather an array of girls and guys of different backgrounds, ages, and styles enjoying Laufey’s music.
It felt cathartic to sing Laufey’s lyrics alongside people I will probably never meet again. It is currently exciting to see A Matter of Time merch on random individuals on campus and say, “I was at her concert too!” It’s almost a secret club of sorts, but instead of bonding over cards or Legos, we bond over songs of romantic and platonic love.
So, fingers crossed, the next time I see a “girlhood” Instagram reel, instead of some random girls, it’ll feature a Laufey concert instead.