"Tough Luck" is a song by Icelandic singer Laufey. It was released on 15 May 2025 as the second single from her third studio album, A Matter of Time (2025). Alongside the album announcement, Laufey released the jazz-influenced single "Tough Luck". The song contrasts light melodies with candid lyrics about a difficult relationship, including one explicit lyric, indicating a departure from her usual style.
The song serves as Laufey's second release of 2025, following "Silver Lining", which was released on 3 April. Both singles come after her 2024 live album A Night at the Symphony: Live at the Hollywood Bowl and the holiday EP A Very Laufey Holiday. Laufey also performed three sold-out concerts in the Philippines in 2024 — two with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra on 28–29 May at the PICC Plenary Hall, and her first-ever arena show at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on 2 September.[1]
Promotion
Prior to its official release, Laufey performed "Tough Luck" at a Grammy conference held on 26 April 2025.[2] She made the first televised performance of the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 21 May 2025.[3] The track was officially sent to Icelandic radio stations, like the previous single "Silver Lining", on the week of 23 May 2025.[4]
Composition
"Tough Luck" is a fiery, fast-paced song in D♭ major that explores the end of a toxic relationship.[5][6] Over ascending melodies and sharp instrumentation, Laufey sings, "Tough luck, my boy, your time is up / I’ll break it first, I've had enough / Of waiting 'til you lie and cheat…" In a press statement, she explained that the track was meant to showcase "an angrier side" of herself — one brought out by the difficult experience that inspired the song.[7]Variety described the track as continuing in the tradition of Laufey's earlier song "Goddess", noting its contrast between a light, jazz-influenced sound and emotionally pointed lyrics. The outlet also highlighted the inclusion of explicit language, interpreting it as a sign of Laufey's willingness to depart from the genteel tone of her usual style to express a more confrontational perspective.[8]Elle described the song as a track where Laufey "disses a loser ex-boyfriend with angelic vocals and a climactic bridge", highlighting the contrast between the song's lyrical bite and its graceful delivery.[9]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
