Laufey knows how to make her fans feel seen. And on the first night of her three sold-out shows in Manila, she made it official with a crown.
The Icelandic singer-songwriter opened up one of the most memorable moments of the evening by acknowledging something she said she always notices about her Filipino fans: they show up impeccably dressed.
"We have made it to what I think is the hardest part of the night for me, right now. I always notice how incredibly well-dressed you guys are for my shows," she told the crowd.
"You throw me crowns and ribbons and beautiful outfits, and I thought for this tour, I would choose one best-dressed guest for the night. I thought I'd gamify it because that's fun,” she added.
She then called out Mei Mei the Bunny, a character from her debut children's book, released in April, to help usher in the lucky fan chosen for the honor. The moment the fan stepped forward, Laufey's reaction was immediate.
"You look absolutely beautiful," she told her. "You look just like a princess. This is so, so gorgeous. Can you tell us more about the outfit?"
The fan, who turned out to be a fashion designer by profession, revealed that her look was a deliberate tribute to two of her favorite Laufey songs.
"It's naturally inspired by your music – 'Forget-Me-Not' and also 'Bewitched' – two of my favorite songs, of course," she said. She also took the moment to tell Laufey what her music has meant to her personally.
"I just fell in love with you when I saw your stuff and your music," she added.
Laufey was visibly touched – and she did not hold back in returning the compliment.
"That's so sweet. Well, we can tell you're a fashion designer. I think this is truly your calling because I immediately saw this and noticed this, and it's just so beautiful. Truly," she said.
"Thank you so much for your inspiring words and for listening to my music,” she added.
She gave the fan a twirl before placing the crown on her head.
"Beautiful. Now, we're going to crown you – although you have a very beautiful crown now. We're going to give you a double crown for a queen," Laufey said.
"You are so, so beautiful. I hope you're enjoying the concert and enjoy the rest of the night. So much love to you and good luck with all your designs. You're so talented."
The sweetness of the moment was not lost on the crowd, and the energy carried through to the end of the show, where Laufey paused to thank every single person in the room for choosing to spend their night with her.
"It always reminds me of how lucky I am that I get to do this. I don't take it for granted. I just want to thank every single one of you for coming here tonight, buying a ticket, and learning the lyrics," she said. "I know everything is really crazy these days and the fact that you guys took a moment to be here with me and live this music – it just means the world to me. And I hope you enjoyed yourselves tonight."
She also spoke directly to the Filipinos in the room who might be sitting on a dream they have not yet dared to chase – drawing a parallel between herself and her audience that landed with particular weight.
"You guys may be a floating island in the middle of nowhere, but I also come from a floating island in the middle of nowhere. I'm from Iceland, which is so far away from here," she said.
"I know there are a lot of artists out here who maybe are unsure whether or not to chase their dreams. I want to encourage you to do so. The world is really, really big. And what you can achieve is so much further than the people that you see around you and the country that you see around you,” she added.
For Laufey, selling out three nights at one of the biggest arenas in the Philippines is still something she has to remind herself is real.
"I'm so shocked every single day that I can sell out three shows in a country so far away from home," she said.
"And I really mean it when I say I'm standing proof that anything can happen. I didn't believe in myself enough when I was younger. So I kind of try my best so that all of you believe in yourselves,” she added.
She closed the night with "Letter to My 13 Year Old Self," dedicating it to the crowd with a quiet sincerity.
"I didn't know this when I wrote it. But it's kind of a letter to all of you. Be brave and chase your dreams," she said.
Laufey has two remaining shows for her “A Matter of Time” tour stop in Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Arena: tonight, May 27, and tomorrow, May 28.
Laufey, born Laufey Lin Jónsdóttir, is a 25-year-old Icelandic-Chinese singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who first gained attention on social media during the pandemic for her jazz-inflected bedroom pop recordings.
She released her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, in 2022, followed by Bewitched in 2023. The latter won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards, making her one of the youngest artists ever to win in that category.
Blending jazz, classical, and indie pop sensibilities, her music has found an especially devoted global following among younger listeners.
—By Paolo Lim