“Snow White” by Laufey is a deeply personal song from her 2025 album A Matter of Time. The song explores the pressures and harsh realities of societal beauty standards often placed on women. Laufey describes the exhausting and painful chase for perfection, where appearance is valued above intellect or personality. The lyrics openly discuss struggles with self-worth, body image, and insecurity, capturing the feeling of never measuring up to impossible ideals. She deliberately avoids a comforting or neat ending, reflecting the often unresolved nature of these struggles.
The “Snow White” figure in the song symbolizes an unattainable ideal of beauty, pale skin, slim body, flawless appearance, that many women feel they are compared against. Laufey contrasts herself with this image, recognizing how this ideal can make someone feel inadequate and trapped. The music’s gentle pace and cinematic arrangement add to the mood of vulnerability and quiet strength. The song has resonated widely for its honest take on body image and the mental toll of perfectionism.
Laufey’s “Snow White” from A Matter of Time (2025) went viral for its raw take on feminine insecurity, resonating with fans on TikTok and Reddit. The line “Can’t help but notice all of the ways / In which I failed myself” struck a chord for its relatable vulnerability. Released August 7, it drove millions of Spotify streams and helped the album hit No. 17 on the Billboard 200. Its Iceland-shot music video amplified its emotional impact
Lyrics – “Snow White” by Laufey
Can’t help but notice all of the ways
In which I failed myself, I failed the world all the same
I don’t think I’m pretty, it’s not up for debate
A woman’s best currency’s her body, not her brain
They try to tell me, tell me I’m wrong
But mirrors tell lies to me, my mind just plays along
The world is a sick place, at least for a girl
The people want beauty, skinny always wins
And I don’t have enough of it
I’ll never have enough of it
Sometimes I see her, she looks like Snow White
She’s everything I am, but my wrongs are turned to rights
Her body is smaller, skin is so fair
She’s achieved everything I’ve dreamed of
And it’s all that I can think of
They try to tell me, tell me I’m wrong
But mirrors tell lies to me, my mind just plays along
The world is a sick place, at least for a girl
The people want beauty, skinny always wins
And I don’t have enough of it
I’ll never have enough of it
Explanation
Laufey’s “Snow White” shines a light on the difficult relationship many women have with society’s beauty expectations. The song explores how constant comparison to unrealistic ideals can lead to deep feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Instead of offering easy answers, Laufey admits to the ongoing struggle of accepting oneself in a world that often values looks over substance. By naming the other woman “Snow White,” she references the cold perfection often put on a pedestal and contrasts it with her own imperfections and pain.
The song has been praised for its raw honesty and poetic lyricism, blending personal confession with social critique. Its gentle melodies and emotional depth invite listeners to reflect on their own experiences with self-image and the pressure to conform to certain standards.
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